BA - Fort Wayne Bible College
MAR - Trinity Evangelical Divinity
D.Min - Grace Theological Seminary
Birkman Certified Coach
John Maxwell Certified Team Member
Myers/Briggs Certified
FIRO-B Certified
TKI Certified
25 Years Executive Coaching
The authors of Make Time, Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky write, “Look, we love technology. But there is a very serious problem here. Combine the four-plus hours the average person spends on their smartphones with the four-plus hours the average person spends watching television, and distraction is a full-time job.”
Wow! Did you catch that statement – 8+ hours per day of our phones and Television! That is in fact a full time job. How do we ever get to “deep level work?” Answer; WE DON’T!
Believe it or not but the use of technology in our everyday lives is still relatively new. We do not fully understand the consequences of our behaviors. I can say with certain accuracy that 4+ hours of phone usage and 4+ hours of television daily is not in our best interest personally and for our society. There are big issues in our world that demand responses that are larger than FB adds, Tweets, and Snapchats.
Jiddu Krishnamurti once wrote, “It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.”
Mark Twain wrote, “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time topause and reflect.”
It is time to take action and learn the discipline of a digital sunrise and digital sunset. NO technology before deep work in the morning. No technology 1-hour before sleep!
Write your comments below. I am interested in your thoughts!
Learn to turn adversity into advantage! Keep moving forward in the direction of your hopes and dreams.
When you talk to leaders about success it will not be long until the two greatest detours that leaders face will surface, they are Fear and Failure! When you really take the time to analyze it, these two issues are deal-breakers. You must keep moving forward on the journey, making the best of the detours and interruptions, turning adversity into advantage. Otherwise fear causes procrastination! So, FACE your fears! Consider the following:
60% of our fears are unwarranted
20% of our fears focus on the past
10% of our fears are petty
Only 4-5% of our fears are real
Consider these 6 insights on Fear…..
Admit your fears – do not hide from them.
Accept fear as the price tag of progress – fear will not positively affect the outcomes.
Develop a burning desire within – the hero and the coward feel the same fear. The hero turns it into fire.
Focus on the things that you can control – what happens IN you is more important that what happens TO you.
Put some wins under your belt – Vince Lombardi stated – Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing!”
Feed your faith, not your fear – have a “can do” attitude.
FAILURE – You need to learn from it! It has been said that successful people will make mistakes, but they do not quit. Here are 10 guidelines to reframe your failures.
Appreciate the Value of Failure
Do Not Take Failure Personally
Let Failure Redirect You
Keep A Sense of Humor
Ask Why, Not Who
Make Failure A learning Experience
Do Not Allow Failure To Keep You Down
Use Failure As A Gage For Growth
See The Big Picture
Don’t Give Up
LINKS
Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on iTunes – SUBSCRIBE
Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on Stitcher –SUBSCRIBE
While enjoying my awesome cup of coffee this morning made by my Aeropress method (No they are not a sponsor, but I would highly recommend this method) I came across some thoughts that awakened in me the changes that are occurring all around us. For example, the era of the Gutenburg press is now coming to a close with the death of bookstores and the emergence of digital books. Think about the transistor radio that allowed children to listen to pop music without their parents knowing. Better yet, you had to attend the movie theater to see the latest blockbuster. Now you can access thousands of songs and watch the same in the movie industry by means of “Live-Streaming.”
The point is that we tend to relish in conveniences of the moment without realizing our need to adapt to new ways of thinking and behaving. Things change! Consider some of the benefits according to Seth Godin:
Computers connect us–to resources, to truth and to each other (which can mean folk-truth instead of actual truth)
Medicine is truly a science, not a series of half-understood superstitions
Musicians and writers can find an audience without a gatekeeper
We’ve changed the narrative about fairness (even though we’ve just begun to make progress)
It has never been easier to spread an idea or start an enterprise
Access to information, just about all of it, is cheap and fast
If you care enough to learn something, you can.
The challenge of this blog is to become a Systems Thinker! This way of thinking about life’s trajectory is to reframe what we are looking at and where this potentially can take us. It is generally accepted that six components make up Systems Thinking. I will be writing more about these in the coming blog articles. For now, allow me to list them for future discussion.
Disconnection……….Interconnection
Linear……….Circular
Silos……….Emergence
Parts……….Wholes
Analysis……….Synthesis
Isolation……….Relationships
Leave a comment below and share your thoughts about the “LONG VIEW” of life and what is changing in your world. Let’s start a discussion!
Nothing in your past guarantees that you will continue growing toward your potential in the future!
An old Irish proverb states that you’ve got to do your own growing no matter how tall your grandfather is! At the outset of this podcast let us learn that Growth Is Change – after-all if you do not grow you do not change! Growth is a choice – choosing to grow is a decision that can really make a difference. In other words how have you changed lately? In the last week? In the last month? In the last year? Can you be specific?
