Monthly Archives: September 2019

Ready. Aim. Fire. Review.

September 30, 2019 By in Leadership Tags: , , , Leave a comment

“Aim to make a difference in someone’s life every single day, including your own.”

Doe Zantamata

I love the first word in this quote. To ‘aim’ means to “to intend or direct for a particular effect or purpose.” How many days do we start out so intentionally? How often is the purpose of making a difference in someone else’s life explicitly defined and measured? How about for your own life? Without aiming you are, by default, choosing to drift without direction.

Take 5 minutes in the morning and in as few words as possible write down the answers to these three questions:

Who’s life do I specifically want to impact?

What am I going to do today to impact the life of that person?

How will I enable my ability to make a difference in someone else’s life by taking care of my own mind, body or spirit?

At the end of the day simply read what you wrote down and give yourself a simple yes/no answer on whether you were successful. Don’t beat yourself up if you didn’t meet your goal. But I’ll bet when you start doing this regularly you’ll have far more ‘yes’s” than ‘no’s.’

You can’t worry about what you did or didn’t do yesterday; but you can learn from it. You can’t worry about what you will or won’t be able to do tomorrow; but you can prepare for it. The key here is to AIM, and then look and see if you hit your target. If not, then start over tomorrow. Making a difference happens one day at a time.

Ready. Aim. Fire. Review.

What would you teach yourself?

September 29, 2019 By in Leadership Tags: , , Leave a comment

“As long as you live, keep learning how to live.”

Lucius Annaeus Seneca

If you could go back in time and give your younger self one piece of advice what would it be?

What is the single most important lesson you have learned, thus far, that you would want yourself to know 10 years ago? 20 years ago?

What would have the answer to that question have been one year ago? Five years ago?

The beauty of a life spent continually learning is that the more you learn the more you realize you need to know. What lessons are you learning right now that you will be able to apply through the remainder of your life?

Taste your food…

September 28, 2019 By in Leadership Tags: , , Leave a comment

“Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different; enjoying the pleasant without holding on when it changes (which it will); being with the unpleasant without fearing it will always be this way (which it won’t).”

James Baraz

What are you doing right now? (Besides the obvious reading of this post, thank you very much!) What is going on around you? What are you seeing, sensing and perceiving?

If you took one minute to simply notice the current happenings in your life what would you see? What would you feel? What would stand out? Would it be positive? Negative? How many of the things that you notice will disappear into the background once you “resume life?”

So much our lives are lived in autopilot mode. We simply exist, rinse, wash and repeat. We don’t see, or appreciate, the simple things that create beauty or add the unique flavors and seasonings to our experiences.

I am very much a novice in this area of awareness and mindfulness. I can fully and honestly say that I have spent the vast majority, if not almost all, of my life living either in the past or in the future. Being fully present and in the moment has always been a struggle for me. In a lot of cases it seemed like a waste of time to be present. In general, the present was simply to be tolerated and whatever task or thing that was in front of me was a means to the next end; something to be accomplished in order to achieve my goals or fulfill my next desire.

But what if there was more to how we lived our lives? How much of life’s simple joys do we miss because we aren’t present in the moment? How many things simply pass us by? For example, do you enjoy the rich taste of your coffee after the first sip? Or do you even taste the coffee at all as you wait for the caffeine to kick in? I know that I only rarely taste anything after the first bite. Unfortunately I know that this is a paradigm that applies to so many areas of my life.

If you, like me, know that there is potentially so much life available and you want learn more I highly recommend checking out these books and podcasts to get started.

10% Happier – How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works–A True Story

The Drive Podcast – Sam Harris – The Transformative Power of Mindfulness

The Drive Podcast – Dan Harris – 10% Happier

Take a deep breath, be present, and revel in the fact that no matter what it is you are experiencing it is all temporary. One can’t live an authentic life of service to others if you aren’t present in your own life. In fact, I can think of no better reason than that to learn how to focus on being present.

You don’t want to get to the end of your life and realize that while you ate a full meal you didn’t actually taste anything…

Love what you are doing…

September 27, 2019 By in Leadership Tags: , , , Leave a comment

“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.”

