I hope this post finds you all having had a great week and a great day on this beautiful Friday evening.
This week I was in Oregon all week, leaving early Monday morning and returning this afternoon. I want to share several different things with you this evening - some reflections from the road, a quote or two I came across and a few excerpts from a book I read.
Reflections From the Road
1. I had the chance to meet and visit with a remarkable elderly woman this week. She shared stories of her upbringing, stories of heartache & adversities overcome, stories of great successes and yes, stories of great failures. There was a very poignant moment, we both felt it. Her eyes misty, her heart laid open as she shared her greatest disappointments & hurts in life... She tried to apologize. She tried to make sense of it all. She was still trying to capture the right words to express it all and yet there were no words that could explain a life lived fully. I told her she didn't have to explain anything; that we are all on a life journey; that we all have things in our lives we regret, that we wish we had done differently; that all of us have great successes & failures; that some, perhaps most, try so hard to hide our faults & failures that we never really live; that her story is a beautiful story and that I was honored she shared it with me. Her face softened. She seemed to be at peace with it all. While I can never remove the hurts & pains of her heart, I did validate her as a person and I let her know that her life mattered. Isn't that really what we all want in the end - to have our thoughts & feelings validated? To know that our lives, that we, matter? I am thankful God gave me the opportunity to say these things to that sweet woman. I left that meeting with my heart feeling full.
2. Have you ever been to Oregon? Oh my gosh, I saw some of the most beautiful things God has created! If you ever get a chance, I would strongly advise a drive along Highway 138 through the Umpqua National Forest or on Highway 58 past Crescent Lake, Odell Lake & Hill Creek Lake. Yes, I drove both in the same day...a 9 hour road warrior that day! I saw the most beautiful trees, some appearing as thought they are on fire as their leaves change color with winter closing in, that day. I saw clouds kissing the tops of majestic pine trees and I also saw clouds lazily snuggling into the midsection of others. It was truly awe inspiring. I make a note to self that I have to bring my Beautiful Bride and three Tender Warriors here...they have to see this place. I thank God for creating it and for slowing me down enough to recognize and appreciate it.
3. I met with several different people throughout the course of this week. Every one of them people that society would tell you have been wildly successful. They have performed, or are currently performing, at the very heights of their professions. You know what strikes me so profoundly however? At least 95% of what they want to talk about, what they want to share, is not about the things they have accomplished, the money they have made. No, every single one of them wanted to talk about the people in their lives - their spouses - some deceased, their children, the people they worked with, the friends they made. It is a valuable lesson that I learn from teachers who have reached the heights of their professions, who are in the final laps of a race run well and I soak it all in. There are so many lessons to be learned here and I am thankful for these teachers.
4. While I enjoyed the beauty of Oregon, while I am thankful for and blessed by every person I met, nothing is quiet like home. I start driving faster as I click down to 7, 6, 5 miles to home. As soon as I park I fumble with everything as I hurriedly try to get into the house. I see my Precious Girl, give her a hug and my heart feels good, so good. My Littlest Tender Warrior runs up and gives me the greatest hug, the combination of a sweet little boy and the ruggedness of a young man, both reflecting his age of 9. We go get a bite to eat - I find myself smiling at My Girl for no reason; my little boy will touch my arm and say, "I am so glad you are home" 5 or 6 times during our meal. Yes, there is no doubt I am where I belong.
Quotes
There are two quotes I came across this week that I want to share with you. They struck me as profound, I am still pondering them.
"Titles mean nothing. The one with a servant's heart is the leader." - Unknown
"Only the weak are cruel. Gentleness can only be expected from the strong." - Unknown
Excerpts
Finally, I want to share a few excerpts from the book The Leadership Challenge by James Kouzes and Barry Posner with you. They come from Chapter 12, Leadership Is Everyone's Business.
- Leadership is about relationships, about credibility, and about what you do. And everything you will ever do is based on one audacious assumption: that you matter.
- People are watching you, regardless of whether you know it or not. And you are having an impact on them, regardless of whether you intend to or not.
- You are accountable for the leadership you demonstrate. And because you are the most important leader to those closest to you, you have to decide how good a leader you want to be.
- It's what you do with what you have before you die that makes the difference.
- Although leadership can be learned, not everyone wants to learn it, and not all those who learn about leadership master it. Why? Because becoming the very best requires having a strong desire to excel, a strong belief that new skills and abilities can be learned, and a willing devotion to deliberate practice and continuous learning. No matter how good you are, you have to always want to be better. The truth is that the best leaders are the best learners.
- Exemplary leaders know that "you can't do it alone," and they act accordingly. They lack the pride and pretense displayed by many leaders who succeed in the short term but leave behind a weak organization that fails to remain viable after their departure. Instead, with self-effacing humor, deep listening to those around them, and generous and sincere credit to others, humble leaders realize higher and higher levels of performance.
Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families.
Kev
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