To Serve well

Serving with Excellence for a Life of Excellence

Inspiration

Building family connections: Do what it takes

 

Photo Creds: We Heart It)

Family connections run deep. No matter what your family looks like, how functional and/or dysfunctional they may be… the fact is, family creates a bond like no other. Family sees us at our worst and our best… tears are shed of both joy and pain. It’s raw, but a good raw.

It’s the vulnerability of “knowing” that they see the real us and we see the real them (and neither might not really like what we see) that can draw us closer or away at different times in our lives. Most of the time, even if we step away or create a distance, we are drawn back… because, well…. family is family.

Like many of you, over the years I have gone to extended family reunions and as a child thought it was fun, but missed the meaning. I have watched my boys and been surprised that at a younger age they seem to realize and HONOR the depth of family and it’s importance.

That has me thinking that perhaps we all could use a reminder to really INVEST in this area… It’s easy after all to put family on the back burner unless, like children, they need us for survival. Family will be there and we know it.

For that very reason, we should make a concentrated effort to INVEST AND HONOR THEM every chance we get. Say thank you, show appreciation, lift them up… We do this in the work place, and we do it with our friends… but do we tell our favorite “uncle” that he really means a lot of us and that his service to our country brings you so much pride and gratitude? I don’t do this enough. I need to.

Let’s pay attention to making some investments in those who are our greatest cheerleaders. It’s important I think.

Simple thoughts Sunday – Are your relationships bringing you closer?

(Photo Creds: We Heart It)

Someone posed this question to me a few months ago. It’s intended to be focused on your intimate relationships, but it’s still pretty broad.

I first thought about how useful this question would be for my 20-year-old boys, and then quickly realized it is a completely legitimate question for me. I’m not married, and really only in the past year(ish) considered dating more seriously. I am grateful this question was brought to my attention, because in its simplicity it speaks volumes.

Shouldn’t I be filtering any potential “candidate” that may become a key part of my life through this life impacting question? After all, if he’s not moving me closer to God (in my case… I realize many others have different religions or viewpoints), then why should I waste my time? I shouldn’t. You shouldn’t.

Whatever is important to you, if your partner is not a part of helping you go in that direction then they probably aren’t a long-term part of your plan. (Clearly, if you are already in a relationship it may bring forth a different set of questions… like how can I bring my partner closer to God? How can I have a conversation that I need him to pray over me when I’m facing a challenge?)

The same would be true for friendships that you invest a lot of time with. Back to the school days when your parents tell you to “hang with the right crowd.” I think it’s worth it to take an inventory of those friends in your inner circle. Are they bringing positive energy? Are they investing in you and your happiness? It’s a good process.

Finally, how are you bringing your friends closer to God? Are you really praying for them, seeking their hearts and what they may be confronting right now? How can you step up in this area?

I’ve been thinking about it a lot and I hope it ignites a little fire in you that has you move in that direction.

Have an awesome week.

Game day jitters = “I can handle it”

(Photo Creds: We Heart It)

Game day jitters. We all have them, whether we are in the big game on the field, or the game of life. A test, a meeting with the boss, meeting someone new… knocking one off of the bucket list… AKA sky diving, or traveling globally for the first time. Game day jitters happen to us all. This year, one of the leaders I listen to, Steven Furtick, talks about his mantra, “I can handle this.” You can find it on his podcast via iTunes, or YouTube.

I normally don’t have Christian references in my weekly posts, but this one is really good and shouldn’t be missed. If you don’t want to use the Christian references, replace it with something you are comfortable with – I promise it’s worth your time to copy and paste this and put it front and center in your life. (It is better on video, or just to listen to it via iTunes… but the words are solid.) Here it goes:

“Today is a new day.

It will bring brand new blessings and brand new battles.

But within every uncertainty there is a hidden possibility.

So I don’t dread any challenge that lies ahead

Because I remember all the victories behind.

And my confidence is not in my circumstance.

The spirit of God is my supply.

I’m steady under pressure and I’m ready for whatever… ’cause whatever comes my way today, the outcome is “I overcome.”

Christ is in me, I am enough.

I can handle it.

I can’t afford to stay afraid or let my faith hesitate.

My purpose is at stake and he who called me is faithful.

His strength in me is greater than any pain I feel or enemy I face.

The promise of God is mine for the taking.

