Walking Into a Room

 Happy Friday, Friends!

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! And I also hope you have had an awesome week, personally and professionally! 😊

A couple of weeks ago I was listening to Focus on the Family and Deborah Pegues was their guest. I have never met Deborah however I have heard her speak several times and she is phenomenal! She said something that was profound to me, and I wanted to share it with you all this morning. She said:

“We act like God is not our Father. Just think about it. If we really embrace the truth that God … knows everything, He’s always present, and He’s all-powerful, and we have that spirit in us. You show up differently. You show up with confidence because it’s not in yourself. You know that you have a spirit in you that knows everything. Now, you’re not gonna know everything, but you’re gonna know everything you need to know when you need to know it.”

Let me first say this; if you are not a Bible believing person, this very well may not make sense to you. I understand, accept, and fully respect you and your position. I am not here to tell anyone how to live their life or what they should do. I am simply here to tell you what I believe, testify to what I have found, and encourage you on your journey!

So, how do you enter the room? You ever think about it that way? If you believe that God works all things together for your good (Romans 8:28), that if you submit all you do to Him, He will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3: 5 – 6), or that He will strengthen you and help you, that He will uphold you (Isaiah 41:10) you walk into the room different than if you walk into the room believing it is all on you – your knowledge, your wisdom, your strength, your courage! Another way to say it is, “what part of the Bible do you believe?” The answer is not all of it. The answer is the part you actually walk out! Are we actually living our faith or are we simply talking about our faith?

Perhaps you are sitting there thinking, “I believe in God!” James 2: 19 says, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder.” What part of the Bible do you believe? How do you walk into the room?

The key is found in James 2: 14 – 17:

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

How are we walking into the room? Are we walking into the room like God is our Father? Are we walking into a room like the things that the Bible says are actually true? All of them?!?!

What we are really talking about here is living our faith. This has been so beautifully modeled for me this week by a truly remarkable young man less than half my age! I am so awed and inspired by his walk and I pray that I will allow God to mold and shape me, that he will give me the wisdom and courage I need to walk into every room the same way.

I want to encourage us all to spend some time thinking about our faith this weekend. Are we walking into every room boldly and confidently or something less? The answer can lead us in powerful ways if we will allow it to do so!

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 😊

Why Did You Do It?

 Happy Friday, Friends! 

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new opportunity begins to dawn in my Sweet Home Alabama!!! 😊 

Why did you do it? 

Merriam-Webster online defines motive as “something (such as a need or desire) that causes a person to act.”

So, why did you do it? Why did you smile, or not, at the stranger? Why did you hold the door, or not, for someone? Why did you do, or not, that thing for your spouse/partner? Why are you, or not, getting your kid in club sports? Why did you help, or not, that person that needed help? Why?

Motive is a very important thing. In I Samuel 16:7, it says, “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” We like to do things for appearance, to gain affirmation or applause however the Lord tells us the key is the heart.

Have you ever done something that to everyone looked like a good thing but in your heart, you knew it wasn’t? Let me say it another way; have you ever done something for someone so people would think you were nice or kind? How did that feel? On the other hand, have you ever seen someone in need of help, and you just helped them because you were genuinely kind and compassionate? How did that feel? Let’s try this one; have you ever done something at work because you wanted to be recognized? How did that feel? Or, have you ever done something at work to the very best of your ability because you felt that is what you were called to do? How did that feel?

I have found that things that are done from selfish ambition or selfish gain leave me feeling empty, unfulfilled, and disappointed in myself. Conversely, I have found that when I selflessly give of myself, I feel fulfilled and inspired. And here is the thing, if I do something from selfish ambition and get recognized for it, I might feel better for a moment of time however there is always this gnawing at the inner recesses of the spirit because I know that my motives were less than pure. On the other hand, if I simply strive for excellence because that is what I feel I am called to do, there is a deep peace and satisfaction that comes with it, regardless of whether I get recognized or not.

This week I simply want to encourage us to think and pray about our motives. Let us make sure they are pure and in line with the life we want to live. There is something far greater than praise and recognition, it is a peace in your spirit when you lay your head on the pillow at the end of a long day. It is far more satisfying, at the soul level, than praise or applause! 😊

I want to end this week by sharing Philippians 2: 3 – 4:

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

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 well! 😊

Kev

Let's Talk

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day on this glorious new day in my Sweet Home Alabama! :)

Last week I was out to dinner with a friend. This friend was telling me how another friend was hurt because I had not reached out to that person in a while. My heart sunk. I knew this friend was right, I should have been intentional about reaching out to the other person, but I hadn't. While my mind wanted to scream all of the reasons why it had not been possible to do so - reasons I won't even share here now, however I will explain why I won't share them in a moment - my heart knew this friend was right. I had failed, simple as that.

