The Best Decision

I have had a couple days now to sincerely take the time to think about the direction of my life. In this time of reflection, I have considered all the thoughts and actions over the past year that have literally defined who I truly am as a person. I attempted to find areas in my life that may need some improvement and looked for things to pursue by exploring what exists deep within my heart. It has been a worth while evaluation and believe that this type of honest reflection is exactly what will keep me from simply going through "The Motions".

Looking back at the past 5 months, I am filled with a feeling of joy knowing that through determination and dedication I have found the path to a better brighter future. Along the way, I have experienced feelings that were previously denied and learned to trust in a way that I didn't know was possible. I opened myself up to the impossible, expected blessing and turned to God to conquer any doubt that stood in the way. I am so grateful for all that I have and will continue to give my all to show my gratitude in everything I do.

This morning I looked into the mirror and saw a person staring back at me that I have not seen in a very long time. He had a sparkle in his eye and a glow that shined with a light that was as bright as the morning sun. I could not help but to think back to all the times I looked in the mirror only to be disgusted by wasted potential and blatant ignorance. There was no sparkle... no light... just an emptiness filling a void for what could be.

When I started on my journey of change, I had no idea what the future may hold. However, I did know that there was something more out there to find. I knew deep inside that something was missing... and I took that first step forward following that inspiration. I found hope and put all my faith into something so much greater than myself... and it was the best decision I ever made.

Beyond "The Motions"

It has been over a month since the last time I sat in this chair with the objective of giving my all to sharing about my dedicated journey toward change with this blog. I am pleased to write with a sincere smile that the month of May was absolutely amazing filled with more of the same type of unpredictable inspiration and generous blessing that I shared during the first 4 months of 2010. I feel guilty for not sacrificing the time and energy needed to share them, but also trust that God has been leading me in my decision to place more focus on some other areas in my life.

However, it feels wonderful to be here right now concentrating on the things happening in my life that are filling my heart with joy and look forward to once again writing about the incredible experiences that are helping to shape me into the person God wants me to be. I am committing to a minimum of ten posts per month for the rest of the year. I hope you are as excited as I am to embrace all that life has to bring in the upcoming months and trust that you will be expecting the same type of positive exciting events from your own journey. It is sure to to bring experiences to enjoy... challenges to conquer... emotions to feel... and ideas to explore... so together let's take it all in and flourish as we attempt to shine with every single thought and action.

Over the next twenty four hours, I will be reflecting on the changes in my life that have occurred over the course of the first half of 2010. I will be evaluating my progress toward my goals and develop a truthful assessment of my determination to accomplish the desires God has placed in my heart. I invite you to join me in this exercise. Give it your all. Don't hold back. I encourage you to listen to the following song and use the next few minutes to start an honest internal conversation asking yourself questions you normally wouldn't ask. I think it will help us prepare for what lies ahead and allow us to move beyond simply going through "The Motions".

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Matthew West "The Motions"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaHmiFaX_pk

This might hurt, It's not safe
But I know that I've gotta make a change
I don't care, If I break
At least I'll be feeling something
Cause just OK, Is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of life

I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't want to go one more day
Without your all consuming passion inside of me
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking
What if I had given everything?
Instead of going through the motions

No regrets, Not this time
I'm gonna let my heart defeat my mind
Let your love, Make me whole
I think I'm finally feeling something real
Just OK, Is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of this life

Take me all the way

A Different Path

You may or may not have noticed, but this is the first post I have made for the month of May. I decided to take a break after four months of daily writing. I put forth a lot of effort into making these posts interesting and inspirational and started to feel overwhelmed by the urgency of self inflicted deadlines. After praying on this undesired sense of obligation, I felt that I needed to take some time to re-center myself around the real purpose of this blog.

Over the last week of my life, I continued experiencing all that it means to be alive. I worked through challenges... I enjoyed blessings... I looked for inspiration... I helped others... and I talked with God throughout it all. Even though I didn't write about it, time kept on moving forward and I moved right along with it. With this realization, I discovered exactly what I was looking for... an understanding of what matters most.

I will not elaborate on exactly what I found. However, I encourage you to go on a search of your own. I sincerely believe the answer to what matters most exists uniquely inside of each of us. We just need to take time and place effort into finding it. When we do, we can use it to not only keep up with time, but live at our best no matter how fast it seems to go.

Going forward with this blog, I will keep pouring my heart into sharing my amazing journey as well as discuss some other stories from my past that have formed me into the person I am today. With God on my side, I expect to keep it interesting and inspirational. I hope you find it to be just that... and wish you the same type of exciting, positive experiences in your own life.
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This morning I lifted my hands to the sky and took a few deep breaths. I stretched out my arms as if I could grab the clouds, looked up with praise in my heart, and asked for the positive change in my life to never end. I felt chills surround my body as I was filled with what I can only describe as the grace of God. Soon after this wonderful experience, I picked up my baseball bat and continued another blessed day with some welcomed exercise.