Every plan He has made is guaranteed to come to pass.

It will happen.

If I don’t back down, if I won’t let go, it will happen.

If I don’t stop short, if I won’t sell out, it will happen by faith.

But faith doesn’t take the fear away, it teaches me to fight it.

So bring the battle, I’m ready now.

I got something for Goliath.

I can handle it.

My power flows from presence so I won’t stay stuck in what was, or worry about what will be.

My regrets have been redeemed

And my tests have becomes my lessons

My focus is is fixed and my hear expectant

I’m set, I’m not nervous about what’s next.

‘Cause my eyes are on the throne

I trust the one who’s in complete control

The one who already knows how He’s gonna work it according to his purpose.

Even the worst situations are sure to turn in my favor, If I keep moving forward, keep moving toward Him.

God is with me in this moment, and whatever happens…

I can handle it.”

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Isn’t that awesome? Game day jitters impact us. Make us lose sleep, lose our peace and can distract us from our best. If we maintain our focus, prepare at the highest level, realize that we have support through the fan club of our family and friends… We can achieve a great game… not just today’s game, but every game we step in to.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Why faith must supersede logic

(Photo Creds: We Heart It)

Why do bad things happen to good people?

Why did I get a bad grade on my paper when I thought I aced it?

Why, just when you think you are about to turn the corner financially, the dryer needs repair?

Why does the best team not always win?

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When it comes to life’s most challenging questions we simply cannot rely on logic. The human brain is wired to want to understand. “It just doesn’t make sense,” we hear a lot. As a Christian, it is often, “Why would God allow that to happen…?” We live in a world that although filled with so much good and so many wonderful people, is also a giant stage for our human imperfection.

Today, this idea that we must truly have FAITH and not rely on logic has come to me over and over again. Truthfully, I’m not very good at it. I wish I could say I was… I certainly try and have the right intent. I do believe that there is a divine plan for each of us, and that the universe is “unfolding as it should.” (Ref: Desiderata poem, 1927, Max Ehrmann) I not only believe it, but I’m counting on it. (Because we have some crazy things that happen in our world…)

Today, I am choosing to once again, give up my “logical” mind for all out FAITH. As you set out to conquer the year, I hope that you will join me. Doing this requires a commitment… a daily commitment, and maybe even an hourly effort. Things don’t make sense. There is bad and even ugly and unfair  and unjust, unreasonable and undeserved… There is also the life God promised us that assures us that the ultimate prize is a victorious life. A life of FAITH, allows us to give all of those things to God and allows him to work them together for our collective good.

Something to think about today… Have an amazing week!

What inspires you?

(Photo Creds: My own from Tuesday’s flight to Detroit. Cool, huh?)

Where people find inspiration fascinates me.

To me, inspiration incites joy. What moments make you smile and give you a dose of hope and excitement about our world? As I get older, the “small” moments for sure inspire me.

The street performer sharing their talents with the community, a giggling child and yep, even looking out the window of a plane, mesmerized by the beauty and complexity of our world.

Let’s keep dreaming here a bit… what else inspires? I would add “brilliant minds” to this list. Do you ever pick up a book, watch a movie or even engage with a great teacher or a colleague at work and just feel amazed with their ability to bring together insights that take you to the next level? I just love that.

I saw a movie preview for the upcoming film, “A Dog’s Purpose,” and I was moved immediately. The concept of the film is brilliant. Check it out – it’s great!

Finally, I would add to the list “simple kindness.” I know there is a lot of it out there, but honestly, I’d like to see it more… like everyday if possible. There is a warmth that comes from the simple act of someone going out of their way to open a door or send a message of encouragement. It’s what makes the days rich and the years more so.

As January brings us more cloudy days, perhaps we can all approach this one with an extra intention? That is serving well… both ourselves and the recipients!

What inspires you? I know the readers would love to hear from you!

Have an amazing weekend.

Thank you, Dr. King

(Photo Creds: We Heart It)

Please don’t dismiss this week’s celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

If you are a news junkie, no doubt it has been front and center (along with football playoffs and ice storms) the last few days. Many people these days are not watching the news, instead gravitating toward anything “but” the often-negative stories that flood into our homes.

For this week, it is worthwhile to take in the story of his life… again.

If you’d like a simple place, use this.

Also, the “I have a dream” video is worth your 5 minutes.