Pelé

There truly is no such thing as an “overnight success.” Sure, luck or chance can play a role, but one has to be ready for those opportunities when they arise. You can’t look at someone who happened to win the lottery as successful. Winning the lottery isn’t success, that is just being incredibly lucky against the odds, though based on all the research on the unhappiness of lottery winners I am not certain it is all that lucky…

Soccer star Pele in action during World Cup competition.

I think it is important to remember that “success” is, or should be, internally defined, not externally defined based on whatever the world has decided success should look like. An artist who devotes their life to capturing a certain quality of light in their paintings is successful if they achieve their goal and are happy with the result. They might never sell a single painting, but they weren’t working and sacrificing in order to sell their work, they invested their time, effort and energy because they loved the work itself.

How do you define success? Is it through the lens of the modern world? Money, fame, fortune? Or is your definition of success based on something internal and intrinsic to oneself? Can you consider yourself successful if you are never rich and famous? What is it that you want to achieve, and will follow the recipe mentioned in this quote above to accomplish?

Regardless of how you define success, and what it is that you want to achieve, you can’t get there without demonstrating the attributes of “hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.” These principles apply to everything in life, your marriage, your hobbies, your family relationships, your work, your projects, etc.

What stands out to me the most is this, if you don’t “love what you are doing or learning to do,” you are going to have a hard time generating the energy necessary to do all the other things required to make yourself successful.

Take the time to define your success and ensure that you truly love what it is you are doing. Then the hard work won’t feel quite so hard.

Properly gauge your disappointments…

September 26, 2019 By in Leadership Tags: , , Leave a comment

“We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

When you look back at life what are your greatest disappointments? At the time did you recognize them as disappointments or is it only through the lens of time that you recognize them as regrets?

I find that there are many times I am disappointed by something that happens within daily life, but when I take a moment to pause and think about what is truly important I realize that whatever minor setback or disappointment I am dealing with at the moment isn’t all that important. In a month, a year or five years, it won’t even matter… What will matter is focusing on what is truly important.

Do you know what is truly important? Do you have a clear definition of what WILL MATTER in a month, a year or five years? Are those things clearly defined and serving as a compass in your life? What is the anchor for your hope?

This quote reminds me of this verse from Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Regardless of your religious beliefs, do you have a clearly defined compass for your hope? Are you using that compass to properly gauge your daily disappointments?

Care greatly…

September 25, 2019 By in Leadership Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

“A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.”

John Wooden

What is the defining characteristic of a coach who can deliver correction in this way? Feedback can come from anyone, but without a key attribute, it can cause resentment, distrust and have the exact opposite of the intended effect. What is this critical variable?

The feedback has to come from a place of genuine care and concern in the coach towards the person that will be receiving the correction. The great coaches are giving the correction because they deeply care about YOU, not about themselves, not about winning at all costs, but because you need to hear something in order to live up to your potential. They care enough about you to ensure that you receive candid and honest input. The great coaches are always seeking to build you up so you can be the best possible version of yourself.

This type of relationship doesn’t happen overnight and it isn’t based on words or promises. It is based on actions demonstrated by the coach showing that their #1 focus is to help you become successful and they will serve that promise faithfully, even when it hurts.

I have had the fortune and privilege to work with, and see in action, both great coaches and horrible coaches. Without fail, all of the great ones shared the trait mentioned above. The very best of them could deliver the fiercest feedback and leave one both chagrined and hungry for more at the same time. When I was on the receiving end I always knew they had my best interests at heart and they weren’t going to let me get in my own way. The worst ones? Well, that is fodder for another day.

If you want to be a great coach, start by cultivating the relationships with those that you serve and ensure that they know you care greatly about their success. If you can’t do this, don’t fake it. They will know and your feedback won’t be very effective in the long-term. In fact, I would say that if you can’t coach with genuine care for those that you serve you should consider a career change. Great coaches care greatly. Period.

Today is the foundation of tomorrow…

September 24, 2019 By in Leadership Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

“Your future is created by what you do today, not tomorrow.”

Robert Kiyosaki

Maybe tomorrow will be the right time to start that project, but not today, I’m too busy…

Next week will be a better time to tackle that tough conversation head on, but not today, I just don’t have the energy to deal with it…

I’ll start reading that book on breaking bad habits next month, but not right now, there is just too much going on and I don’t have time…

I’ll start spending more time with my family when I get through this busy season at work, but I can’t right now, they’ll understand that I am doing this for them anyway…

It is amazing how many excuses we can create to put off or delay work that will make the biggest difference in our lives. In our “instant gratification” society it seems that all that matters is living in the moment. The easy things we embrace, but the hard things we put off or ignore. But if we want to create a tomorrow that we will be able to live in fully and completely, we have to do the work today.

