Faith, Goals, and Fear
Between you and every goal that you wish to achieve, there is a series of obstacles,
and the bigger the goal, the bigger the obstacles. -Brian Tracy
Every business and every person has obstacles along their pathway toward their goal. If you haven’t ever noticed that then chances are your goals haven’t been big or impactful enough.
Successful businesses, top performers, and great leaders don’t get there by luck.
Overcoming the obstacles in our path is what life and careers are about. It’s how wisdom is acquired, and it’s how replication happens.
Think about a time where you had to overcome obstacles to become who you are today. What was it you had to overcome? Anxiety, anger, financial loss, depression, loss of a loved one, or joblessness? These items all have one thing in common: fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of loneliness, fear of devastation, fear of health, fear of death, fear of not being a success, fear of loss, and so on.
After you think of that obstacle, look back now at how you overcame it. How did you move through it or turn it around or run from it? That is the story you get to teach.
We all live beyond seasons of obstacles. Some come out on the other side stronger and some weaker.
One thing we know. This too shall pass. How will your obstacles change you?
- Will you be stronger or weaker from it?
- Will your family be stronger or weaker from it?
- Will your company be stronger or weaker from it?
In the future, there will be more goals and more obstacles. Have faith and fight! Faith and fear cannot dwell in the same soul.
With Easter upon us I want to share a short yet meaningful message with you. I love learning about the leader that Jesus was while on Earth. I want to reflect on him today because there is no better leader example to learn from. (more…)
Waiting in line, waiting in the lobby, waiting through a delay… waiting sucks! But wait… (HA) waiting, actually helps us grow. Wait, what? Yes! So, let’s change our mindset and realize that ‘beneficial waiting’ is a blessing. Don’t just wait… benefit from your wait.
Elements of beneficial waiting:
• Discomfort. In-between is rarely a place we enjoy being, but being uncomfortable can be beneficial. Discomfort forces us to broaden our horizons and change our perspective. We find comfort in the learning that happens during our time of waiting. (more…)
Sometimes knowing how the story ends helps you deal with the chapters that are uncomfortable, unwanted, and unpredictable.
Today marks two years from the crash. The crash that left a mark on who we are, how we think, how we behave, who we surround ourselves with and most importantly how we will move forward.
Today, even two years later, I still have to manage my thoughts as I walk through my days. I’m still growing through this season that never ends. I’ve learned so much, and I’ve changed so much. I’ve learned… (more…)
How do we secure contentment? Is being content a goal? Is it a destination, or is it our journey? Don’t we all want to be content? Is contentment a reaction to good things happening in our lives, and if so, can we be discontent when bad things happen?
As a woman of faith I know that my Heavenly Father desires me to be “content in all circumstances.” Yes, even the bad. Ok, wait. Really? How can we possibly expect to be content during tragedy?
Well, we can. You see, being content doesn’t mean we are satisfied. Being content means we are uncomplainingly accepting on the inside when things on the outside demand otherwise. (more…)
Adversity… the space where God does amazing things in and through us. It’s motivating to me that the word “adversity” starts with “ad.” It makes me realize that when adversity hits us we become an ad, an advertisement, a commercial. What message are we sending when adversity hits us? Are we advertising something others will want to read, want to follow or want to buy into? Or is our message driving others away?
In an effort to “keep it going,” we will resume blogging on leadership this week, and what better topic to start off with than Keep it Going?!
But what does that mean, keep it going? Keep what going? With our loss still fresh in our world, here are my top 10 leader lessons that are helping me keep it going.
- Keep moving forward. While situations and challenges harm the path you originally planned to take, it doesn’t mean you stop.
- Consider any movement good progress. When faced with challenges, just keep moving. Don’t try to cure it, fix it, or heal it. These things will someday be the result of your steadiness in keeping it going. (more…)
Thankfulness. Why are we so open to encourage and be thankful at Thanksgiving time? Shouldn’t we “give thanks” every day of the year? What if Thanksgiving was every Friday and we ended the workweek by thanking our teammates? Or what if it was every Monday, and we started the workweek out by giving thanks? Wow! I think this would totally change our mindset and drive positive thinking and expression. Thanksgiving should be a daily mindset, not just an annual holiday.
Stay with me here! Before you think this is just another Thanksgiving Day blog, know that I was on this kick before the holiday. I work within a lot of companies, and I’ve seen a workforce trend of entitlement growing more and more common. Entitlement is the enemy of thankfulness. After all, why would you be thankful for something owed to you? (more…)
Are you a person of faith who’s trying to figure out how to bring God into your workplace in a more meaningful way? I thought I’d touch on this subject today because I’ve had a week full of wonderful business conversations that included spiritual dialog.
I’ve been a leader in both faith and non-faith based businesses and, for example, I’ve started meetings with prayer in both settings. While the corporate setting is more of a maze to work through (due to HR legal restrictions) it can be a more rewarding environment to show Christ because in the business world your spiritual health isn’t an expected talent that you must have to be successful.
So how do we, as business leaders who are faithful to Christ, balance business and God in our day work life? (more…)