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Selfless Leadership.
Leadership is hard, you guys. š I canāt attribute all of my life changes to leadership specifically, but it has played a very large role in shaping my perspective and how I interact/think of others. Not only have I become a more assertive communicator, but I have heightened self-awareness, higher emotional intelligence, and a much bigger ābig pictureā approach when analyzing most situations. It feels like I am constantly making (big and small) sacrifices for the benefit of others, often with little to no reward. But then, I got to thinking about Jesus. And living impeccably. My assumption was that living impeccably makes life easier; that there would be more happiness. But thatās not really the case. Life has definitely…
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Self-Betrayal.
I think most of us would agree that we are not in the practice of self-betrayal. We donāt intentionally do things or make decisions that would purposefully bring us harm. Except we do make decisions that unintentionally do bring us harm. When we are presented with a choice, we have the option of honoring our morals, values, beliefs, desires, etc. or betraying them. When you make the ārightā decision, there are usually positive side effects. When you make the āwrongā decision, it can lead to all sorts of negative effects. I was recently presented with a choice. A very big decision had to be made and there were a lot of moving parts. I chose to move forward, because I didnāt want to be…
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Strength.
I was recently asked, āWhat makes you feel strong?ā The question caught me off-guard, and I did a quick analysis of my life. I thought about my job, being a volunteer, public speaking, relationships, travel, the programs Iāve been part of, the opportunities Iāve had, and being a leader. Without much conscious thought, I replied, āI feel strongest in my weakest moments.ā Then I got caught off-guard by my own response, and Iāve been thinking about it since. Iām realizing how true the statement is. There have been times where I am curled up in a ball, crying, feeling every piece of my heart break š, experiencing extremely deep hurts that translate into actual…
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Truth.
The truth can hurt. That is fact. But wouldnāt you rather know the truth than believe a lie or lie by omission? I would. Not knowing and feelings of uncertainty can linger for as long as something is being avoided. I donāt want to live in discomfort indefinitely. I would rather quick pain of the truth, so I can feel it, and move on from it. Rip the Band-Aid off. š©¹ Quick and painful is better than slow and painful. Yeah? I do believe āthe truth will set you free,ā but I also believe some people ācanāt handle the truth.ā This is true of myself too. We cannot control our emotional reaction, but we can manage that emotion. And some of us manage our emotions better than…
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Disappointment.
The underlying theme for disappointment is unmet expectations. How true is that when you really think about it? When Iām disappointed in myself, I am usually left questioning, āWhat did I do wrong? How could I have done better?ā When Iām disappointed in someone else, Iām usually left wondering, āIf he would onlyā¦ā š Itās harder for me to be disappointed in other people than it is to be disappointed in myself. At least when I havenāt met my own expectations, I can reflect to see if I laid my head and my heart on the line (logic and emotion). If I didnāt, I know to do better and can take steps toward improvement. Other people, wellā¦it seems a lot of other people…
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Transformation.
Do you ever go through periods of life where you feel God working within you? What this looks like may be different for each of us, but for me, I feel uneasy, restless, and emotional, yet hopeful, motivated, and inspired. I recognize these feelings when they appear and know that I am going through a transformational change. In most change models, we create a picture of what we think the solution should be, then work hard to make reality fit that picture. We try to dominate the situation. I have a friend who is super Type A, logical, and analytical. This would be his approach to change. You create a…