Day Twenty Five
A part of being intentional is learning to live in the trenches to get things done. I think about how many times me and billions of others have started things and not stayed in the trenches. Those who live intentionally have known for a while what I am just learning. In the past, I lacked the burning desire to really dig in and finish what I had started. It was easy to just let it drift away – not intentionally stop – just find other things to get in the way or take a higher priority.
This year in the trenches, I am pushing to make things happen. It is not pushing to make artificial things happen. It is pushing to make me happen – to change the patterns and let the real me emerge. At the base is a confidence that I can see the other side. As Paul said in the New Testament, “it is the belief that someone has created something of infinite value in me and I want to manifest it.” I want the other side. I am willing to do what is not so comfortable now to have what is possible in the future. It is a different way of thinking and acting.
We head into the Easter weekend and I look forward to a time of celebrating new birth. I already feel like the stone has been rolled away from the tomb of my own heart and mind. The grave cloths may be there, but the body is gone.
May the gift of the resurrection become real in your life as you allow something old to die so that something new can be born. More on that tomorrow.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Day Twenty Four
It is almost the end of March. Technically, I started on March 28, so we are into this a month. The thought for this day is walking by faith. I have always found that phrase a rather trite religious phrase that had little meaning for me, until recently. Most of the time when I have heard it over the years, it was used as a way to deny responsibility or give up control of the things that are clearly within your control. I now have a real and relevant meeting for me personally.
Walking by faith means going as far as you can see with the belief that you will be able to see farther once you get to that point. It has played out over and over during the past ten months. It has finally made a believer out of me. If you have been reading these blogs you know that it has been an extremely challenging time for us economically. When I make a commitment to get healthy emotionally I made a no turning back commitment. Even if it killed me physically or we went belly up economically, I was not going to turn back.
Strangely, during that time, we always found enough money to pay the bills. We still have a huge hill to climb to get to even ground, but I have now come to believe in this path. The same has been true with connections. I asked someone to be my business mentor. That relationship led to a long term contract helping his organization is some strategic areas. Tyler is home from school waiting to see what happens on his journey. During that time he is pumped about the father and son stuff. He is doing the leg work and planning now that can lead us into the future.
This weekend, I could have easily fallen into the pit of despair, but I made a conscious choice not to do so. Instead, I made a choice to believe that things would work out and focus on the things that were within my control. When I focused on what was clearly within my control and let the rest take care of itself, it did in fact work out.
Then, I stumbled on the Matrix again. I have not watched it in a couple of years. Reading it was like reading the story of Jesus or the writings of the medicine men. I was reminded of how we make the commitment to go on the journey, not knowing what the end destination will be. It is a choice. It is a choice that requires more than 30 days of focus. We are just about finished with the first 30 days. It is time for round 2 – April.
It is almost the end of March. Technically, I started on March 28, so we are into this a month. The thought for this day is walking by faith. I have always found that phrase a rather trite religious phrase that had little meaning for me, until recently. Most of the time when I have heard it over the years, it was used as a way to deny responsibility or give up control of the things that are clearly within your control. I now have a real and relevant meeting for me personally.
Walking by faith means going as far as you can see with the belief that you will be able to see farther once you get to that point. It has played out over and over during the past ten months. It has finally made a believer out of me. If you have been reading these blogs you know that it has been an extremely challenging time for us economically. When I make a commitment to get healthy emotionally I made a no turning back commitment. Even if it killed me physically or we went belly up economically, I was not going to turn back.
Strangely, during that time, we always found enough money to pay the bills. We still have a huge hill to climb to get to even ground, but I have now come to believe in this path. The same has been true with connections. I asked someone to be my business mentor. That relationship led to a long term contract helping his organization is some strategic areas. Tyler is home from school waiting to see what happens on his journey. During that time he is pumped about the father and son stuff. He is doing the leg work and planning now that can lead us into the future.
This weekend, I could have easily fallen into the pit of despair, but I made a conscious choice not to do so. Instead, I made a choice to believe that things would work out and focus on the things that were within my control. When I focused on what was clearly within my control and let the rest take care of itself, it did in fact work out.