Yesterday can’t be changed, fixed or undone. Tomorrow is just a dream. Today is the only day that matters if you want to make your visions come true. Live it fully and completely and do the work that will be the foundation for your future.

Check the compass!

September 23, 2019 By in Leadership Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

“Direction is more important than speed. We are so busy looking at our speedometers that we forget the milestone.”

Unknown

Where are you going?

Where do you want to be one year from today? What if instead of one year, it took two years? Would that devalue the direction you are headed? Would an inability to achieve some goal within your desired timeframe diminish the goal or make it null?

If the goal is right, then not achieving it as fast as possible, in some personally assigned timeframe, shouldn’t impact the direction itself.

There’s no question that we live in the age of agility and speed. Everything is happening faster and faster and we need to be able to act and react with temerity.

But if we focus on speed over direction we are surrendering ourselves to live a life that is reactive instead of one that is filled with purpose and clear direction.

One should spend as much time looking at your life’s compass as you do the speedometer. In general it isn’t nearly as much fun to look at a compass as a speedometer, because if you are headed in the right direction the indicators on a compass don’t change whereas the speedometer symbolizes so much action and energy.

But what good does it do if you get to the wrong place as fast as possible?

Truth is fertilizer for growth…

September 22, 2019 By in Leadership Tags: , , Leave a comment

“All progress begins with telling the truth.”

Dan Sullivan

Lying to yourself, or others, is poisonous on so many levels. An inability to both see, and tell, the truth is one of the most limiting and self-destructive behaviors one can exhibit.

If you are lying to yourself about anything you are only hurting yourself. You won’t be able to grow and learn and you will forever be captive to a “victim mentality.” When you are lying to yourself about something, about anything, you are saying that it is someone’s else’s fault or responsibility for whatever situation you find yourself in. If you want to grow, you have to be able to tell yourself the truth first.

If you are lying to others, for whatever reason, you are making a conscious choice to put the relationship at risk. You are making a choice to value self over others. If the relationship is important, and valuable, then speaking truth will enable further grow and progress, even if it hurts at the time. Mistruths and lies become poison for growth.

To truly get better, start by committing to only tell the truth, both to yourself and to others. There is simply no other way.

The dawn is coming…

September 21, 2019 By in Leadership Tags: , , Leave a comment

“Failure is often that early morning hour of darkness which precedes the dawning of the day of success.”

Leigh Mitchell Hodges

The lens through which one views failure is critical for creating a life of success and growth. I have found that there are two ways to look at failure.

First, you can see failure as an indictment of self and this manifests in seeing yourself as a failure. “I am a failure.” This isn’t healthy nor is it true. No one is a failure at an individual level. We will all fail many times in life. Heck, we likely fail on a daily basis as we fall short of being the person that we were created to be. But that doesn’t mean that we are a failure as a human being.

Second, you can see failure as a specific unsuccessful set of actions or behaviors in a particular moment in time. You might fail to achieve some goal, some target, etc.. But that doesn’t mean that you are a failure as a person. It just means that we were unsuccessful in our attempt at something. We have simply failed through our actions to create an outcome we desired.

The most important component in building a life of continual growth is looking at your failures through the lens of learning. One must constantly and continually seek our your failures with the intent to learn. Lean in to your frustrations, defeats and shortfalls. This is how you can create the “dawning day of success.”

Questions are the barometer of leadership effectiveness…

September 20, 2019 By in Leadership Tags: , , Leave a comment

“Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers.”

Pierre Marc-Gaston

The types of questions that one asks, as are asked, serve as a barometer of leadership effectiveness and capability. You can break this up into two broad categories.

First, the questions one asks indicate a desire to understand. Habit number six of the Stephen Covey “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” is “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” I love this particular habit and it is one of my absolute favorites. The quality of the questions you ask sends a strong message to the person you are engaged with. It lets them know that you care, that you are deeply interested in what they have to say, that you are prioritizing THEM at that moment in your relationship. Demonstrating an ability to ask good questions that provoke deep thought AND communicate genuine care and concern is a critical element of effective leadership.

