I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day begins to dawn in my Sweet Home Alabama! This is going to be a great day...you can just feel the hope and opportunity! :)
I want to start off this morning by sharing a few quotes.
"The best way to teach is how you live your life." - Gina Greenlee
"Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing." - Albert Schweitzer
"Your life is your message to the world. Make sure it's inspiring." - Lolly Daskal
Your life, and my life, IS teaching others. The moment we encounter another human being - in person or virtually, class is in session. Our demeanor, our words, our actions, they all teach. It doesn't matter if you or I like it, want it or desire it...it's a fact. We make a statement in how we live our lives about what or who we have faith in, whether we are filled with faith that everything will work out or whether we are filled with fear that everything we crumble, whether we are positive or negative, whether we encourage or discourage others...and the list goes on and on. EVERYTHING we do makes a statement, EVERYTHING we do teaches.
In his book, Tender Warrior, Pastor Stu Weber talks about the "wake up calls" in life. Those moments when we suddenly become aware of something, we wake up and, from that moment forward, we live our lives in a different way. Often times these "wake up calls" come after a near-death experience. While I certainly hope that you are not fearful of losing your life as you are reading this message, I do hope that this message serves as a wake up call for all of us. :)
So many thoughts running through the mind right now, let's see if we can get some things down that will encourage, empower and equip us all...
- I am not interested in conversation about whether or not our lives teach or influence other lives. Research has shown that the most introverted person will influence more than 10,000 people in their lives and that the average person will influence more than 80,000 people during their lives. It is time for us to be accountable, to rise up and realize that our words and actions aren't harmless, they do affect and impact others...they do teach.
- Knowing that the moment we encounter another human being we start teaching, we would be wise to consider what we do before we encounter others to prepare ourselves for the day. Are we awake? Is our heart and mind in the right place? Have we even thought about our faith? We all have faith - it is simply a matter of what or whom we are putting our faith in. Have we taken the time to really think about what we want to do that day? Are we being intentional? So many of us wake up groggy, grumble at the first person we see and that interaction then dictates the entire day. Your life, and the lives of all those you are honored to have in yours, are far to valuable for us to go through life that way. We need to wake up and be intentional!
- Please look at the quality of your life and all those who are closest to you. I am not talking about money, status, job, etc. I am talking about joy and peace. These things come from within and are not based on our situation or circumstances. If everyone is having a really bad time, depressed, discouraged, etc., we would be wise to look inward at our hearts and see what we are teaching. Let's not be thermometers and simply measure the temperature in the room, let's be the thermostat and set the temperature in the room!
- What are the things you are pouring into your heart, mind and spirit? As Pastor Ken Whitten said, "What's in the well always comes up in the bucket." We cannot pour junk in and expect greatness to come out. I am not interested in political conversations, in talking about the media, etc. If we are not pouring in things that help us learn and grow, things that encourage, empower and equip, if we are not seeking solutions, and if we do not genuinely value and appreciate every person - regardless of, well, anything - we are not going to teach a positive, encouraging message that encourages, empowers and equips others to live their lives to their full potential. You may, or may not, want to however if it is not within you, it will be impossible to come from you. We need to wake up and very thoughtfully consider who and what we are allowing in...it will eventually come back out.
- While it would be great if we only taught when we wanted to, when we felt great, when everything is going our way, etc., this is simply not the way life works. In fact, the greatest lessons we teach often come during our greatest moments of struggle. It is in those moments that who we really are is revealed. We work sooooo hard to put on the proper look, to say the right things, you know, put on our masks. However when there is an adversity/challenge, suddenly none of that matters. Who we really are is revealed in the moments of trial and tribulation. While we all want to be great when our greatness is required, we only have what we have developed in the moments before the storm. Sooner or later others are going to know who we really are, what we really believe, how we truly view life, etc.
Alright, Master Teachers, I want to share a few more quotes for us to ponder before we start teaching today...
"If you would convince a man that he does wrong, do right. But do not care to convince him. Men will believe what they see. Let them see." - Henry David Thoreau
"To bring up a child in the way he should go, travel that way yourself once in a while." - Josh Billings
"Worry not that your child listens to you; worry most that they watch you." - Ronald Heifetz
"I can tell you who I am, but I'd rather have you watch who I am." - Craig D. Lounsbrough
Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.
Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious families and please stay healthy and well.
Kev
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