After hitting pretend home runs for about 15 minutes, I decided to take a different path for my run. I did not put much thought into it at the time, but it was so refreshing to break away from the usual route through my neighborhood. I enjoyed different scenery, waved/smiled at different neighbors, and conquered different terrain. I ended up running longer/harder than I have all year, and I honestly didn't think about it until I made it back to my house drenched in sweat.

After putting more thought into it, I started to relate how life can often fall victim to the same type of boring, uneventful routine that had taken over the path I have been choosing to run. I have been stuck running the same loop day after day without even knowing it. It wasn't until I decided to run outside of that loop that I noticed what I was missing... and became aware of all the other wonderful possibilities. A sense of familiarity was literally stealing from my ability to get the most out of my time running.

This makes me wonder about other things in my life that may be stuck in the "same loop". What else in my life could use a new and exciting path? Is there more joy and happiness out there just waiting to be discovered? If so, what is holding me back from receiving it?

My desire is to find this refreshing feeling of newness in everything I do. However, it is going to require me to move outside of my comfort zone and into unfamiliar territory. I will have to veer away from the normal routine and look for "new roads" for which "to run". It may be scary to take on the unknown, but I trust that taking a different path will more often than not lead to positive change. When combined with steady faith and unwavering obedience, this change can only move me in one direction - forward toward becoming the person I was meant to be.
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Isaiah 40:28-31
Do you not know? Have you not heard?

The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Greatest Commandment

It is so easy to get misdirected in this life. Our actions and decisions often influenced by internal desires resulting in behavior that reflects a selfish greed to seek only what seems to be best for us at the current moment. How can we live so that we can avoid falling victim to this wicked temptation?

I have found that the answer clearly resides in Mark 12:29-31 where Jesus provides his response to the following question - "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"

The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

The world around us brings one situation after another that requires more from our choices than this painful lust for self gratitude. We can choose to see that we have an ability to overcome this reckless urge, or we can remain lost in a life that offers nothing more than temporary satisfaction. The choice is ours...

I am often tempted, but when I begin to feel lost in my ways I turn to the words of Jesus. I center myself around his life and give all my love to God. I hold nothing back. I ask for help. I accept guidance. I act on his will. I open myself up to the possibility that I could do something more, and I often find that I have more love to give outside of my own desires.

With each circumstance and every interaction, there is a right way and a wrong way. We may not always find ourselves on the correct path, but we can rely on God to change our course by loving externally with everything we do. We can escape the downfall of acting in self interest and discover the reward behind the greatest commandment - indescribable joy.

Laws of Leadership V

This will be the fifth and final installment to a series of blog posts dedicated to "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership" by John C. Maxwell. Reading, analyzing and applying the laws to my life has proven to be a rewarding exercise that will provide valuable direction in my journey toward striving to be a leader in everything I do. The truth behind each law will be used to identify opportunities and recognize areas for improvement as I make my way to achieving success in the omnipresent world of leadership.

The "Law of Priorities" gives an understanding that leadership will always require an ability to effectively prioritize regardless of how efficiently an organization is being run. Therefore, activity is not an indicator of forward progress unless it is critical to accomplishing future goals. The Pareto Principle states that a focus on the top 20 percent in terms of importance will produce an 80 percent return on effort. For example if your to-do list has ten items on it, the top two will give you 80 percent of the benefit for the entire list. In order to prioritize, we should use Maxwell's three R's: What is Required? What gives the greatest Return? What brings the greatest Reward?

The next law explains a harsh inescapable reality of leadership. Leaders must have an attitude of sacrifice and be willing to do whatever it takes to reach the next level. Maxwell uses Lee Iacocca and his dedication to saving Chrysler starting in the late 1970s as an example of the "Law of Sacrifice." In order to incorporate the changes that needed to take place, Iacocca gave all his time working around the clock neglecting his usual mandatory time with family. He also worked for a salary of one dollar. However, his sacrifices were seen by the entire company and created a culture that allowed Chrysler to work its way back to elite status. All leaders need to accept that the higher the level of leadership, the greater the sacrifices.

The most effective leaders recognize that when to lead is as important as what to do and where to go. Timing is everything and this concept leads into the "Law of Timing." With every single move made by a leader, the result will always fall into one of four categories outlined below.

• The Wrong Action at the Wrong Time Leads to Disaster
• The Right Action at the Wrong Time Brings Resistance
• The Wrong Action at the Right Time Is a Mistake
• The Right Action at the Right Time Results in Success

Simply stated, the right choice at the right time will lead to incredible results, but if either is wrong the result will always be negative.

