day 350: Power Requirements

Last week there was an extensive power outage across the Bay Area. One of my friends is an office manager for a professional services firm and after the report came out that the power would be off over the next 4-8 hours, everyone was sent home. If you wound back 25 years and the power went off it would have been something to be concerned about but work could have still been done. Today, it's hard to do anything without power. In my friend's professional services company even the toilets are dependent upon electricity to be able to flush. Net, without power, it's hard to do anything these days. I could not be posting this if I didn't have power this morning. We are clearly reliant and maybe over reliant on power in this day and age. We also need some level of power in our careers and jobs to get things done. This is a different type of power, but nonetheless just as important. Being able to influence and get things done through our position and whatever little authority we may have, we come to depend upon as well. Then once we have power, like the power company does with electricity, we have to monitor and ensure that we don't let our power level surge or become underpowered. The metaphor is interesting. As believers we have the most dependable power source. In Isaiah we read; "He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless." Now is a great time to recharge, monitor and plug into the power source that we all need.

Reference: Isaiah 40:29 (New Living Testament)

day 349: Unanimity

The dictionary says that unanimity is; "the state or quality of being unanimous; a consensus or undivided opinion." I call it being able to get on the same page and being in agreement on how we are going to get stuff done. Having this, or not having this, can be the difference between winning and losing in the business world. When a team is on the same page and everyone is pulling in the same direction with agreement and consensus, amazing things can happen. When only one person is not aligned with where the rest of the team is trying to go then the whole thing starts to fall a part. The question I always ask is, "Who has the responsibility for gaining unanimity?" At first it is the usual suspect, the boss, the manager, the leader. That is a true assumption but the responsibility does not lie with that person solely. A team is not a team without everyone taking some responsibility in assuring themselves and others that they are on the same page and aligned. Too often I see people pointing their fingers at others as the answer to finding alignment when all they really need to do is look at themselves and change their attitude, let go of some resentful feelings, give of themselves more than they are taking, or slow down and let someone else catch up. Too many times, we are the problem. Being unanimity builders is a great example of the role model that God wants us to be. Jesus taught over and and over that peace, love and how others are treated would solve so many problems. He teaches us today in Matthew 12:25 that we cannot be divided and misaligned and expect that something good will happen; "Any kingdom at war with itself is doomed. A city or house divided against itself is doomed." Those are some pretty strong words and words for us to heed. Today, search yourself and the relationships around you and see where you are not in unanimity. Bringing everyone onto the same page may not ensure that disaster won't strike, but it's pretty clear that without everyone coming together, the chance of success is slim to none.

Reference: Matthew 12:25 (New Living Testament)

day 348: Show Versus Tell

The other day I met with an executive who was new into her job and she was so excited about her new company that she could hardly hold back her enthusiasm. As she talked about the company she quickly described the business and got to what was so exciting to her; the people and the way the company worked. She described the organization as a place where people really meant what they said and it was evident through the values and principles of the company and more importantly how the values were not just words but real actions. She had a great reinforcing story for each of the values and before too many minutes I could see and feel exactly what kind of good, well-run company it was. She then gave me a quick tour of the office and in each of the conference rooms was a large picture that was one of their print advertisements that told the company's story externally but each was another strong reinforcement of the values. This company clearly understands the power of show versus just tell. This meeting reminded me of what God was telling Abram (later Abraham) about what he could expect in the future when God took him outside and told Abram to look into the sky and count the stars; "Then the Lord brought Abram outside beneath the night sky and told him, 'Look into the heavens and count the stars if you can. Your descendants will be like that - too many to count!' And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord declared him righteous because of his faith." It's one thing to tell, it is another thing to be able to show while telling. Being able to back up who you are, what you want to do, and what others can expect from you, with a real-life story and something to point towards to show someone else what you say can and will happen is very powerful. If you can show versus just tell it is only making true the adage, "actions speak louder than words". As we all know, we are judged and evaluated by our actions way more than our words. As you think about today and what you have on your agenda, what is it that you can point to and show versus just say and tell? You may find that the more you show the stronger the message and the more others will look to you as one who follows through and lives your words out not just through your words, but through your actions. That level of credibility opens up all kinds of possibilities for you.