10 Steps To Reach Your Potential
Choose A Life of Growth – The only way to improve the quality of your life is to improve yourself. If you want your organization to grow, you must grow as a leader.
Start Growing Today – It is not what you are going to do that counts, but rather it is what you are doing now. Growth is your responsibility!
Be Teachable – Coach John Wooden stated once, “It is what you learn after you know it all that counts!”
Focus on Self-Development Not Self Fulfillment – Self Development always draws you toward your destiny. Self Fulfillment only gratifies in the moment. See the LONG VIEW!
Never Stay Satisfied With Current Accomplishments – Rick Warren stated the greatest enemy to tomorrow’s success is today’s success!
Be A Continual Learner – It has been said that most of us learn something everyday in order to keep ahead of what we forget. Daily learning is the essence of being a continual learner.
Concentrate On A Few Major Themes – C.S. Lewis stated that every person is composed of a few themes! Write out your themes on life – mine is people focused and leadership development in a non-profit context.Develop A Plan For Growth – You must be able to articulate your growth plan in writing or you are daydreaming. Write it out for each week exactly what you will learn. Set appointments with yourself and keep them!
Pay The Price – Discipline is required and that can be uncomfortable. Growth is always worth the price you pay because the alternative is a limited life of unfulfilled potential.Find A Way To Apply What you Have Learned – Jim Rohn once said to not let your learning lead to knowledge. Let your learning lead to action!
LINKS
Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on iTunes – SUBSCRIBE
Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on Stitcher –SUBSCRIBE
What can a General in the Marine Corp of the 20th Century teach Faith-based Leaders in the 21st Century? This leadership nugget will not be discovered without intentionality in searching for the principles of leadership that enhances the leading skills.
First of all, General Krulak was a highly decorated Marine who served our country with distinction and honor. His style of leadership was more of bottom up versus a top-down method of leading. What became Krulak’s Law simply states;
The foot soldiers on the front line
Interacting with local people
Do more for nation building and
Counter insurgency than leaders at the top!
In the Faith community we are not so good about walking slowly through the crowd and engaging the people. We are good about mountain-top communication with an Almighty God. We are more than ready to ask our followers to engage our plans, systems, and visions! How do we apply this military application to the Faith community? Here are a few ways to apply General Krulak’s law.
Touch a heart before you ask for a hand. People do not care about how much you know until they know how much you care. Each Christmas General Krulak would deliver homemade cookies to the soldiers in the outposts around Washington D.C.
The closer you get to the front line the more power you have over your brand. Walk slowly through the crowd. Get to know those who labor among you. Vision is better caught than taught.
Systems falter and fail without the human element. Get real, not superior! The Biblical terms for various ministries all have their root meaning in the terms of “Servanthood.” Over-deliver on your care and love. After all, 15% of the One Another commands of the Bible reference our humility in serving.
On the success journey, the first part of the trip is just as important as the last part. Think with me for just a moment – what separates motivated people from all others? The answer is they have goals! They identify what they want to accomplish to fulfill their purpose and maximise their potential. The goals that you set become your roadmap for life’s journey.
Consider these five insights about the power of goal setting Goals draw out your sense of purpose – It has been suggested that 50% do not pay attention to their direction, 40% do not even know where to start, and only 10% know what they want and how to get it.
Goals give you “GO” – Industrialist Andrew Carnegie stated once; “You cannot push anyone up the ladder unless he is willing to climb himself.”
Goals show you what to do – All of the motivation in the world is useless if it’s wasted on things that do not matter.
Goals get you focused on improvement not activity – Stop clinging to the idea that success is a destination rather than a journey. The key to fully reaching your potential is to continually improve yourself.
Goals create mile markers – Goals not only give direction, but they help you to see progress.
The Success Process
Your dream determines your goals
Your goals determine your actions
Your actions create results
Results bring you success
Use this process as a worksheet to assist putting your thoughts to paper to visually see your thoughts. This will help you refine them, make adjustments, and plan your journey more effectively.
LINKS
Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on iTunes – SUBSCRIBE
Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on Stitcher –SUBSCRIBE
“Optimalists tend to be benefit finders – the sort of people who find the silver lining in the dark cloud, who make lemonade out of lemons, who look on the bright side of life, who do not fault writers for using too many cliches. When a knack for turning setbacks into opportunities, the Optimalist goes through life with an overall sense of optimism.” Tal Ben Shahar
What are your thoughts on the comparison of Fault Finders Vs Benefit Finder? Which are you? Do you see opportunities in lemons or do you complain about the sourness of your circumstance?
What is the #1 thing that is stressing you out at the present? If in fact that it is really bothering you, we can be sure that you are in “fault finder” mode. Flip the switch to your benefit mode!
What are the top three things that you can appreciate in your current challenge? List them now while enjoying a tall glass of ice-cold lemonade.
When our attitudes outdistance our abilities, even the impossible becomes possible!
