The Red Thread

I was first introduced to the concept of the Red Thread in 2002 through a dear friend who had attended Harvard’s Project Zero and came into contact with Ron Ritchhart’s work. She shared the book Intellectual Character with me. Ritchhart’s concept of the red thread is an invitation to think deeply about those beliefs, values, passions and goals that stay with us across time and contexts. As twice named (sheesh!) Poet Laureate Stanley Kunitz writes in his poem Layers:

I have walked through many lives,

some of them my own,

and I am not who I was,

though some principle of being

abides, from which I struggle

not to stray.

In my coaching work, this is one abiding principle of being with which we will be in conversation. The red thread is a way into discovering and naming this abiding principle of being. I have worked with the idea of the red thread in relation to individuals, teachers and principals, elected and appointed government officials, non-profit leadership groups, and undergraduate students in a variety of disciplines and organizations on campus. It is a powerful tool for clarifying our intentions and where we direct our attention.

What matters most? How does naming and reclaiming what we value alter our behavior? How does it help us mind the gap between our actuality and potential? And ultimately, how do we really want to show up and be seen? The alignment between our values, words and deeds is paramount to building trust—no matter whom is relating to whom.

This is just one of many paradigms I bring to my equine-assisted and somatic coaching. The landscape and our herd are ready to share their wisdom and support you in your ongoing transformation and discovery of what truly matters to you and how that becomes enacted in your lived experience.

I’ve included a video I created for my Mindful Leadership class last winter. It exemplifies one aspect of my red thread…my belief that nature and animals are guides in helping us understand ourselves, how we belong and how to create a sustainable, peaceful world.