So over the course of the next couple of days I thought, and prayed, about that situation. Two things I quickly determined in my mind:

1. I would go see this person as soon as possible.

2. When I saw this person I would offer no excuses, I would simply say, "I am sorry." And then, most importantly, I would become highly intentional moving forward.

You see, I didn't want to offer excuses - valid or not - because I didn't want to excuse away something I could have changed...I didn't want to give up the power to change. This is the same reason I don't want to share any of them now...I don't want to blame what I did not do on anything other than myself. I want to lean in, as uncomfortable as it is, learn from the experience, and change. I want to own my response and therefore, own the power to change it!

So that is what I did. I went to see this other friend. After some small talk I said, "I simply want to tell you I am sorry." The friend knew what I was talking about and immediately said, "Because you forgot about me?" I said, "No, I didn't forget about you. I simply failed to do what I should do." This friend then began to make excuses for me! And then I simply said, "I do not want to, nor will I, offer any excuses. I simply want to say I am sorry. And I fully realize that the most important factor in all of this going forward is whether or not my behavior changes. Please hold me accountable to that!" And that was it. It was a beautiful meeting, one that I am grateful for. Comfortable? Hardly! Did I learn and grow? Absolutely! Did it hurt? Yes, it usually does when we learn, grow, and change! Am I a better man and is the relationship with this person better because of the road we have walked? Without question! :)

So there are just a couple of things I want to offer up to us as a challenge this morning:

1. Instead of looking out the window and finding the fault in other people, situations, and/or circumstances, I want to encourage each one of us to look within first. Yes, you very well may have an explanation or excuse, there may be a justification for why you have done or not done what you did or did not do. Bottom line is this...just because you can, doesn't mean you should. Having just walked this path I want to testify that it is absolutely uncomfortable however it is so worth it! Please, take back the power that you do have, the power to change and do things differently, as opposed to choosing to be the victim. I promise you, you will be a better person and your relationships will be stronger, if you will take the road less traveled...the road of accountability! :)

2. Talk to people. It goes back to the quote, "We judge ourselves by our intentions and others by their actions." Let's stop judging and start talking! We make so many assumptions, much to the detriment of our relationships. Instead of taking the easy way out, judging and dismissing, go the route of caring, learning, growing, and changing - actually go talk to the person and find out what their intentions were, what are they trying to say, why are they saying/doing it, etc. If we will choose this harder right, we will find that most people are pure-hearted, that they, just like you and I, are doing the very best they can. Most people don't wake up hoping to be a failure or to harm another person, they are just living their lives to the best of their abilities...just like you and I. The quality of our lives, and of the relationships we have, will improve exponentially if we will simply choose to talk to people instead of judging them. 

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, please stay well, and Happy Easter! :)

Kev

Please Pursue Your Greatness

 Happy Friday, Friends!

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! 😊

I just want to share a few things with you this morning. Hopefully we will be able to tie this all together and it will make sense. So, grab a cup of coffee and let’s chat for a few…😊

My Beautiful Bride, Kathy, has me hooked on American Idol. I absolutely love that show and, while I appreciate these incredibly gifted singers, what I really love are the stories. Said it before and I’ll say it again…we ALL have a story and they ALL matter! On Monday I was struck by how many of the singers talked about lacking confidence, not believing in themselves or their abilities, etc. It was profound and got me thinkin’…

First, kudos to them for fighting through the doubt and insecurities and going for it! It was so courageous and so inspiring! And to see the tears of joy stream down their face as they realized and/or recognized that they really could do it…well, let’s just say it got a little dusty in our living room causing my eyes to water quite a bit! 😊

How about you? Is there something you would like to do however you are afraid? What would happen if you bet on you, and the passion that is burning within you, and you tried? Yes, it is possible that you will fail however it is also possible that you will succeed. What life has taught me is there is a reason there is that gnawing feeling in your stomach. I simply want to encourage you this morning to pursue it. Let’s find out where the border of our potential really lies and give it everything we got. Right now, I am thinking of the Theodore Roosevelt quote that states in part:

“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena…who at best, if he wins, know the thrills of high achievement, and, if he fails, at least fails daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.”

Now let me pivot here for a moment…

What role do you play in others’ lives? One of the things that was so fascinating to me when I served at an academic health center was when I would visit with the physicians. I loved to ask them when they knew they would be a physician. Time and time again I would get answers like, “My teacher in 4^th grade told me I was really good at science” or “I had a high school teacher who told me she believed in me.” Over and over again…someone believed in me, told me I could do it, etc. So let me ask you again, what role do you play in others’ lives? Are you one who shows them their strengths, or do you search for their weaknesses? Have you told anyone you believe in them lately? Let me just tell you, that annoying little 4^th grader that you will cross paths with later today very well may be the one to cure cancer someday…if someone believes in them, encourages them, and speaks life into them. Trust me, I have met more than one physician who can point back to that time in their lives and the words spoken to them carried them through their undergraduate education, medical school, residency, and they are now using their gifts and abilities to serve others. Powerful, isn’t it?!?! So one more time, what role do you play in others’ lives? I want to challenge each one of us to look for the good in others, and then be courageous enough to speak life into their souls!