This statement is born from the 1960’s by then President John F. Kennedy who challenge a nation to put a man on the moon within the decade of 60’s. Against all odds July 16, 1969, Neil Armstrong took one step onto the Moon’s surface and declared; “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind!”
This moon landing became a reality because of a change of attitude. Therefore, when our attitudes outdistance our abilities, even the impossible becomes possible!
The old adage is more true today than ever; Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude. When the power of a dream is coupled with the right attitude, landing a man on the moon is possible. Consider…….
A dream without a positive attitude produces a daydreamer.
A positive attitude without a dream produces a pleasant person who can’t progress.
A dream with a positive attitude produces a person with unlimited possibilities and potential.
Who and where you are today result from our attitude.Your current attitude is a choice. A quote from former Celtics player Bill Russell says, The game is scheduled, we have to play it – we might as well win!
Here are seven insights to possessing a great attitude.
Belief in self – When you believe in yourself, you’re free to focus on improving yourself and reaching your potential. Rarely does a person succeed when they do not believe in themselves.
Willingness to see the best in others – I’ve never known a positive person who didn’t love people and try to see the good in others.
Ability to see opportunity everywhere – No matter the circumstances positive people see opportunities everywhere. Lois Wyse, founder of Wyse Advertising used to state to her girls, Always say yes, because nothing ever happens to people \who say no!
Focus on solutions – People with a positive attitude focus their energy on solutions, not problems! Any person can see a problem. Positive people maintain a solution mindset. It has been said that most of the things worth doing in the world have been declared impossible before they were done.
Desire to give – Giving is the highest level of living. These people focus their time and energy on what they can give to others rather than on what they can get from others.
Persistence – Success will always allude people who buy into the statement, If you don’t succeed try something else. Dreams that become reality do so because people stick to their ambitions.
Responsibility for their lives – Positive people are willing to take responsibility for their own lives. Unsuccessful people duck responsibility.Successful people understand that nothing positive happens until you are willing to step forward and take full responsibility for your thoughts and actions.
Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude!
LINKS
Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on iTunes – SUBSCRIBE
Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on Stitcher –SUBSCRIBE
“…psychologists today differentiate between positive perfectionism which adaptive and healthy, and negative perfectionism, which is maladaptive and neurotic. I regard these two types of perfectionism as so dramatically different in both their underlying nature and their ramifications that I prefer to use them entirely different terms to refer to them. Throughout this book, I will refer to negative perfectionism simply as perfectionism and to positive perfectionism as optimalism.”
What is the difference between a perfectionist and an optimalist?
To start with the optimalist embraces the constraints of reality where the perfectionist rejects the constraints and holds themselves to impossible standards that result in failure and pain. In short perfectionists reject everything that deviates from their flawless, faultless ideal vision. As a result whenever they do not meet their own unrealistic standards, they suffer. On the other hand the optimists accept and make the best of everything that life has to offer.
There is one fact of life that we all face – Failure happens! We are going to experience negative emotions. That is inevitable.If we want to experience the joy of the Hero’s journey we must say YES to all that we have learned and do our best with what we have gained in life.
Perfectionism and optimalism are not distinct ways of being, an either-or-choice, but rather they coexist in each person. And while we can move from perfectionism toward optimalism, we never fully leave perfectionism behind and never fully reach optimalism ahead. The optimalism idea is not a distant shore to be reached but a distant star that guides us and can never be reached. As Carl Rogers pointed out, the good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction, not a destination. Author Tal Ben Shahar – The Pursuit of Perfect
About the author: Tal Ben- Tal Ben-Shahar, Ph.D., is the New York Times bestselling author of Happier. He taught the most popular course at Harvard University and currently teaches at the Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya, Israel. He consults and lectures around the world to multinational organizations, the general public, and at-risk populations. He obtained his Ph.D. in organizational behavior and his B.A. in philosophy and psychology from Harvard.
DO YOU WANT YOUR LIFE TO BE PERFECT?
We’re all laboring under our own and society’s expectations to be perfect in every way-to look younger, to make more money, to be happy all the time. But according to Tal Ben-Shahar, the New York Times bestselling author of Happier, the pursuit of perfect may actually be the number-one internal obstacle to finding happiness.
OR DO YOU WANT TO BE HAPPY?
Applying cutting-edge research in the field of positive psychology-the scientific principles taught in his wildly popular course at Harvard University-Ben-Shahar takes us off the impossible pursuit of perfection and directs us to the way to happiness, richness, and true fulfillment. He shows us the freedom derived from not trying to do it all right all the time and the real lessons that failure and painful emotions can teach us.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE PERFECT TO BE PERFECTLY HAPPY!
In The Pursuit of Perfect, Tal Ben-Shahar offers an optimal way of thinking about failure and success–and the very way we live. He provides exercises for self reflection, meditations, and “Time-Ins” to help you rediscover what you really want out of life.
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