We Must Manage Our Career

Marshall Goldsmith, one of today’s top Leadership experts and mentor to some of the top CEOs around the world, tells us that we must always be about the business of managing our careers.  No one else will do this for us.  You must take charge of your career.  Mr. Goldsmith suggests three ways that we can do this:

          (1) You need a strategy — what do you love to do?  what skills do you possess?  what is my strategy for personal development?  what plan am I working in order to achieve my goals in life?

          (2) You need a brand identity — what are you known for?  how do you distinquish yourself from others?  how do you want others to know you?  how will people remember you?  what do you offer others?

          (3) You need a mission — why am I doing what I am doing?  what is my purpose in life?  what do I want to accomplish with my life, my talents, and my influence?  how will my career help me fulfill my mission?

As I have been reading more of Marshall Goldsmith’s books, I have appreciated his thoughtful insight into how we might develop ourselves to reach our greatest potential.   I hope that sharing these thoughts today will help you in your personal life and career.  You are an important person–and you are important to someone!

Now, “For the rest of the story…”

Legendary radio newscaster, Paul Harvey, had a unique trademark to his broadcasting.  Mr. Harvey would begin telling his audience a real life story about an incident, or an individual, and then come to a pivotal point in the story where he would fill in “the missing details/or information” that made the story so fantastic!  Mr. Harvey would then conclude by saying, “Now you know the rest of the story!”  People by the millions would listen to his broadcasts every day just to get the rest of the story!

As I pass through the pages of the Bible, I too would like to know “the rest of the story” about certain individuals.  There’s the boy who gave his lunch to Jesus to feed 5,000 people.  What ever happened to him?  How about that tax-collector named Zacchaeus.  You know, that “little” man that climbed up into a tree and invited Jesus to his house for dinner.  Whatever happened to him?  Or, how about that little girl, Jairus’ daughter, that Jesus raised from the dead.  What kind of young lady did she grow up to be?

It would be interesting to know how their lives progressed from this points of contact with Jesus!  Did they become leaders?  Own businesses?  Lead others to the Savior?  Did they have children?  What went on in their lives?  It would be fascinating to know, wouldn’t it.  The Bible doesn’t tell us any more than the storylines we are given.  The writers of the Bible felt that that was enough to know. 

As for you and me, we are still writing the chapters of our story!  God is writing that story every day by how we live, how we treat others, the decisions we make, the priorities that shape our lives, the daily witness we give.  While we may NOT know the “rest of the story” for the individuals we made reference to earlier, OUR STORY is still being written every day as we trust God’s grace to have it’s way in our lives.  What a wonderful story is being written!  Let’s live each day for HIS GLORY and HIS HONOR!

Who knows, maybe after we’ve passed from this life someone will speak at our funeral and say, “Now you know the rest of the story!”

“You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts.”         2 Corinthians 3:2-3

Don’t Let Your Failures Knock You Out of the Game!

If life teaches us us anything, it is that we must work through our ‘failures’ in life and keep pressing on!  Milton learned this truth.  As a young man he opened a business and it failed.  Milton moved out West and started another business.  It, too, failed.  He then moved to New York and started another business.  It failed. 

Milton then started a candy business in Pennsylvania and it took off very successfully.  While this business was prospering, Milton spent extra time working on a new recipe for what he felt would be a very successful line of candy.  After some time, Milton was ready to produce his new product–milk chocolate!  Yes, Milton Hersey, did not give up on his dreams even though he went through failure many times.

Failures in life are difficult experiences to go through, but can become the catalyst for deepening our character, strengthening our resolve, and clarifying our dreams.  Many times after failure we have to fight the temptation to give up and throw the towel in.  I’m sure there are many today who have been totally knocked off track from where they wanted to be by failures that were allowed to destroy their confidence and their dreams.  Like a prize fighter who gets knocked to the canvas, we must pull ourselves together and get back up on our feet and keep fighting.

All failure is not final.  Learn from your failures.  Sharpen your focus.  Strengthen your gifts.  You do have something valuable to share with others.  You are important to someone.  Let your life count for God!

3 Pennies And A Dream

Agnes had 3 pennies.  She also had a dream of doing something significant with her life.  How on earth was she going to realize her dreams with only 3 pennies?  What could she do with so little? 

Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu felt called to ministry as a young girl and went through ministerial training in Ireland and India.  When she graduated from her training her heart was “on fire” with a burning passion to serve God and love people.  One day she approached her superiors and announced, “I have three pennies and a dream from God to build an orphanage.”  Her superiors could not believe what they were hearing!  After laughing at her, they said, “You can’t build an orphanage with three pennies.  With three pennies you can’t do anything.”  Agnes just smiled and replyed, “I know.  But with God and three pennies I can do anything!”

For fifty years this woman worked among the poorest of the poor in Calcutta, India.  We know Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu as Mother Teresa who endeared herself to thousands of people.  She literally gave her life away in sacrifcial love to others.  Mother Teresa did not have the “material” things that many have today, but she had a passion which gave her life meaning and direction.  The impact of her love and kindness impacted millions around the world!