My friend Gretchen who substitute teaches (lucky kids) told me that she asked her class the other day who today’s heros are. The collective group couldn’t really come up with any. Maybe some sport heros thrown in, but overall, the exercise provided pause that left everyone asking who does deserve this title today? Who is doing work that addresses the big issues?

Thankfully there are a LOT of heros in our world. Many quietly, and some more noteworthy, who are spending their days working on those big issues. On the other hand, there is always room for more… those stand-outs that can GALVANIZE our country. People like Dr. King who sacrifice their lives for the good of man and society.

The quote above is my favorite of King’s. It resonates with me and I hope it does with you. What issues have we been silent about? The definition of silence meaning that you haven’t really done anything to share your concern and take action to help improve the situation. This could be as easy as walking by litter in your own neighborhood, or as complex as taking on the hate that impacts our world.

 (A shout out to my friend Mindy Corporon and family who are working toward improvement in this area via their foundation and their annual week long event bringing awareness to these issues.) 

Whatever the issue is that you have a passion for, please don’t be silent. It’s a new year and I’m often glad Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday is celebrated this month, because this is a month to LAUNCH – to kick off or renew a commitment to what is important in our lives. (If you don’t have anything that stands out, please join Mindy and team.)

While you are at it, if you have children in your life that you can inspire, encourage them this week to identify those issues and begin to step forward as a leader to truly impact our world for the positive. I’m confident that today’s youth have what it takes to continue to make America the greatest country in the world.

#dontbesilent #thankyoudrking

Simple Thoughts Sunday – God, teach me to own the state of my soul!

(Photo Creds: Steven Furtick, Instagram)

WOW! I read this during the week and knew I had to share it here. Here’s the full post:

“The fact that it happened TO me doesn’t make it a part OF me. Just because it came to pass doesn’t mean it gets to stay. Just because it knocks doesn’t mean I answer. And just because it afflicted me doesn’t mean it crippled me. God, teach me to OWN the STATE of my SOUL.”

Seriously, who else thinks that is BRILLIANT? SOOOO good!

As you kick off this third week of January, my prayer will be that we reflect on this statement, and learn from it. God knows we get hit from all directions, financial, personal, etc. It doesn’t even have to be bad necessarily, just real life, like needing new tires or a comment that was made that may be bad… but it may have been nothing at all, just our mind on overdrive. If we can truly give it to God, he will soothe our souls. I believe that.

Tomorrow is the celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. He is one of my personal heroes. His bravery and courage to tackle the big issues is truly incredible. I’ll write a bit about him and his work on Tuesday, but since I focus on faith issues on Sundays, I wanted to ask that you will pray with me that God raises up the Martin Luther King Jrs. around us today. We need more voices that are positive and inspire needed change in our country.

Make it an awesome week.

Revisiting a post from last January – Consider a Comeback

 

(Photo Creds: We Heart It)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many consider Lincoln the greatest president in American history. He led the country through its greatest moral and military crisis, essentially saved the country from destruction and directed it toward restoration. Lincoln grew up in meager circumstances, failed at business twice and had what most would call a nervous breakdown. He lost when he ran for Congress, lost twice when he ran for the Senate and lost as a vice presidential candidate. Lincoln was then elected the 16th president of the United States, led the country to reconciliation and won re-election. (Information from the good ole’ Internet – word for word.)

Everyone loves a COMEBACK. Kansas City Royals fans are familiar with comebacks, as our team won the 2015 World Series after losing the 2014 Fall Classic in a heartbreaking game 7. This week, as we are on the topic of “considering” I thought I would share a personal comeback in hopes that it will resonate at some level. Here we go…

To be honest, my personal comeback probably doesn’t fit the dictionary definition of a “comeback,” but to me the word describes my story perfectly. So here it is… Nearly three years ago (now four). I left my career of leading what is considered by many (and for sure me!) Kansas City’s premier medical practice. Leaving was SO HARD, but I felt called to join Humana, which is where I am today. (I’d be happy to share offline the details of that with anyone who wants to hear it,) Just know that it was definitely a calling, or else I wouldn’t have considered leaving. The people I worked with and the mission we served was AMAZING.