Second, as a leader the questions that others ask you serves as an incredible feedback mechanism on your ability to communicate with clarity as well as the overall effectiveness of your leadership and the culture you have created.

By paying attention to the specific content contained within the questions you are asked one can get immediate feedback on your ability to communicate and create understanding. The burden of communication is on the sender of the message and by listening to the questions not just to provide an answer, but to measure one’s effectiveness as a communicator one can refine and improve the message that is being delivered.

The types of questions that are asked provides a strong message about the culture of leadership you are creating. Are people willing to ask deep questions that challenge your thinking or position on a topic you are discussing? If so, then you have created a positive leadership environment that values doing what is right over being right. But if the questions being asked dance around the tough topics or, perhaps more importantly, they aren’t asked at all, then as a leader you are getting incredibly valuable feedback on the culture that you have created.

Pay close attention to the questions being asked. They can tell a very compelling story…

The contagion of beginning…

September 19, 2019 By in Leadership Tags: , , , Leave a comment

“If we wait for the moment when everything is ready, we will never begin.”

Ivan Turgenev

Everything can be improved upon. No idea, concept or plan is perfect. In fact, everything we do in life falls far short of being as good as it possibly could be. And that is okay.

Take a deep breath. Let it out. Yes, nothing we ever do will be perfect, and that is okay.

As a person that likes to do things “right” I know how hard it can be to balance between making sure that some idea is “ready” and when is it “ready enough.”

We can always wait one more day, and then begin. We can always rehearse the presentation or pitch just one more time. We can always review and edit the plan (or the blog post) just a little bit more and make it better. But what if “one more day” turns into never? What if the extra time rehearsing makes the presentation feel scripted or canned instead of real and authentic? What the extra time editing and reviewing removes the real and raw emotion and prevents “publish” from ever being clicked? What great works have been lost to the annals of time because the creator of the work spent all their time getting ready, but never actually started on the effort itself?

Seek to find the balance between “right” and “right now.” Know when you have reached the point of “good enough” and then begin. Make the commitment to beginning a higher priority that the commitment to getting ready.

Throughout life I have found that waiting can be contagious, but so is taking action. Be sure that you are a carrier of the contagion of beginning, and not the carrier of the disease of seeking perfection before beginning.

Find your purpose, and live it…

September 18, 2019 By in Leadership Tags: , , , Leave a comment

“If you are lucky enough to find a way of life you love, you have to find the courage to live it.”

John Irving

What is it that you love to do? Have you found a way to make a living from it? So many people in this world have “jobs” that they do to simply earn a living. If you can find the beautiful intersection between a calling, a passion, and God gifted purpose you are a lucky soul indeed.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

Perhaps you aren’t lucky at all, perhaps you are just blessed…

Who have you become?

September 17, 2019 By in Leadership Tags: , , Leave a comment

“A goal is not about what you accomplish.  It’s about what you become.”

Michael Hyatt

Who have you become through the pursuit of your goals? When you take the time to think about it doesn’t that transformation matter more than the achievement of the goal itself? I can’t think of one goal that I have achieved in life that had a more lasting impact than the person that I became through the pursuit of the objective.

The example that comes to mind was the goal of completing my first Ironman race. Completing that race was awesome, but the personal journey I went through to make that a reality was far more impactful. I achieved that goal 8 years ago but the lessons I learned, and the person I became, I have carried with me every day since then. The process of achieving that goal shaped and reshaped me into a better person.

What goals have shaped your life? What goals are you pursuing right now will shape the life you live in the future? Who are you becoming through the pursuit of your goals?

I choose…

September 16, 2019 By in Leadership Tags: , Leave a comment

“Optimists enrich the present, enhance the future, challenge the improbable and attain the impossible.”

William Arthur

When something happens you can always choose to see the negative, the bad, the downside. But seeing the world this way won’t create change. Seeing the world through this lens won’t move the mountains that might just need to be moved. Instead…

I choose to see the world through the lens of what might be…

I choose to see the world that isn’t yet, but could be…

I choose to see a future that is different, boldly different…

I choose a life of more, because that is the only way change will ever happen…

Be true to yourself…

September 15, 2019 By in Leadership Tags: , 1 Comment

“A truly strong person does not need the approval of others any more than a lion needs the approval of sheep.”