She only had 3 pennies and a dream that burned in her heart.  That was enough!  She felt the hand of God was upon her life and He would open up the way, and provide all she needed.  She would not be deterred by negative voices, or meagre resources.  She would instead place the dream, and the passion, in the hands of God and let Him work things out for His glory.  We can learn from that.  Let God be God!  Trust Him to be your provider, your guide, your strength.  Let Him work out the dreams that He has placed in your heart.  He knows what’s best!  He knows how to bring it about! 

“To him who believes all things are possible.”     Mark 9:23

1000 Wins! Amazing!

The other evening Pat Summitt’s Tennessee team beat Georgia, 73-43, for her 1,000th win as a head basketball coach.  There is no other coach in NCAA history who has reached this mark!  Amazing!  It’s definitely an incredible accomplishment when you stop and really think about what she has accomplished.

In many of the interviews following this historic win, a number of other coaches shared what they thought were “keys” to her success as a coach and a leader.  I want to list some of them for us to consider:

          (1) Commitment to excellence   (2) Play hard and play together   (3)Stay focused on your goals   (4) Work on building character and values, not just basketball skills   (5) Push through adversity   (6) Stretch yourself to reach your highest potential   (7) Take advantage of opportunities when they come your way   (8) Have fun while you play.

These are all wonderful “keys to sucess”.  The road has not always been easy for Pat Summitt and her basketball teams through the years.  But, through consistency and strong leadership, she has modeled a “winning spirit”!  Every championship team always begins in one’s heart!

I hope that in whatever field, career, or leadership position you find yourself in today, you will commit yourself to pushing hard, stretching, learning, and developing yourself to your highest God-given potential!  You are a winner!  You are important!  Others need your gifts and talents.  Others are longing for the leadership that you can give.  Fight through your adversities…your disappointments…your failures….your setbacks…and give it your all!  Develop a winning attitude in life and be a blessing to others!

“So don’t get tired of doing what is good.  Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time.”         Galatians 6:9

 

The “If Only…” Syndrome

I’ve known people whose personal and professional lives got stuck in a rut!  Rather than moving ahead and achieving the dreams that their hearts were set upon, they found their futures being sabatoged by the “if only…” syndrome.  We’ve all struggled with it from time to time.  You know, what I’m talking about!  The “if only….” syndrome goes like this–”If only I had gotten that job…”; “If only my parents had raised me differently…”; ”If only I had gotten some good breaks…”; “If only I had gotten the chance to go to college….”; “If only I had met the right person to spend my life with…”; “If only my boss paid more attention to my abilities…”; “If only I lived in a different neighborhood….”.  We could go on and on!

Have you ever struggled with the “If only…” syndrome?  If you had to fill in the blanks, what would they be for you?  We will be forever spinning the wheels of our lives, going nowhere, if we allow this “if only…” syndrome to be a part of our thinking and speech all the time!  We do not have to live with a ”victim” mentality–we can live with a “victors” mentality!  If I go through life blaming others, or pointing a finger at others, because of hardships or disappointments that I have faced, I’ll never take personal responsibility for my life.  

It’s true that I may have had some tough breaks…it may be that others have hurt me….it may be that things haven’t gone my way…but I can also believe and trust that better times are ahead.  When I take responsibility for my life, my actions, and my decisions then I will apply myself to diligence and hard work.  I can learn from life how to be more patient with others, and see the obstacles and challenges in front of me as “opportunities” waiting to work for my good!   In the 23rd Psalm, the writer says, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life…”.   Those are confident words spoken by someone who had learned to put all of life’s situations into God’s hands!  King David, who wrote the 23rd Psalm, had learned through the tough times of life that God had his BEST in mind! 

I’m thankful for those words today!  And I’m thankful that God understands the cries of my heart when I struggle with the issues of life and still loves me!  I, too, rejoice that God always has my BEST in mind!

Stay Calm

This afternoon the Arizona Cardinals played the Philadelphia Eagles in the National Football League’s championship game.  Prior to the game, one of the sports analysts interviewed Kurt Warner who quarterbacked for the Arizona Cardinals.  Warner was asked, “What does your team need to do today to beat the Eagles?”  Warner was quick to respond, “Stay calm!  If we are to win this game we must stay calm despite the pressures we’re put under and keep focused on our game plan.”  Those were great words!  Those wise words, and that confident spirit, did help Warner and the Cardinal team ultimately defeat the Eagles in the championship team.

When pressures come our way in life, it’s important that we keep those same words in our mind–”stay calm!”  Many people can testify that when times got tough, and immense pressures came their way, they “lost their cool” and in haste made bad decisions and went in directions that they did not plan to go.  I know it is very difficult to remain “cool” when the heat is turned up, the pressures of life are pressing you down, deadlines are facing you square on, and you’re scared out of your wits.    But, it’s in those times that we must practice “staying cool” and letting wisdom and our better judgment prevail.