Reference: Genesis 15:4-6 (New Living Testament)

day 347: Spring Training

I usually mark the year by business quarters and certain external events that make it clear where we are in the calendar year. Some of these actually set the tone and attitude for how we approach our lives and work. One of those for me is baseball's Spring Training. A few days ago, major league teams had their pitchers and catchers report to spring training camp. This always says to me that spring is just around the corner and it is time to take an assessment of how the year is going so far as I know the first quarter will end soon and it will be time to plan for how mid-year will shape-up. It's strange, but as soon as I know that the pitchers and catchers have reported and headed west or south, that it is time to be doing my own spring tune-up. Business is the same way as we close and start financial quarters. It is early in the year where the spring training analogy is so strong. Billy Martin, the New York Yankee and Yankee Manager in the 1970's used to day; "The World Series is won or lost in spring training". What he meant was that how the team worked, or didn't work in spring training would determine the team's possibility of playing in the World Series that year. That was far-forward thinking and an understanding of the importance of preparation, discipline and team-building. It is in spring training that much of the hard work is done. Pitchers and catchers reporting early also reinforces how the heart of the team needs to prepare first and most to be ready for the rest of the team when they show up. The verse in Matthew 12:34 that we used yesterday is relevant to this approach as well. Jesus says; "...For whatever is in your heart determines what you say". Our heart is where the pitching and catching happens and how we prepare there determines all of the outcomes. As we enter spring training, it is a good time to take an assessment of how you are holding up and standing strong to work your purpose. If you are struggling (and don't we all) then the place to start with spring training is in our hearts. The end of our careers and full life is the World Series. Everyday is our spring training; preparing, readying, and disciplining ourselves for the season ahead. Today, ask your heart to report to your own spring training!

Reference: Matthew 12:34 (New Living Testament)

day 597: It Starts Here!

We want our businesses and each person in our company to be a shining of example of the brand or service image that we are trying to portray to our customers. When all of our actions and words align then we get good results and the customer sees, hears and experiences what we desire. But, all it takes is one little slip up and everything gets out of kilter and then what was supposed to be in alignment becomes mismatched, convoluted and confusing. We must work hard to keep everything in alignment and it really starts with each us having our own house in order. That house being our own values, principles, actions and words. It's amazing how quickly a bad action can spread and ruin lots of hard work that went into building a reputation. We can simply follow the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians to see how it is that we should conduct ourselves, "We try to live in such a way that no one will be hindered from finding the Lord be the way we act, and so no can find fault with our ministry. In everything we do try to show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind." Yes, Paul is speaking to us as plainly as he was talking to those he taught and mentored. If we are to be people who bring Glory to God in our work and on our jobs; this being our purpose, then we have to have it start right here, right now, to get it right for the long run. We have to be ones whom others look to as examples of how they are supposed to live and work. Reread Paul's words and check and see where you might be falling short and then let it start anew right here, today for you.

Reference: 2 Corinthians 6:3-4 (New Living Testament)

day 346: Is Your Heart Really In It?

This is a question that I have asked and been asked during my career. Usually this question comes at a time when something big needs to be accomplished and there is a question as to whether or not the person being assigned is up to the task, or not. In my case, I was being asked to take on a job that I had done before and it was a lateral move in many ways.I am more than sure that the reason I was asked the question was that my body language and my level of enthusiasm was not portraying that my heart was not really into making the move. As a side note, my heart was not into it and about 18 months later I ended up leaving the company. It just goes to show that many actions and words start with where one's heart is on a subject. If our hearts are into something then our words, our actions, our attitude, etc. will follow. And vice versa; if our hearts aren't into it, we will find ourselves trying to fake it and it will become obvious to others. This is why we need to be very much in touch with where our heart resides, especially as believers who are working to work and live our purpose. We read in Matthew 12:34 on how important this is to what we do; "..."For whatever is in your heart determines what you say". If you are trying hard today to make others believe that what you say is the truth, or how you really feel, but it is not what is in your heart, then you are only fooling yourself. Start first with finding out what is in your heart, or getting your heart right, so that you can be assured that the words and actions will be credible, honest and real.