Vernon Howard

Who are you? At your core are you confident and secure in what you believe and why you believe it?

Knowing what this means for you doesn’t mean that one doesn’t have much to learn in life, but being strong and confident in WHO YOU ARE and YOUR CORE VALUES is what allows you to continue to learn and grow in a positive and fulfilling direction.

This morning I heard the following verse which aligns so well to my interpretation of this quote. “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.” Luke 6:26 ESV

Don’t sacrifice your morals and values seeking the approval of others. Be strong, and stand up for what you believe in.

Happiness is…

September 14, 2019 By in Leadership Tags: , , Leave a comment

“Happiness is achieved when you stop waiting for your life to begin and start making the most of the moment you are in.”

Germany Kent

Happiness is…

A cup of good coffee, a simple moment of peace and quiet in the day. The sound of my children laughing and playing together. Anticipation of a birthday party for my son. Good friends that you care about and who care about you. Watching my sons sit on the couch and read a book together…

Take 45 seconds right now and think about what it is that you are happy about in this moment and in the next few hours to come.

Amazing how when you do this all the other worries of the world lose their control over you.

Being happy is a choice. What are you choosing to be happy about today?

The voice of a champion…

September 13, 2019 By in Leadership Tags: , Leave a comment

“Make sure your worst enemy doesn’t live between your two ears.”

Laird Hamilton

Fear. Doubt. Worry. Those are all things that we humans spend an inordinate amount of time and energy on. Most of the things that we waste time agonizing about never actually happen. This means that the energy that is expended worrying about what might happen has a negative return on investment. It just doesn’t add value to our lives.

How do you break the cycle? How do you make sure that you don’t become your own worst enemy? I suggest two things.

First, focus on gratitude. Make it a daily ritual to look at our life and find the three things that you are most grateful for and appreciative of. I have written about this before but I deeply believe it deserves mention again. Adopting a life centered on the principles of gratitude has deep and profound impact on how you view and interact with the world.

Second, adopt a “focus on what you can control” mentality. If you are spending energy on things you can’t control you are wasting your precious life resources. Stop it. I wrote more about this thought process in this post on Circle of Concern vs. Circle of Control.

In all likelihood the greatest adversary you will ever face in life is yourself. The voice in your mind will either work for you, or against you. Do all that you can to make that voice your champion, not your enemy…

To go the distance, don’t go it alone…

September 12, 2019 By in Leadership Tags: , , Leave a comment

“If you want to walk fast, go alone.  If you want to walk far, go together.”

Anonymous

There are days where walking alone might be preferable. Those are the days when a single focus on accomplishing one specific task or thing might be exactly what needs to happen, at that specific moment, in order for the task to be born out with speed and agility.

However, that is not every day. We are all better as humans when we work with and learn to rely on each other. As I meditate on this I am reminded of this verse from Ecclesiastes:

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Find the right team, the right people who share your purpose, your vision, your beliefs; join together with them and you can go so much further than any one person can alone…


Remember the beauty…

September 11, 2019 By in Leadership Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

“For me and my family personally, September 11 was a reminder that life is fleeting, impermanent, and uncertain. Therefore, we must make use of every moment and nurture it with affection, tenderness, beauty, creativity, and laughter.”

Deepak Chopra

We should live every day with this realization. It is just so easy to get caught up in living a life that is over the horizon waiting for something else to happen. Every moment of life in this current moment in time is the one that truly matters.

I was thinking about this over the past weekend as I was watching my children play together. Being aware of the way their laughter sounded, the games they were playing, how they interacted together. It struck me that at that moment this would be the only time they ever did those exact things. The next time it would be different because they are always growing and changing and learning. They are never the same from day to day because life is never the same. Change is constant.

I write about this today because 9/11 is such a reminder of what is truly previous, valuable and meaningful in this world. Enjoy each moment, take nothing for granted and celebrate all the beauty. Life is impermanent, and when you take it for granted you miss the opportunity to truly live…

Quietly bold…

September 10, 2019 By in Leadership Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

“Boldness doesn’t mean rude, obnoxious, loud, or disrespectful. Being bold is being firm, sure, confident, fearless, daring, strong, resilient, and not easily intimidated. It means you’re willing to go where you’ve never been, willing to try what you’ve never tried, and willing to trust what you’ve never trusted. Boldness is quiet, not noisy.”