O.K., one more pivot…

I want to encourage you to look up, and then sign up for, The Jon Gordon Companies Power of Positive Summit…it is free and the messages are so powerful! Yesterday I was listening to Ben Newman. Ben is a Performance Coach, Top 50 Speaker, a #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author of Uncommon Leadership, and host of The BURN podcast. I want to share just a few notes I took from Ben’s message.

“We all have a choice…choose whether we will go all in.”

It goes back to our first point! 😊Each one of us will choose how to live this life. We can go all in or we can stay on the on the outside… one will lead to fulfilling our destiny and the other will lead to regret. Either way, the choice is yours!

“Everything you need is already within you.”

Go ahead, read it again. 😊 You have everything within you to fulfill the purpose of your life…you just have to choose to live all in!

And then he closed with this statement:

“Go beat down the door of your destiny!”

I have nothing to add…😊

I want to close by respectfully asking you to pursue all you are capable of becoming every day of your life and please, find the greatness in others and speak life to it! 😊

Please feel free to contact me at any time if there is ever anything I can do for you. 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, please stay well, and please go beat down the door of your destiny!

Kev

You Never Know

 Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day has dawned in my Sweet Home Alabama! This is going to be a special day…I can just feel it! 😊

I want to start this Happy Friday by sharing one quote and one scripture:

“You don’t have to be a ‘person of influence’ to be influential. In fact, the most influential people in my life are probably not even aware of the things they’ve taught me.” – Scott Adams

Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. – Hebrews 13:2

I have shared these statistics before however I want to share them again, as a brief reminder… Research has shown that the most introverted person will influence more than 10,000 people in their lifetime and the average person will influence more than 80,000. Please think about that for a moment… Just by the life you live, whether you are very introverted, average, or very extroverted, you WILL influence 10’s of thousands in your lifetime. Did you have any idea that you were so powerful?! 😊

Now, this is usually when I go the route of challenging us all to thoughtfully consider what our influence will be. Today, however I want to go a different route and simply encourage you… 😊

Whether we realize it or not, people are always watching us. They are watching our words and our actions, measuring as to whether or not they line up. And it is in the most difficult, challenging situations/circumstances of life that our lives preach the most powerful sermons! There really is no off-day or off-moment, we are always on and the lives we live are always testifying to our faith, beliefs, values, priorities, etc. Does this scare you or make you nervous? I hope not… 😊

I truly believe that we were all created on purpose for a great purpose for which we have been perfectly equipped to fulfill. I believe that we all matter and that we are all enough. There is no person who is insignificant, whose purpose is worthless, or who is of no value…not one! Please let these words wash over you, Friends, and claim this truth in your life! You are not an accident or mistake! You have great value, your life has great meaning, and you have a purpose that only you can fulfill! You are beautifully unique! Yes, that is who you are! 😊

So this morning I simply want to encourage you to live your life to the fullest! Pursue your faith, strive to become all you were created to become, and love, care for, and serve others in the unique way only you can! The things you are passionate about are the things that are – whether we realize it or not! – used to influence others. There is not a “right” or “only” way! The way this beautiful, crazy, blessed life that we live works is that we use our own passions, gifts, abilities, time, and resources to preach our sermons.

I do want to focus, for a brief moment, on one truth; it is in the valley’s that our most powerful sermons are preached. Everyone can put on the happy face, have the great attitude when everything is going great, or at least the way we think we want it to go…whether or not it is really good for us – another Happy Friday for another day! 😊 It is during the trials and tribulations of life that we revert to the core of who we really are and what we really believe comes to the surface. This is why it is so critically important what we do on a consistent basis because it is these things that will come out during the most critical times, whether we want them to or not.

And one more thing… 😊 We all have failing times, failing moments, however these do not make us failures. It is one of the great lies of the great Deceiver – that you are not enough, that you are disqualified. The One who qualifies us will use every situation and circumstance to transform us into all He has created us to become, if we let Him. So, when you are in the valley, or have had a failing moment, please realize that if you are willing to turn to the One who called and created you, if you are willing to learn and grow, you are actually in a position of great strength.

In closing, you never know who you are influencing, whose life your life is impacting for great good simply by living yours fully. Please pursue all of who you are, all that you were created to be, for what this world needs most is YOU! 😊

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 well! 😊

Kev