Tag: self development

Categories
motivation

What if I’m not in charge?

a woman standing in front of the group
Photo by Yan Krukau on Pexels.com

Is anybody totally in charge? Bosses have bosses. Even those at the top answer to a board of directors or a balance sheet. Many of us ask, “What if I’m not in Charge?”

A few years ago, I attended a conference where a speaker coached us on how to lead when we aren’t the boss. Clay Scroggins advised that we have more control than we realize, even when we aren’t the leader.

Sketch notes on "How to lead when you're not in charge"

I was delighted to learn he now has a video series by the same name.

Even if we don’t have the official title, each of us has control over ourselves and how we react to different situations. I have found that when I have relinquished that control, I have made it difficult for me to lead myself and have made it harder on my leaders.

We have more control than we realize, but that also means we must take responsibility for our own actions. What if I’m not in charge? I can start leading myself, for starters. And isn’t that the most important person to lead, after all?

Categories
motivation

Finding and Fighting Our Faults

boy in beige hoodie covering his face
Photo by Photo By: Kaboompics.com on Pexels.com

It’s one thing to find faults in others; it’s entirely another to recognize and fix our own faults.

I was reading a biography of John Wesley when I came across this passage:

A quote on finding and fighting our faults by Marianne Kirlew

Although the author geared her biography toward children, that nugget was invaluable to me.

The author knew about emotional intelligence and self-awareness before we had names for these qualities.

The only effective fault-finding is when we identify our faults and take action to defeat them.

Looking at somebody else and pointing out their faults is too easy. But our blind spots make it incredibly difficult to do the same for ourselves. Be merciful to others and relentless in finding our faults.

But don’t stop there. Take action and fight our faults into submission! Now if you excuse me, I need to have a serious finding and fighting session. And this time, I give myself no excuses!

Categories
morning people motivation

Start the Day With Intentionality

Cartoon of boy and jack-o-lantern. The boy says, "It's six in the morning. Stop looking so happy!"

This week, I’ve been reading The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. It has already transformed the way I wake up in the morning. I have already had a morning ritual for many years. But he is showing me a more intentional way to master the morning. His enthusiasm, his story of overcoming adversity and his practical tips have captivated me. I’m sure I’ll share more about this book in another post.

The other day, I also read an article entitled, This 60-Second Habit Has Helped Put Me in a Better, More Productive Mood Each Morning by Scott Mautz at Inc.com. In it, Scott says he starts each day by taking a minute to ask himself the following every day:

  • What am I thankful for today?
  • Who might I thank today?
  • What one thing should I be thinking of today?

One theme through both reads stood out to me. How you begin your day is so crucial. It can make your day fantastic or a fiasco. Most of us don’t consider this truth. Instead we…

  • Wait until the last minute to wake up because we’re so tired
  • Wake up on autopilot
  • Rush through the morning because we’re running behind

It may surprise some people who know me, but when I was younger, I didn’t consider myself a morning person. I got up when I had to and rushed through the morning only to get stuck in rush hour traffic and watch my fellow commuters get angrier and more flustered by the minute.

Having kids cured me of that malady. When I had to get up with them, and when realized how my day began would affect their day. I realized getting up early to get some exercise, pray and have devotions would steer my day in the way I would prefer.

Let us know how you start your day in the comments. Do you start in a rush? Do you consider yourself a morning person or a night owl?