Then, I stumbled on the Matrix again. I have not watched it in a couple of years. Reading it was like reading the story of Jesus or the writings of the medicine men. I was reminded of how we make the commitment to go on the journey, not knowing what the end destination will be. It is a choice. It is a choice that requires more than 30 days of focus. We are just about finished with the first 30 days. It is time for round 2 – April.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Day Twenty Three
A wonderful spiritual awakening has occurred during this first month of living intentionally. I will expound on this in the days ahead, but here is the essence of it. I began teaching a Sunday School class of graduate students and undergraduate students at our church, First Presbyterian in Athens, GA in March. I have always enjoyed teaching, but was frankly amazed at how much I have enjoyed teaching this class and interacting with the participant. It lead to an opportunity to speak at a group on campus last week. That also was a very energizing experience.
I think that what is finally happening is that I am moving past the inward journey and now into the outward journey. My whole journey for the past few years has been a spiritual journey at the core. For most of the past few years it has been the inward journey. Now, the challenge is to live it.
Studying today for our lesson tomorrow has me even more curious about what is really underneath the teachings of Jesus. My journey over the past ten years has explored many spiritual paths. I find it invigorating to find my journey as a Christian to be renewed, but in a very different way that the one I grew up with. The study of other spiritual paths has helped me to find something deeper in the teachings of Jesus than what I have been taught over the years. Even my seminary days.
A wonderful spiritual awakening has occurred during this first month of living intentionally. I will expound on this in the days ahead, but here is the essence of it. I began teaching a Sunday School class of graduate students and undergraduate students at our church, First Presbyterian in Athens, GA in March. I have always enjoyed teaching, but was frankly amazed at how much I have enjoyed teaching this class and interacting with the participant. It lead to an opportunity to speak at a group on campus last week. That also was a very energizing experience.
I think that what is finally happening is that I am moving past the inward journey and now into the outward journey. My whole journey for the past few years has been a spiritual journey at the core. For most of the past few years it has been the inward journey. Now, the challenge is to live it.
Studying today for our lesson tomorrow has me even more curious about what is really underneath the teachings of Jesus. My journey over the past ten years has explored many spiritual paths. I find it invigorating to find my journey as a Christian to be renewed, but in a very different way that the one I grew up with. The study of other spiritual paths has helped me to find something deeper in the teachings of Jesus than what I have been taught over the years. Even my seminary days.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Day Twenty One
A few days ago I faced another thing to change in my life – starting but not finishing – big burst of energy at the beginning but fizzling before things get moving. I have zigged and zagged so much in my 56 years it makes my head spin.
Tyler, my 23 year old son, is working with me for a while as he determines what he will do with his young life. He is excited about helping us get the father/son material in a finished form to sell. We talked about what he wants from our working relationship. He sounded the gong loud and clear – don’t zig and zag.
Patty sounded the same gong a few days ago. Maybe I ought to start listening.
I actually have been listening the past couple of days. I am understanding why, also. Zigging and zagging were my way of avoiding things. It was my way of avoiding my own fear of being great. It was my way of staying in a perpetual state of anxiety. The past couple of days I have found amazing calm in my life amid all of the chaos.
I am finishing the drill. I am completing the projects. When the year is over, I will be surprised at where I am. Or, maybe I wont. Maybe I really do know what would happen if I became very intentional.
The more that I live intentionally, the more I realize that we create our own reality. I see more and more how my thoughts are creating what I am experiencing. I see how my actions are a manifestation of what is inside me. Experiencing the change internally and watching the change externally is pretty cool.
A few days ago I faced another thing to change in my life – starting but not finishing – big burst of energy at the beginning but fizzling before things get moving. I have zigged and zagged so much in my 56 years it makes my head spin.
Tyler, my 23 year old son, is working with me for a while as he determines what he will do with his young life. He is excited about helping us get the father/son material in a finished form to sell. We talked about what he wants from our working relationship. He sounded the gong loud and clear – don’t zig and zag.
Patty sounded the same gong a few days ago. Maybe I ought to start listening.