Maxwell next goes into what he explains as leader's math. It simply means that although leading followers will bring growth, leading leaders will expand the boundaries of growth. The "Law of Explosive Growth" shows that leaders who develop other leaders multiply their growth since each acquired leader will also bring their followers. Basically, an organization will experience a multiplication effect that goes far beyond adding resources, reducing costs, increasing margins or anything else just by working to develop leaders.

The final law in this powerful book is the "Law of Legacy" which states a leader's lasting value is measured by succession. The best leaders have an ability to think ahead and value what is best for a company. Through creating a leadership culture, an organization is enabled to be successful regardless of his or her presence. Great leaders will have incorporated ideals and values that will carry on long after they are gone. A legacy will be created that puts the organization into the position to do great things in the future without them.
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"The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership"
Follow Them and People Will Follow You
By John C. Maxwell

"Everything rises and falls on leadership. Most people don't believe me when I say that, but it's true. The more you try to do in life, the more you will find that leadership makes the difference. Any endeavor you can undertake that involves other people will live or die depending on leadership. As you work to build your organization, remember this:

• Personnel determine the potential of the organization.
• Relationships determine the morale of the organization.
• Structure determines the size of the organization.
• Vision determines the direction of the organization.
• Leadership determines the success of the organization.

I wish you success. Pursue your dreams. Desire excellence. Become the person you were created to be. And accomplish all that you were put on earth to do. Leadership will help you to do that. Learn to lead - not just for yourself, but for the people who follow behind you. And as you reach the highest levels, don't forget to take others with you to be the leaders of tomorrow."

• Law of the Lid
• Law of Influence
• Law of Process
• Law of Navigation
• Law of E.F. Hutton
• Law of Solid Ground
• Law of Respect
• Law of Intuition
• Law of Magnetism
• Law of Connection
• Law of the Inner Circle
• Law of Empowerment
• Law of Reproduction
• Law of Buy-In
• Law of Victory
• Law of the Big Mo
• Law of Priorities
• Law of Sacrifice
• Law of Timing
• Law of Explosive Growth
• Law of Legacy

Rise Above

This week I have been challenged by stress. It feels like my trust in God is being tested by a variety of external forces waging war on my ability to live with the extreme joy I have been experiencing. However, I refuse to allow any of these factors to control my thoughts and will use my faith like a shield defending my peacefulness from the chaotic world around me.

Proverbs 3:5-6 reads, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

The above passage was sent to me by someone very special at exactly the time I needed to read it. It allowed me to change my focus from the overwhelming nature of the pace of life to God's all consuming love for me. Even though life continues its attack, I am able to reclaim now as the moment to praise God and restore my ability to live for his glory.

Work can seem to control our lives. Bills can steal happiness from our hearts. The world can trick us into the unthinkable. However, we must never surrender to these external forces. By refusing to relinquish our joy, we wear an armor so mighty and strong that we can overcome anything.

Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

One week from today, I want to be able to look back on the stress in my life and laugh. I want to smile at its attempts to rob me of my joy. I want to be confident it did not hold me down. The only way I can guarantee these desires is to rely on complete trust in God. There is absolutely no room for doubt... no room for worry... no room for panic. I believe with all my heart that God works for the good of those who love him and will use this faith to rise above.

ACTIONS... words

There is an expression that is commonly used to emphasize that what we do is much more powerful the anything that we say. You may have heard it a few times in your life and filed it away just as I did into a category of memorable yet overlooked cliches. However, it may help to pull the phrase from storage and use it today to make an impact, because there is no doubt that "Actions Speak Louder than Words".

Even though I may not have always implemented them over the course of my life, I have been consistently blessed with quality ideas. Every once in a while, I would act on this God given inspiration which more often than not produced desirable results. However, it took solid effort to turn these sparkling rays of possibility into reality. There is no doubt that simply talking about it made no difference at all. It was my lack of consistency in following through on these ideas that kept me from accomplishing what I was truly meant to achieve.

The good news is that I have found that it is never too late to start dedicating time and energy toward fulfilling this unrealized potential. We can revive past reflections of ingenuity and transform them into actions. We can decide to stop talking about something and work to make it happen. We can make now the time we will make our words change into the difference we have always wanted to make.

We have the ability to do so much more than talk. Everything we need to turn our words into actions rests solely on our decision to make it happen. Simply by living the way God inspires us to live, we will influence others through the truth that lives in our actions. We cannot talk about helping others.... we cannot think about living a positive lifestyle... we cannot plan on making a difference... we need to just do it. We need to silently speak louder with every step we take.