Since I felt that I was supposed to be in this new role I had this crazy expectation (That may very well become a new blog post… rereading this brings forth the idea of how do we even get these “crazy expectations,” and how can we temper or address them) that the experience was going to immediately be incredible. I was going to pop in and get to work, add value to the company and grow professionally. I was seriously shocked that it didn’t play out that way at first. It felt like I landed in an unfamiliar city, half-way around the world, without knowing the language, the landmarks, or really anything that I could understand, let alone contribute to- As you all probably know by now, it is REALLY important for us all to feel that we are doing meaningful work, contributing at our highest level!

I struggled and learned, navigated new waters and created some new pathways. The experience was one I wasn’t familiar in my career, and one that I am not sure I want to experience again. At almost the two year mark (note: patience is not my greatest strength) the path finally became more clear. (update: I still don’t have a good amount of patience and the path is clear on most days…) I had a new leader which was a key factor, but more importantly I was finally contributing and bringing value to the team and company at a level I was comfortable with. To me, this was a MAJOR comeback.

One important part of this story is that I stuck it out. I’m still sticking it out. When you know you are supposed to be somewhere, whether it’s a relationship, a career, a healthy living path, or anything else it is important to be obedient and stick with it, but most importantly, to MAKE the COMEBACK that helps you get to where you feel you are MAKING A DIFFERENCE.

COMEBACKS are IMPORTANT. Do you have a comeback story? Maybe you are in the middle of one? It’s HARD, but the HUMILITY factor grows, and that my friends, is a critical character quality to hone!

Solving pain points by generating ideas

(Photo Creds: We Heart it)

“We all have, let’s say, two or three dozen massive pain points in our lives that everyone can relate to. I try to basically write about those, and then I try to write about how I attempted to recover from them.”  James Altucher, quoted in Tim Ferris’ new book ‘Tools of Titans,’ which I highly recommend.

James is a hedgefund manager, entrepreneur and best selling author. I agree with this statement, but hesitate to think I have an even two dozen pain points to deal with, unless you count my lack of patience waiting for the elevator. At any rate, he may be overly stressed or just counting his “elevator” issues. Regardless, I found this section in Tim’s new book compelling. The one liner that caught my attention:

“James made his specialty exploring his own pain and fear.” (By generating ideas.)

Essentially, “what if” we walk straight into those issues and ask some really good questions to get us to the other side… James recommends WRITING DOWN 10 IDEAS EACH DAY for the sake of focusing your brain on generating a creative thinking habit. If you get in the routine and then are confronted with one of those pain points – think that ONE person at work, school, etc that just is beyond your comprehension – you will be able to more efficiently work through the issue because this “brain/creative muscle” has developed.

I have identified below some of his sample “lists” which I think some are just fun. I’m going to try this exercise and I’d love to hear about it if you do!

Sample Lists:

  • 10 ridiculous things I would invent
  • 10 books I could write
  • 10 things I disagree with that everyone else assumes is religion
  • 10 people I want to be friends with
  • 10 things I learned yesterday
  • 10 ways I can save time
  • 10 things I was interested in as a kid that might be fun to explore now (hello, teeter tot and tether ball)

I think I’ll start with….

10 ways I could serve better this year! How fun would it be if you each sent me 10 blog ideas? I’d so love that!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

It’s time to pick your ONE WORD!

(Photo Creds: We Heart It, and thanks to my son Sam who, when asked what is a visual that inspires him, he quickly said an eagle… a perfect choice!)

It’s that time of year! Last year I introduced this concept on the blog after having done it for a few years. I simply love this idea and it has had great meaning to me and the stories I have heard have been equally cool. Many of you shared your words with me. Words like…

Curiosity

Amplify

Discipline

Trust

Fun

Accelerate

Focus

My word this year has been “deeper.” Deeper friendships, going deeper in my faith, my career… deeper meaning.

I usually pray that God will give me the word that I should focus on… I’m not 100 percent sure this is the word, but it’s been sticking around in my head for a few weeks, so I think it may be it. The word is significance, as in “true significance.” Where do I get this? How can I lead a significant life? How do I truly help those in need and live out the commands in the bible to help the poor? I am one person, but have a true desire to help meaningfully. What does that look like?

Life is an incredible journey and one thing is for sure, and that is that we do not know from day to day where the road may take us. What we can do is live with intention and move toward what we believe is what will create for us the most fulfilled and well-lived life.

So, what is your word? Please share it if you want!