Blessed

 

The lyrics below, from an old Kenny Chesney song written by Mac McAnally, are a powerful reminder. Perspective is everything.

Knowing where you are, and being grateful for it, is a key to happiness. The lessons we learn along the way fuel our growth and guide our journey forward.

“Maybe what you have ain’t what you wanted

Where you are ain’t where you want to be”

“Every day is a blessing to be counted

Every night is a lesson to be learned”

     Island Rain – Kenny Chesney

Growth & Grace

 

If someone were to ask if you feel like you have grown over time, how would you answer? Are you different than you were six months ago or even a year ago?  Most of us would answer with a resounding, “Yes!” I believe we improve with age, much like wine. Perhaps we become wiser, calmer or even more generous. So why do we look at others and judge, or assume, the person they are today is who they will always be? We do not know who they will become or what they are capable of doing in the future. We also do not know what they may have been in the past. Maybe instead of being skeptical because we do not like what we see, we should have faith knowing they too will learn and grow in time. 

How are you improving overtime? Better yet, how much grace are you showing others going through the same growth process?

Growth & Grace

 

If someone were to ask if you feel like you have grown over time, how would you answer? Are you different than you were six months ago or even a year ago?  Most of us would answer with a resounding, “Yes”! I believe we improve with age, much like wine. Perhaps we become wiser, calmer or even more generous. So why do we look at others and judge, or assume, the person they are today is who they will always be? We do not know who they will become or what they are capable of doing in the future. We also do not know what they may have been in the past. Maybe instead of being skeptical because we do not like what we see, we should have faith knowing they too will learn and grow in time.  

How are you improving overtime? Better yet, how much grace are you showing others going through the same growth process?

Make One Change

The world as we know it has drastically changed over the last 120 days.  What have we learned from all of this?  I am not talking about how to use Zoom or buy groceries online.  What have you learned about yourself?  Has being at home with your family presented some growth opportunities?  Does working remotely lead to more efficiency or more frustration?  Think about how you have changed and what you have learned.  What positive change do you plan to take with you from this experience.  Pick one significant change; make it meaningful and challenging for your personal growth.  It can be like a New Year’s resolution made on June 1^st instead of January 1^st. 

Make one positive change from these challenging times…

Leadership

Do you know people who assume they are leaders?  Maybe they have the title, maybe they think people will follow them, maybe they just think they deserve to be the leader.  That is not how leadership works.  True leadership comes only through time tested trust and respect.  It is also often preceded by a willingness to serve.  Servanthood is a building block of leadership.  That is the whole basis of the “servant leader” concept.  Those not willing to serve others may think they can skip that step on the road to leadership.  But great leaders always have a servant heart.  Consider this…

“The willingness to serve always precedes the opportunity to lead.”

-             ~  Charlie Featherston

Failure

Don’t fear failure!  We have all seen the stories of successful people and how many times they failed before getting where they are today.  Failure is a part of the growth process.  It is necessary and normal.  In fact it should almost be encouraged.  But it is not only important to personal growth, it is key to innovation.  If we are not failing occasionally we are probably not trying enough new things!  Progress and change require experimentation and experimenting involves failures.  Consider this…

“If you prohibit failure you kill innovation”

-     Dan Pallotta 

Don’t fear failure.  More importantly, don’t prohibit failure!