Mike Yaconelli

It is interesting to me that so many associate the description of someone with “boldness” with the negative terms described above. I might argue that doing any of the things listed early in the quote changes the label to “arrogant, egotistical or narcissistic.”

If you are bold, it is because you believe in something yet unseen and have the willingness, the passion, the desire, to take the risks to bring that vision to life.

Where have you been bold in your life? Where do you wish that you had been? What does “quiet boldness” look like for you?

It’s not about you…

September 9, 2019 By in Leadership Tags: , , Leave a comment

“Leadership is all about people.  It is not about organizations.  It is not about plans.  It is not about strategies.  It is all about people-motivating people to get the job done.  You have to be people-centered.”

Colin Powell

The best leaders I have worked with understood this principle fully. The worst saw people as a necessary evil to achieving their goals and objectives.

As a leader how well do you know what motivates your people? And by “people” I don’t mean at an aggregate level, but individually? What motives, inspires, and drives the folks that you serve? How much of your time and effort are you investing in making those things come true for them?

Are you genuinely interested in the hopes, dreams and desires of your people? If you aren’t, trust me, they already know…

Answer this question for clarity…

September 8, 2019 By in Leadership Tags: , , Leave a comment


“This is the precept by which I have lived: Prepare for the worst; expect the best; and take what comes.”

Hannah Arendt

It is amazing how liberating it is when you can live life this way consistently. I find it to be challenging to stay in this mindset at all times. When I am stuck on a decision the question that I always ask myself is; “What is the worst that can happen?” When you have a clear answer to this then anything else that happens is a win.

So when you are stuck ask yourself this question and answer it honestly. I find that once I have reset my mind in this way everything suddenly becomes much clearer…

Being Right vs. What’s Right…

September 7, 2019 By in Leadership Leave a comment

“Men are apt to mistake the strength of their feeling for the strength of their argument. The heated mind resents the chill touch and relentless scrutiny of logic.”

William E. Gladstone

Have you been so passionate in a belief that you couldn’t even see or accept an alternative opinion or argument? What prevents you from being able to see and consider logic and the opinions of others?

Sometimes we are so wrapped up in being right that we can’t focus on what is right… When this happens the best thing to do is to pause, step away from the argument emotionally, and try and see the it from another angle.

But how do you pause? Especially when you are passionate and emotional?

For me I find it most effective to take a deep breath and ask myself two questions: “Am I more interested in being right or doing what is right?” Then the follow along question is: “If I were sitting in the other persons seat, what would I consider to be ‘right?'”

It doesn’t always work, but I know if I can’t get to a point where I can logically consider another persons point of view, then I am not ready to make a decision.


Build confidence internally, not externally…

September 6, 2019 By in Leadership Tags: , , Leave a comment

“Confidence isn’t thinking you are better than everyone else, it’s realizing that you have no reason to compare yourself to anyone else.”

Maryam Hasnaa

What is it that you can honestly say you do well, and with great joy and competency, that you don’t feel the need to compare yourself to anyone else?

When you find this, and are comfortable with being quietly competent without the need to compare yourself to others in a fashion that diminishes their skills and gifts, you have achieved what I define as confidence.

So much of our world today is built around the need to prove ourselves better than others. That is the antithesis of confidence in my mind. I would strongly argue that if you feel the need to do ANYTHING that puts you in a position to be dependent on either the “likes” of others, or in a position that directly puts others down, that you are lacking in true confidence.

So how do you achieve confidence in a world that is built on comparison to others? Find what brings you joy, that which you do well, and that you can do in a manner where the only comparison is within yourself and your desire to grow and improve. Confidence is built internally, not externally.

Decision filters…

September 5, 2019 By in Leadership Tags: , , , , 2 Comments

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Philippians 2:3-4

I have used this verse as the daily quote before, in fact I used it earlier this year and you can read that blog post here. In that post I wrote about the impact of looking at your day and your life through the lens of answering questions on whether or not you served others and that being the ultimate measure of your success in life.