I actually have been listening the past couple of days. I am understanding why, also. Zigging and zagging were my way of avoiding things. It was my way of avoiding my own fear of being great. It was my way of staying in a perpetual state of anxiety. The past couple of days I have found amazing calm in my life amid all of the chaos.
I am finishing the drill. I am completing the projects. When the year is over, I will be surprised at where I am. Or, maybe I wont. Maybe I really do know what would happen if I became very intentional.
The more that I live intentionally, the more I realize that we create our own reality. I see more and more how my thoughts are creating what I am experiencing. I see how my actions are a manifestation of what is inside me. Experiencing the change internally and watching the change externally is pretty cool.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Day Twenty
I did something tremendously fun last night. PF Gay is in charge of the Intervarsity work with fraternities and sororities at the University of Georgia. Intervarsity is a Christian group that works on college campuses with students. PF met Patty, my wife, a few weeks ago and Patty suggested that she get in touch with me. After we talked for a while she invited me to speak at their weekly event.
I spoke at their meeting last night. It was a great time. The small crowd enabled me to interact with the group throughout the presentation, which is something that I always enjoy doing.
A couple of worthy insights occurred last night that are worth sharing. The first is that one of my major gifts is when I am in front of a group that is eager to learn. It is electrifying for me and it creates a dynamic time for the participants. They certainly seemed to be engaged.
That was a good affirmation, but I knew that already. The second insight was really more powerful. One of the most difficult parts of living intentionally is living in the moment. Most of us, including me, spend more time living in the past and the future than in the moment – the only time that we actually have. Speaking to the students last night, I was completely in the moment. I was only focused on them and creating an environment for them to learn.
Living in the moment is both a choice that we make and also a skill that must be learned. I find it easy to be pulled into the past – fears, worries, concerns. It is equally easy to be thrust forward into the future – spending the current moment thinking about the future rather than doing the things that will actually manifest the future we want.
I have found that every time I am fully in the moment, I am most productive, happiest, and most successful. It is cool when you can learn from the obvious.
I did something tremendously fun last night. PF Gay is in charge of the Intervarsity work with fraternities and sororities at the University of Georgia. Intervarsity is a Christian group that works on college campuses with students. PF met Patty, my wife, a few weeks ago and Patty suggested that she get in touch with me. After we talked for a while she invited me to speak at their weekly event.
I spoke at their meeting last night. It was a great time. The small crowd enabled me to interact with the group throughout the presentation, which is something that I always enjoy doing.
A couple of worthy insights occurred last night that are worth sharing. The first is that one of my major gifts is when I am in front of a group that is eager to learn. It is electrifying for me and it creates a dynamic time for the participants. They certainly seemed to be engaged.
That was a good affirmation, but I knew that already. The second insight was really more powerful. One of the most difficult parts of living intentionally is living in the moment. Most of us, including me, spend more time living in the past and the future than in the moment – the only time that we actually have. Speaking to the students last night, I was completely in the moment. I was only focused on them and creating an environment for them to learn.
Living in the moment is both a choice that we make and also a skill that must be learned. I find it easy to be pulled into the past – fears, worries, concerns. It is equally easy to be thrust forward into the future – spending the current moment thinking about the future rather than doing the things that will actually manifest the future we want.
I have found that every time I am fully in the moment, I am most productive, happiest, and most successful. It is cool when you can learn from the obvious.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Day Nineteen
The year of living intentionally is doing exactly what I hoped it would do - pushing me beyond my comfort zone to manifest a new future. The one thing that I observe about people, me included, is that most of us stay in our comfort zone, even if our comfort zone is not really comfortable. The fear of the unknown can make cowards of us all (A slight modification of Shakespeare).
Those who do great things, though, push themselves intentionally out of their comfort zone. My 56 years have been spent mostly in the comfort zone. I have done good things, but I have not come close to what I am capable of becoming. Who I was created to be has not been manifested in its fullness.
This is what keeps pushing me forward. At this point I want to see how good I really can be. I want to see what life outside of the comfort zone is like.