If you want to be a good leader, and see your organization grow, you must learn to “stay calm” when the pressures come and trust that your instincts, your experience, and your leadership skills will help you make wise decisions and steer you in the right direction.  Psalm 46 is an inspiring Psalm to read and meditate on.  The Psalmist describes situations that are chaotic, and in an upheaval, and in the midst of those situations God says, “Be still, and know that I am God.”  In other words, “stay calm” and trust in God’s strength and wisdom to guide your steps.  God loves you, He cares deeply about you, and wants you to trust Him completely.  In life’s pressures, His peace will keep our hearts strong and steady. 

Are you facing immense struggles today?  Are life’s pressures crushing you?  Do you feel your anxiety level rising?  As best as you can, put it all in God’s hands and let Him give you His strength.  With His peace in our hearts, we can “stay calm” and make the right decisions!

Sow Good Things!

The Bible tells us in Galatians 6:7, “…whatever a man sows, that will he also reap.”   This is a law of nature.  Whatever you sow, you’ll reap in return.  If you sow hatred, discord, meanness, and vulgarity, that same spirit will come back to you.  If you are pessimistic, critical, synical, and sour, that’s the kind of attitude that you will be sowing around you.  We cannot deceive ourselves into thinking that our attitudes, relationships, actions, and habits do not have consequences to them.  Many are never able to move ahead in their careers, or advance in their organization, or become persons of influence and achievement because their lives do nothing except sow briars and thorns.

If you sow love, you’ll find love in return.  If you sow forgiveness, you’ll find forgiveness.  If you sow positive relationships with others, and affirm others, you will be building a wide circle of friends.  If you sow faith, you’ll find a harvest of faith returning to you.  If you sow peace, you’ll become a peacemaker.  “…whatever a man sows, that will he also reap.”  What are you sowing with your life?  What influence are you bearing with your gifts and talents?  How are you handling your adversitites and disappointments?

You cannot treat others disrespectfully, and expect good things to come your way.  Sow what is good!  Sow those things that build up!  Sow those things that affirm others and brings dignity to people’s lives.  Sow faith!  Sow kindness!  Sow compassion!  Sow love!  Sow joy!  Live your life so that others are enriched by it!

As you think of the new year that lies before you, determine that you will resist the temptation to sow negative, ugly things that will diminish you as a person, and bring hurt to others around you.  Instead, determine that you will sow good things in your life that will strengthen your inner powers, and uplift and bless those around you!

Matt’s 26th Birthday!

Today our youngest son, Matt, celebrated his 26th birthday.  We were so glad that he was able to be home so that we could celebrate his birthday with him.  Matt chose Cheeseburger in Paradise as his spot to have his birthday dinner.  A couple of Matt’s friends joined us for the dinner.  Our oldest son, Jon, and his wife, Michelle, flew in from Phoenix this evening and joined us for cake and ice cream following the dinner.  It was so meaningful to have everyone together!

My wife and I are so proud of our boys and how they have grown into fine young men.  We thank God every day that they are doing so well and are devoted followers of Jesus.  They are both leaders in their field and very gifted musicians.  Many people are blessed by their talents and the contributions that they are making with their lives. 

It has been a great day celebrating Matt’s birthday, and we all look forward to what 2009 will bring to our family!

Be Careful Not To Drift

I remember as a young boy our family used to go to the Indiana Dunes near Lake Michigan for our summer vacation.  It was always a great time for us as a family to get away and relax, and have fun together.  All of us kids enjoyed getting our swim suits on and jumping into the water to go swimming.  What fun! 

I still remember one of the first times I wandered way out into the water to swim that when I finally looked up to see if I could spot my parents on the beach, I could not see them anywhere!  I panicked!  Where were they?  As I combed the landscape along the beach front I finally spotted them almost 60 yards from where I was at.  I couldn’t believe it.  I didn’t think that I had moved an inch.  What I didn’t realize was that the water was constantly causing my body to drift in a direction away from the spot where I had entered the water. 

I learned from that experience that if I didn’t want to drift totally away from where I needed to be, I had to locate a fixed spot on the beach and then keep my gaze on that spot.  Then, if the water caused me to drift while swimming, I could locate that point on the beach and find my way back to where I needed to be.

Life is a lot like that swimming experience in Lake Michigan.  Without realizing it, we can find ourselves drifting away from the goals and dreams we once pursued; or, the values that we once embraced so dearly; or, the relationships that were once so meaningful.  Some have drifted from their purpose and mission in life.  Without even realizing it, they are going after meaningless, trivial things that are wasting their time and their energies.  This happens so slowly, over a period of time, and one is not even aware of it.  The pressure and pull of culture, our peers, and godless values can cause us to drift if we’re not careful!  

Have you lost your focus?  Are you drifting?  Determine that you will once again find that fixed point that will help you navigate your way through life and help y0u stay on course.  In my own life, Jesus Christ has become that fixed point!  He is the north star that keeps my life on track.  In those times when I find myself slowing drifting in the wrong direction, I renew my personal walk with Jesus, and discover His power to bring me back on track.  

“…let us run the race with patience….fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.”    Hebrews 12:2