I chose this verse today thinking about it more as a compass and a guide to start and use throughout the day, not from the perspective as a rear-view mirror. Both viewpoints are important, but in order to measure progress you must first have a clear vision of where you are going.

How effective are you at living a life that is true to this verse on a daily basis? Regardless of your religious beliefs the wisdom here is so incredibly impactful when you apply it to your life and how you live and serve. If you were to truly gauge each decision you make, each action you take, by thinking about this verse before the choice, before the action, would you still take the same course of action?

My challenge to you to day is to pause with each decision you make today and ask yourself who you are serving with the action you are about to take? Be brutally honest with yourself. See if you still like the decision after running it through this filter. You might surprise yourself…

Every. Single. Day.

September 4, 2019 By in Leadership Tags: , , , Leave a comment

 “Don’t cheat the world of your contribution. Give it what you’ve got.”

Steven Pressfield

What is the difference you are going to make in the life of one other person today? This isn’t a rhetorical question. Stop now, get a pen and paper and write down a name and write down what you are going to do. Be specific. At the end of the day, look at this note and take great satisfaction that you chose to contribute to another person very intentionally. Doing this act might be your greatest contribution for the day.

The world isn’t where we should focus our energy. Instead we should focus on the one or two lives we can impact the most through our gifts. That is our greatest contribution, to live life fully in this way. Every. Single. Day.

Just go help someone…

September 3, 2019 By in Leadership Tags: , , , Leave a comment

“The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope.”

Barack Obama

There is nothing worst than sitting around feeling sorry for yourself. Get up. Go do something. Anything.

Sometimes all it takes is simply deciding to do something and that is what makes the difference. No one ever accomplished great things sitting on their rear end. Go find something good to do for someone else. Not because you feel like it, but because it will mean something to another person.

That’s why we are here right? To make a difference in the lives of others, to give them hope for a brighter day and a better way.

How are you going to make a difference for just one person today? Don’t answer this question later, answer it now. Then do it.

Prepare yourself in order to give…

September 2, 2019 By in Leadership Tags: , , Leave a comment

“Rest and self-care are so important. When you take time to replenish your spirit it allows you to serve others from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.”

Eleanor Brown

How often do you take the time to rest and recharge? I find that it is harder to do than ever before. The demands on our time, both to serve others and to serve ourselves, is constant. We all need rest, but knowing we need it, and actually doing it are very different things.

How is it that you define rest? What is it that gives you peace on your heart and in your soul that then translates to rest physically? The answer to these questions will be unique for each of us and they will likely be different at times depending on what is going on in your life and what kind of nourishment you need.

For me, rest can be as simple as dedicated time in the morning on Sunday’s with my journal and a cup of coffee (or two…) and just reading, writing and reflecting on what is truly important in life. Rest for me also means disconnecting from the electronic leash and getting out to experience God’s Kingdom. Recently my bride and I were in Colorado and we did a 12-mile backcountry hike into the Rocky Mountain National Park. That was a day of great rest for me personally though I am sure that for others the idea of doing something like that is anything but restful. You have to find your restful place.

North Fork Big Thompson River

To care for others, you must also care for yourself. You must define the rest you need, find the time for it, and make it happen. When you do, you will find that instead of seeing service to others as an energy drain, you will view it as a gift to give. It is a gift that we have an obligation and a calling to pursue. Take the time you need to optimize you abilities to give and serve…

Open your gifts…

September 1, 2019 By in Leadership Tags: , , Leave a comment


“The buried talent is the sunken rock on which most lives strike and founder.”

Frederick William Faber

What is the talent or gift that you have left buried in your life?

Why is it still buried? Fear of failure? Inability to recognize the talent itself? Lack of desire to put in the effort to bring it to the surface?

But what if it wasn’t buried? How might your life be different if you embraced your buried talent and made it a gift, not just to yourself, but for others?

The challenge, as I see it, is that if you don’t seize every opportunity to bring your talents to the surface you are creating a life that WILL BE filled with regret and disappointment.

So why wait until it is too late? The timing will never be perfect. The stars might not align in just the right way. Your talent might be one that only serves to bring joy and appreciation to your life. But if you are happy, that has a cascade effect to those that you share your life with.

Don’t be content to leave the gifts you have been given under the surface. They are gifts, open them…

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dusty

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