Reference: Matthew 12:34 (New Living Testament)

day 345: Sure Fire Trouble

Every company and organization has their own set of cultural norms, values and principles. After many years of being a student of human behavior at work, I would say that one of the signs of sure fire trouble is someone who is arrogant. I was reflecting on this the other day when I saw that they are bringing back the remake of the movie "Wall Street". Apparently, Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) returns after 20 years in jail. He comes back, or so it is advertised, as repentant and reformed. Even in the "Bonfire of the Vanities" days on Wall Street (that was 1980 or the early 2000's?) even there it was arrogance to believe that one is above the law, that ultimately brought down many people. But even among the youngest and most junior in their careers, arrogance can create such a feeling of animosity among peers and co-workers that a person's career can be damaged even before it hardly starts. It is a fine line between confidence, which we all need to survive in the workplace, and arrogance. I strongly believe that the difference is many times found in someone's ability or inability to listen, be self-aware and take open feedback from others. The minute one stops listening to others, it means that arrogance has taken over. Even David talked about arrogance in Psalm 31:23; "Love the Lord, all you faithful ones! For the Lord protects those who are loyal to him, but he harshly punishes all who are arrogant." Yes, there is sure fire trouble coming if we become arrogant. Today would be a good day to consider what parts of our lives have we allowed an over-confidence to turn into an arrogance that needs to be metered and removed? Do we have areas where we have stopped listening to others and as such, may have lost perspective about ourselves? One of the best ways to know this is to reach out to the one who loves us the most and begin to go to Him with the request to open up our eyes and ears to others so that we can see and hear what we we need to know. The best way to keep from trouble is to remove the sure fire signs of trouble that are there, but we just keep missing!

Reference: Psalm 31:23 (New Living Testament)

day 344: Leadership Steps

It is not uncommon to hear the advice and coaching that we need to step forward and become a leader. All of our development programs and leadership classes are geared towards us stepping into the leadership limelight and taking the mantle from someone else. But what if true leadership was more about stepping back versus stepping forward? How can that be, you might be asking? We have ringing in our ears the words that to be a great leader we must be proactive, take initiative, be better than those around us, set the pace and the example for how hard to work, etc. But that is different than what we can learn Biblically about what true leadership is about. In Matthew 20: 26, Jesus is trying to teach His disciples what it takes to be leaders for Him. Just after the mother of James and John had tried to secure heavenly seats of honor for her sons, Jesus provided some straight talk to His disciples when He told them that being a leader who “lords” over others, might be fine for a king, but for them, they would have to provide a different example and lead in a different way. He says; “But among you it should be quite different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant…” This is one of the great verses that teach us about servant leadership. To be a true leader in the eyes of God, we are to be servants to others and ensure that we don’t worry about being first, but learn to be fine with being least. Is God trying to teach you this lesson right now? Is it time to sit back and care for others for a season and worry about the leadership position later? There are no shortages of people who want to be led from a place of service, caring, respect and real support. Now would be a great time to begin practicing a form of leadership that seldom will be taught to you in a corporate classroom, but comes from the greatest instruction guide of all time.


Reference: Matthew 20:26 (New Living Testament)

day 343: Consideration

In legal terms the word consideration means; "Something that suffices to make an informal promise legally binding, usually some value given in exchange for the promise." That is the usual context that we hear the word at work. To get something, something must be gained. But, that is not the only meaning of the word and not the only use of the word at work. Another definition of consideration is; "thoughtful or sympathetic regard or respect; thoughtfulness for others." So, I would ask that we consider (a whole other definition) adding true consideration into our work. I am reminded of the time that someone who worked for me, and who was a good friend at the the same time, was giving me feedback and he said to me, "You will get a lot more out of all of us every day if you will just stop and say 'good morning' and check in on us to see how we are doing". He was asking me to be more considerate of him and others on the team. It's not a hard skill to master if you are willing to take it on as an improvement area. Being considerate of others is one of the more powerful actions that one can take. Paul says to us in Romans 15:1; "We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive..." What I find most interesting about this verse is that Paul says that those who are strong are the ones who can be considerate. Yes, it is a trait and capability of the strong, not the weak, to be able to be considerate to others. As believers we must be strong in our faith and strong in our actions that support our faith in the eyes of others. I can't think of a better core value action that we can demonstrate daily on our job than the act of being considerate to others. Today is the first day of the Easter season and all around the world people are giving up something for Lent. Maybe today, we can give up being so in to ourselves and start practicing more consideration.