A predictable pattern occurs when I step outside my comfort zone. Every few steps pushing forward are countered by a pull back toward the old comfort zone. It is like a yoyo, pushing forward and feeling the pull back. Old beliefs and patterns do not die easy.
There is one point in the New Testament (Romans) where Paul confesses that he does the things that he does not want to do and doesn’t do the things that he wants to do. I know how the guy feels.
What is positive, though, is that every few steps does put me a little further out of the comfort zone, even if I get pulled backwards some.
I had another major insight Sunday morning. I was in that sleepy zone where I was not quite awake and not quite asleep. During that time a thought popped out. It was something that had been lying around under the doubt and fear, waiting for the right moment to pop up.
Over the years I have tried to do too many things at one time. All of them are good, but the problem is that none of them get refined and finished. Then, they don’t get marketed. I know the psychological reasons behind this and have addressed them, but they don’t die easy. Whenever I start new things, I quickly can overwhelm myself. Whether it is me trying to do it all myself or trying to do too many projects at one time, the outcome is the same – almost finished projects, unmarketed material, no growth.
What occurred to me Sunday was that I can’t do everything. I knew it intellectually, but it really sunk in emotionally in that sleepy state of consciousness. It clicked. Maybe, just as importantly, I realized that I don’t want to do everything. I don’t want to be fabulous at everything. I want to be fabulous at what I am passionate about.
There are some things that must be left behind if the journey forward is to be abundant.
If I can’t do everything, then what do I want to do? The answer for me is simple – developing people. I am good at facilitating meetings, but I don’t really get excited about that. I am good at general leadership training, but it doesn’t push my button. What I do get excited about is helping people find the path to a new and more exciting life.
We have a long way to go, but the path is getting clearer.
The year of living intentionally is doing exactly what I hoped it would do - pushing me beyond my comfort zone to manifest a new future. The one thing that I observe about people, me included, is that most of us stay in our comfort zone, even if our comfort zone is not really comfortable. The fear of the unknown can make cowards of us all (A slight modification of Shakespeare).
Those who do great things, though, push themselves intentionally out of their comfort zone. My 56 years have been spent mostly in the comfort zone. I have done good things, but I have not come close to what I am capable of becoming. Who I was created to be has not been manifested in its fullness.
This is what keeps pushing me forward. At this point I want to see how good I really can be. I want to see what life outside of the comfort zone is like.
A predictable pattern occurs when I step outside my comfort zone. Every few steps pushing forward are countered by a pull back toward the old comfort zone. It is like a yoyo, pushing forward and feeling the pull back. Old beliefs and patterns do not die easy.
There is one point in the New Testament (Romans) where Paul confesses that he does the things that he does not want to do and doesn’t do the things that he wants to do. I know how the guy feels.
What is positive, though, is that every few steps does put me a little further out of the comfort zone, even if I get pulled backwards some.
I had another major insight Sunday morning. I was in that sleepy zone where I was not quite awake and not quite asleep. During that time a thought popped out. It was something that had been lying around under the doubt and fear, waiting for the right moment to pop up.
Over the years I have tried to do too many things at one time. All of them are good, but the problem is that none of them get refined and finished. Then, they don’t get marketed. I know the psychological reasons behind this and have addressed them, but they don’t die easy. Whenever I start new things, I quickly can overwhelm myself. Whether it is me trying to do it all myself or trying to do too many projects at one time, the outcome is the same – almost finished projects, unmarketed material, no growth.
What occurred to me Sunday was that I can’t do everything. I knew it intellectually, but it really sunk in emotionally in that sleepy state of consciousness. It clicked. Maybe, just as importantly, I realized that I don’t want to do everything. I don’t want to be fabulous at everything. I want to be fabulous at what I am passionate about.
There are some things that must be left behind if the journey forward is to be abundant.
If I can’t do everything, then what do I want to do? The answer for me is simple – developing people. I am good at facilitating meetings, but I don’t really get excited about that. I am good at general leadership training, but it doesn’t push my button. What I do get excited about is helping people find the path to a new and more exciting life.
We have a long way to go, but the path is getting clearer.
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