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Whether you are socially, politically, or environmentally inclined, you are passionate in bringing about the changes that you wish to see. You are drawn to purposeful work, and leading change and transformation are where you excel.
As a leader, you advocate on behalf of those you lead, enabling professional growth and advancement. Your passion for purposeful work allows you to coach and educate others to rally them behind your cause. You are drawn to teamwork and are an excellent mediator. You have the gifts of both empathy and a research-oriented mind, making you a strong leader with excellent encouragement and persuasion skills.
You are friendly, confident, and passionate about what you believe in. Those around you know that you will not remain silent if something is not right, and your friends know they can count on you to have their backs.
As an advocate, you feel that your purpose in the world is to make it a better place. You know that things can be better; you are fiercely dedicated to your morals and feel a deep conviction to stand up for what you believe in, even when that means taking the courageous risk of standing up to an authority figure. For you, standing up for what is right is worth any potentially negative consequence, and you know that change does not come without risk. Without passionate people like you, the status quo would be limited to questioning and society would struggle to progress.
You fear being insignificant, your efforts going to waste, and letting others down. Fear is a healthy emotion that alerts us when it is time to get prepared. Fear alerts us to the fact that something needs assessing. When you live in the space of fear it can become paralyzing and confusing. The feelings of anxiety and overwhelm can present themselves as guarded and tense. The opportunity is to embrace the fear as your friend. Shift the shallow breath to a deep breath and ask yourself, “Is this fear justified?” If so, “What do you need to prepare for?” It is also an opportunity to shift your story. Are you telling the story of strong will vs stubbornness, dedication to good vs superiority, or focusing on what you can change vs worrying about what you cannot?
So, before you read the shadow side, I invite you to see this as an opportunity for growth. Because you want to help others and make things better, your inner critic can twist feedback into criticism and tell you that you are causing harm rather than doing good. Your intentions are pure, yet they can create discord in your collaboration.
When the advocate is not serving you to be your best, you can find yourself focusing on all of the things that have yet to change rather than feeling good about what you have accomplished. Your dedication to improvement is an asset to everyone around you, but it can leave you feeling unfulfilled or defeated if you only focus on the bad. While it is true that your desire to improve your work drives innovation and progress, focusing solely on negatives can lead to resentment for you and for those around you.
As someone who is hyper-aware of what needs to be improved, you are extremely valuable to your team and you drive everyone toward progress and being their best. Your ability to see what is wrong and your desire to fix it are both admirable strengths, but your hyperawareness of problems can leave you overexerting yourself as you try to tackle them all at once. Every step forward is a victory, and small changes can yield big results even if they do not immediately solve all the world’s problems.
The advocate at their highest service not only creates awareness to the problem but shines a light on what is possible so that others can envision a better world.
Your steadfast moral compass is admirable. Those around you appreciate that you stand up for them and for what is right, and your courage to challenge the status quo drives change that would not happen without you. This strength is what sets the advocate apart and it is valuable, but it can sometimes be perceived as obstinance or stubbornness by those around you. It is important to recognize the difference between a preference and an immutable belief and learn when to be flexible. Differing perspectives shed new light on situations, so it is best to be open to the opinions of others, even if you do not immediately agree.
Life is not always easy for the advocate. You see a world of turmoil and sometimes feel like an ant trying to move a mountain. It can be disheartening to feel that for all your effort, there will always be more problems, and it can be exhausting to exert so much energy into trying to fix everything. Your empathy is a great strength, but it can also be a heavy burden when someone else’s suffering feels like it is your personal responsibility.
Advocates make good lawyers, social workers, activists, philanthropists, and writers.
Examples: Harry Potter, Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird
Life’s Lessons Questions:
If I cannot change the world, what can I do to change my world?
Can I commit fully to one cause rather than a little bit to every cause?
Do I have the emotional energy to take on this challenge?
Is this something I cannot accept, or is it just something that I do not prefer?