Reference: Romans 15:1 (New Living Testament)

day 342: 3-D

We are fascinated by the advancement of 3-D video technology at the movie theater and on television. I find it interesting that we are stunned while we watch these events but day-in and day-out we live in a 3-D world and we take it for granted and don't ooh and aah when we look at a tree, or see someone walking down a hall towards us. I would say that most of us don't even think about it beyond everything around us being just the way it is. Work can be that way as well. There are so many dimensions to our work, our relationships, our careers, etc. but we don't ooh and aah much about these either. Much of our work is done in a very singular dimensional way with our heads down, focused on what is most important to us at the present time and not factoring in much else. In actuality though, everyone else around us, wants us to operate with them in closer relationships, thinking in longer-terms, and deepening our ability to work with each other. We would be better served to consider and factor in all dimensions within our work and how we personally work. God gives us every dimension in how He relates to us. We read in Ephesians 3:18 that He brings every dimension to bear with His love for us; "And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is." As we think about how we can work within and to our purpose, we can start by adding in the other dimensions so that we become more and more full in our ability to relate, support, work and yes, love one another in all dimensions.

Reference: Ephesians 3:18 (New Living Testament)

day 341: Delegating

Delegation is one of the hardest skills to teach a new manager or team member. There are a lot of reasons why this is so hard. Mostly, the barriers are excuses that are unfounded. When we hear, "Everyone else is too busy", or, "I don't really have anyone who can do what I do", what is really being said is "I like doing the things I do", "I am good at them", and "If I give them to someone to else, what will I do?" There is also the worry about a loss of recognition by others if someone else does something better than we do. It's a very odd phenomena because delegation is one of the secrets to really being happy within one's work. Those who delegate well are typically the ones who others respect the most, want to work with first, and who gain a reputation as a developer and leader of people. But, still most people hang onto as much work as they can, even to the point of overloading and burdening themselves into burnout mode. This is not a new problem. In the earliest writings of the Bible we are told the story of Moses who after leaving Egypt found himself from morning to night listening to the problems of the people and doing nothing else. It was not until his father-in-law Jethro came to visit him and I imagine had a talk with Moses like some of us have had with our elder relatives who come and visit and we are too busy at work to spend any time with them. Jethro told Moses that he was burning himself out and at the same time the long line of people waiting each and every day was causing a lot of discontent. He told Moses to delegate by picking judges who could handle the routine and mundane complaints and then Moses would be freed up and could focus on the harder problems. So Moses took Jethro's advice and created a system of delegating. His system, by the way, was very analytically based and one to observe on how to break down work by people and numbers. From that day on, Israel had a system of judges and Moses was freed up to get back to his other leadership duties. Are you struggling with delegating today? If you are, think about these simple concepts: if you there are things that you do routinely, things that you like doing and things that you are already good at doing; then these are the things that you should delegate. Others want to learn and they want to do more than you imagine or they tell you. If you give them something that they know you like, then they will feel good about that. It took Jethro harping on him for Moses to see that he needed to delegate. What will it take for you to see?

Reference: Exodus Chapter 18: 13-27 (New Living Testament)

day 340: Give Peace a Chance

I have recently watched what could be characterized as a "civil war" within a company. It is so clear to everyone that there is one person who does not respect another person and the feelings are mutual from the other side. A lot of time, energy and emotion goes into the day from each of these people making sure that the other person gets pulled down and that there is a constant stream of new recruits who are taking sides. If this was high school the rift would be obvious in the lunchroom with one group on one side of the lunchroom and the other on the other side. It's the same phenomena as high school but just not as outwardly obvious. But, believe me, it is there and it is thick. As I have observed the animosity and the fireworks I have wondered how much of each of these people's emotional and intellectual reserve is being used up day-in and day-out just positioning and maneuvering against the other person. Neither can be happy knowing that each day they have to go to work looking around the corners to see what shot is being taken at them. I honestly don't know why one of them just doesn't quit and move on, if for nothing else, to stop the misery. But, I sometimes get the sense that for them this is more sport than war, but it is still not good. In some ways, we all end up in this position in our careers. It would be great if everyone saw eye-to-eye and liked each other all the time. But that would be more like heaven than work. It is important though that we as believers and those who are trying to set the right example for others don't let ourselves get drug into one side versus another or into a relationship where we harbor bad feelings for someone else. Paul, of all men, could see above all of this and tells us plainly in Romans 12:18 to, "Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone". Notice he did not say, "do what you can". He said, "do all that you can". Paul was saying that it is all-important to be in a place of peace with others. You may have one of those people at work right now where you have done "some of what you can", but you are far from doing "all that you can". Today would be a good day to give "all that you can" a try to give peace a real chance.

