I hope & trust this post finds you having a great day as this brand new opportunity, we call it a day, begins to dawn! This opportunity is a blank canvas...you have the paint brush...create a masterpiece! :)
This morning I want to encourage you to pause for a moment on this wonderful journey called life, check your current location, take a look at the map and chart your course for the next phase of your journey. My hope is that you and I will thoughtfully consider what we are fighting for.
Picture the map. You are at a rest area on some highway, or perhaps at a mall or some huge building that you have never been to before. You search for the red star that says, "You Are Here." This tells you where you are and you are then able to see where you are wanting to go and you can chart your course moving forward. So the question is, where are you this morning? On the journey of life? Please pause and think about it. Look at your life, your family, your friends, your career, perhaps your physical location. Does it line up with where you want to go? Do you need to adjust your course?
I want to share a story with you. Earlier this week I met with a man at one of the largest, most successful - as defined by shares, money, corporate influence - companies in the world. He told me about a time, many years ago, when his work as he climbed the corporate latter required him to travel all the time. His daughter had a program coming up at school, she wanted him to be there and he promised he would attend. A couple of days before the program he learned that he would have to travel out of the country for a business trip the day of the program. The night before he left, the night before her program, he told her he would not be able to attend. She cried bitterly. She just wanted her Dad to be at her program. They had gone to bed that night with her upset. The next morning the Dad woke up to find a note from his precious little girl. It told the Dad how much she loved him, that she understood that he had to travel and that she would be o.k. The Dad took the note and headed out on his trip. The Dads eyes were piercing, growing moist as he told me this story. As he was sitting on a train he pulled the note out, looked at it and thought to himself, "What am I doing?" He had caught a glimpse of his red star - "You Are Here" - and did not like what he saw. He immediately turned around, went back home and was there for the program. This was a defining moment in his life, one that impacts the decisions he makes to this day. And he keeps that note with him constantly to remind him where he is going.
He also shared a story of one of the former CEO's of this company. He talked told me how this man was one of the greatest leaders he has ever seen. The company flourished under his leadership. There was great respect & admiration for this man's leadership skills & abilities. And at the same time he told me of multiple divorces, of children the man did not know and in fact, some who were actually suing their Dad.
I cannot tell you or anyone else, and nobody can tell me, what we should fight for. We all have to make those decisions ourselves, understanding that with every decision their is a sacrifice. Is it possible to be a great CEO and spouse/parent/friend? I believe so and I don't want to be misleading about it. I don't think this has to be an either/or. It is, however, about priorities. It's about leading your life and making sure, in the end, we end up at the destination we intended.
Stephen Covey, in The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People, lists Habit #2 as "Begin With The End In Mind." On his website, which you will find at stephencovey.com, he describes it this way:
"So what do you want to be when you grown up? That question may appear a little trite, but think about it for a moment. Are you - right now - who you want to be, what you dreamed you'd be, doing what you always wanted to do? Be honest. Sometimes people find themselves achieving victories that are empty - successes that have come at the expense of things that were far more valuable to them. If your ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step you take gets you to the wrong place faster."
So where are you this morning Friend? On the journey of your life, are you on the right highway to get you to the destination you intend to arrive? Is your ladder leaning against the right wall? Please take time to reflect and assess your journey.
For me I have found it helpful to ask myself, "What am I fighting for?" If I "win" this battle, spend time with my Beautiful Bride & Tender Warriors, complete this project, get this promotion or job, etc. is it accomplishing what I want to accomplish? Am I becoming who I want to become? Am I loving and valuing the people who are on this journey with me - critically important question as we all only get one journey through this life? If, as Stephen says, we will begin with the end in mind - yes, I am talking about your memorial service...what does it look like? who is there? what will they say about the life you lived? - we can chart the course we want to live, set our priorities and fight our battles accordingly.
Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your families. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.
Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families.
Kev
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