Reference: Romans 12:18 (New Living Testament)

day 339: IBNO Status Revisited

The week before last I wrote a four-part post on how we need to constantly be checking our IBNO Status (our In But Not Of Status). I received a number of emails about these posts and it appears that the struggle of being in but not of is one that permeates just about every work place and person who is trying to live and work to God's Purpose. When it is all said and done, it is not easy to walk the earth and have all of the messages that come at us all the time and stay true to our values and principles, which, may sometimes overtly and sometimes subtly run counter to the ways of the world. The hard part of this is that for many of us in our work lives we don't want to be thought of as abnormal or not "with it". If we are too far outside of the normal then we become ineffective in what we need to do day in and day out. As I am now reading the book of Acts I am more convinced than ever that one of the reasons why Paul was so effective was that he had lived in the world for such a long time that when he decided that he would no longer be of it, that he knew how to relate and be seen as a person who others would respect and follow regardless of his beliefs. It seemed like he won over people no matter where he was in the world. That is our challenge as well. I ran across this poem by e.e. cummings that describes the struggle we all face:

"to be nobody but yourself - in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you like everybody else - means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight."

I don't know in what context e.e. cummings wrote that poem, but it rings true that in the checking of our IBNO status, we need to be cognizant that the fight is always there, the battle rages on and that our struggle goes from day to day, and all of these are winnable because we have God with us today, tomorrow and forever.

Reference: Romans 12:2 (New Living Testament)

day 338: Shining A Light On It...

"We need to shine a light on this", said the senior executive. Usually that either means that someone is in trouble and we need to uncover what is really happening and only under a strong light can it be revealed, or something needs to get more attention to get it done and like a spotlight, if we shine a light on it, it will be obvious to everyone. Either way, something is probably not going well and light is going to be the way to solve the problem. If you think about it, that is so true in almost all that we do. If we want to get a better look at something we will bring it into better and brighter light. If we want to see how something may look we will take it outside to see what it looks like in the sunshine. Light has a way of revealing and contextualizing at the same time. But, a lot of times people feel like they "are in the dark" at work. The don't feel like they have the whole story or all of the information needed to make a decision or have a point of view. Being in the dark becomes the excuse for some so that they don't have to be held accountable or responsible for a decision or work to be done. Shining a light on something is good in all cases and keeping everything out in the open, lit up if you will, is the best policy. So, if you find yourself in the dark or you are the one keeping things in the dark, try and head for the light and see what happens good next. David tells us that in our lives there is a clear light to which we should be looking. He says in Psalm 36:9 that God is "...the light by which we see." As you think about the lights that you can turn on around you, start with letting the light of God shine on and through you. From there, the light that you find yourself standing could open up all kinds of new views for you.

Reference: Psalm 36:9 (New Living Testament)

day 337: Bo Bo Dolls

I had a Bo Bo doll when I was a kid. It was of Presto the Clown. Once it was blown up I could hit it as hard as I wanted, as many times as I wanted, and Presto would always bounce right back up to me, ready for the next punch. Does this feel anything like work to you? If you are in Sales, Operations, Customer Service or any area where you are expected to be overly resilient and bounce back from one failure to another, then you probably have a little bit of Presto the Bo Bo doll in you. What makes the Bo Bo doll work is that it has a weight in the bottom of it that keeps the rest of the doll upright and coming back for more. Most of us have one of those weights down deep inside of us too, otherwise we wouldn't keep coming back for more, day after day, week after week. Monday is a Bo Bo Doll day for a lot of people and they dig deep and bounce back to upright and are ready to go on Monday morning. It is a noble and admirable characteristic to have and resiliency and fortitude pays off. But, there are some things that no one really gives you much "weight" when it comes to work. It's easy to bounce back from the obvious; missed deadlines, sales rejections, product flaws, bad bosses, etc. But, the areas like excessive politics, back-biting, undercutting and back-stabbing are all real things that happen at work, but no one really spends much time preparing or supporting us in those areas. These are the unspoken areas that we are just supposed to be able to handle on our own. Those who can't, well, aren't thought of as tough enough a lot of times. These are all areas where we need to look to God to come to work with us. He is the best equipped to get us through these challenges so that we overcome them and more importantly, don't fall into the trap of acting out those behaviors in retaliation or survival. God gives us His promise in Isaiah 57:15 and says to us that if we remain humble and repentant that He will take care of us when we get knocked down; "I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts". Our God is standing by wanting to fill you with His' Bo Bo Doll weight so we can bounce back from anything and be super-resilient in the eyes of others and ourselves. He doesn't want us to be beaten down and stay down, he wants to see us bounce right back and to be upright! All we need to do is allow Him to fill us up!

Reference: Isaiah 57:15 (New Living Testament)

day 336: Road Warriors

No matter how "green" we become and how advanced the communication technology, the airports remain full of business travelers. It is true, there are times in business when nothing can replace the live face-to-face contact with other people. Negotiations get concluded not only with the stroke of a pen, but with a handshake. So travel becomes a part of many working people's lives. For me, business travel, while so many times such a great adventure and chance to go places I would never go otherwise, is an extra stress of life. The day before a long trip and the time away, no matter how well prepared, adds some stress and consternation into what is already a busy and overly subscribed life. I can feel that pit in my stomach as i think about getting ready for the long trip. There is many a story from those who travel extensively and consistently that their personal life suffers and the activities while out on the road did not contribute to them being more healthy or settled. George Clooney may win an Oscar in a couple of weeks for portraying the problem so well. All of this said, there is no getting around the fact that if you are going to work there is a real possibility that you are going to have to travel for business, at least once in a while. Throughout the Bible the great heroes were also all traveling all the time too. Many of these men of the Bible make our definition of "Road Warriors" seem very thin. Paul spent the latter part of his life away from him home, on the road, working. Jesus, during his ministry, moved from place to place, with no real home base. In the old testament, Moses, Abraham, etc. were all on the move at some point or another doing God's work. Being out there on the road is part of life. Yet, how often do we think about covering our travel with the protection of God? In Genesis 28:20-21, Jacob gave us his travel prayer; "...If God will be with me and protect me on this journey and give me food and clothing, and he will bring me back safely to my father, then I will make the Lord my God." Jacob knew the Lord to be his God but he wanted God's protection upon his journey. For those road warriors who are reading this, or even if you are the infrequent business traveler, call on God to cover you with his protection before you hit the road. The road can be full of many influences and obstacles that can get in the way of your "safety". Lift up your travel time to Him and take Him along with you on those business trips. Having Him as your traveling companion can make all the world of a difference.

Reference: Genesis 28:20-21 (New Living Testament)

day 335: Firm Decisions

Good decision-making is a skill. Not everyone makes the best of decisions and all of us would be really lousy at it if we didn't have others to bounce decisions off of before we make them. I find that the worst decisions are the ones that are made without the advice and counsel of trusted advisers and counselors. I have found myself, more than ever before, telling people that they need to "pass the ball at least four times before they take a shot" (the motion offense). This means that we should get the advice and counsel from at least four other people before we make a decision. It appears harder to make good career decisions today when everything is so uncertain. If it is unclear about the security of the company, then it is very hard to have certainty about one's own job or career. So, decisions about career and work are really hard to make right now. What is still true though is that good decision-makers are ones who when they make the decision, they stick with it, follow-through and live with the consequences and the responsibility of the decision. A decision that is not followed-through was not really a decision at all. We all get faced with these, tens of times a day, and we have to either stick with the decision or be wishy-washy and flimsy in our decision-making. We all know which type of decision-maker we would like to be, but it is clearly hard to be resolute and firm in our decisions. But, that is the example we are given over and over in the Bible; that the decisions we make, we are to stick with and not look back. There is no better example of that than in Genesis 19:17 and the story of Lot and his wife. The Angel was clear when he said; "...Don't look back". How many times do we know that are not to look back, but we do, because we don't trust our decisions? Fortunately, we don't turn into pillars of salt each time we do, but we do in some way erode our own confidence and the confidence from others when we are seen looking over our shoulders. Today, you may be facing a decision that needs to just be made. Once you have prayed over it, and received the counsel of your four trusted advisers, then make the decision with courage and don't look back. There are other decisions that you have made that you are now waffling and wondering if you made the right decision. Again, if you prayed over the decision and received your counsel, and then you made the decision feeling like it was the best course of action, then before you go back on it, live with it for awhile and follow-through to see if the decision turns our to be right. You will never know for sure if you go back on the decision before you allow time to prove it out. Firm decision-making is not easy for anyone, but it is a skill that you can perfect. Now would be a great season to begin working on how to make better and firmer decisions. Not just for you, but for all the other people around you who look to you to be the one they can count on. It is God that puts you in the position where others look up to you and one way to be the example for them is to be one who is known for "not looking back" on decisions made.


Reference: Genesis 19:17 (New Living Testament)

day 334: A Sick Day

Yesterday was a first for me since I started Purposed worKING in October of 2008. Yesterday I missed a day because I was sick. I went to get up at my usual early waking hour and I couldn't get out of bed as the flu or something that had been brewing for the last few days, hit me full-on like a Mack Truck. I spent the day trying to get up to write and I would end up back in bed within a few minutes. After the fourth try I figured I wasn't supposed to be getting up and writing but rather in bed resting. So, I had to take, what all of us have to take sometimes; a sick day. I am not a big fan of sick days because as I continue to learn, they just throw you back in your schedule and with the changes in meetings, etc. one day can throw off a whole week. Not to mention the emails that just stack up and the people on the other end of the messages wanting to know why you haven't replied. It's just not a good thing, but it is part of working. Of course, there are the stories of the people who work their entire career and never miss a day of work. They are amazing stories and amazing people; the few who can claim that type of streak. It has to be a bad sickness to knock me down, but it happens. Sometimes God may want to have us slow down a bit to remember and recognize some other things in our lives. How many times do we run ourselves into the ground and find that we have opened ourselves up to becoming susceptible to the thing that is going around, just because we haven't rested enough, eaten right or taken care of ourselves? And then when we find ourselves flat on our backs, we really have no one to blame but ourselves. This lesson is a good one in that the same can be said about our spiritual lives. As I was spending the afternoon in the state between awake and asleep, I was reminded that God wants to take our burdens and our weariness and take the burden from us. But, if we don't take care or ourselves spiritually either, like staying in the Word, praying, worshipping and turning our burdens over to God, then we are just as susceptible to losing our spiritual healthiness as we are when we lose our physical health. So, do right by yourself and stay in God's Word and stay strong and healthy spirtually and as it comes to having to take a sick day now and then, I pray that no other will have a sick day like I had yesterday.

Reference: Matthew 11:28-30 (New Living Testament)

day 333: Serenity At Work

I seldom like to mix the different blogs that I write, but this is an exception. This post comes from a blog I posted on Tuesday January 26th at Glassdoor.com, a company where I am Director and a regular weekly blog contributor as part of their "Clearview Collection".

As I sat in church this past weekend, before the service I saw on the rotating message screen I saw that the church was offering a resume workshop for those who are out of work and want to improve their resume. The night before I had been at an event where I had been asked by someone what their son, who is graduating from college, was to do when the jobs that had been going to college graduates were now being taken by those with experience and who are willing to do positions that are below them experientially, making it so he can’t find a job. The day before that I had a long conversation with a friend who is stuck in a job that he dislikes but doesn’t want to take the chance of moving to another company where the security may not be there. As we know, these stories and questions are only the tip of the iceberg of the pain that people are feeling. And with the media messages we receive daily about the uncertainties in the financial market and shifting government actions, we are all affected by the collective mood swings of the nation.

When you add it all up, it may be that we all need a dose of serenity to make it through the trials and tribulations of today’s work world. Maybe we need to dissect the famous serenity prayer that is used by many organizations and people to help them through difficult times:

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change….” Whether or not we are happy in our jobs or secure in the positions that we have today, one of the best things we can do is to get clear on the things that we cannot change and learn to accept and live with them:

* National economic stability
* Ups and downs of the stock market
* Messages from the media
* The whims and decisions of our managers and company leaders
* Changes in the outlook of our companies against the backdrop of the fragile
economy

“…the courage to change the things I can….”

* Carry a positive attitude around for ourselves and others
* Work hard and be the best we can be
* Help out others who are less fortunate than we are
* Be as ready as we can be or when the market does come back
* Make the most of the time we have while we are in a job that isn’t as challenging
or as mentally exhausting as before

“….and wisdom to know the difference…”

* Surround ourselves with people who we trust and know to help us through the
difficult times now, or when they come
* Ask, read and search before we make any move or decision
* Take advantage of all the tools for knowledge and transparency as it relates to
jobs, salaries, interviews and companies
* Think in the long-term and know that six months or a year here or a year there,
is not the end of the world.

“…Amen”