We Are All Learning & Growing

 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 believe and declare that this one right here is going to be a great one!!!

Earlier this week I was listening to Focus on the Family. The guest was author Gary Thomas and in the show he, “explains how parenting can lead to spiritual transformation in a discussion based on his book, Sacred Parenting: How Raising Children Shapes Our Souls.” It is a two-part conversation, and you can listen to them both at focusonthefamily.com and I would strongly encourage you to do so…they were excellent!

The thing I could not get out of my mind both days that I listened to him, however, was “Yes, parenting can lead to spiritual transformation but so can marriage, our jobs, serving others, etc.” That is what I want to talk about for just a moment.

You may or not believe what I believe. What I believe is based on two foundational pieces:

Each and every one of us is fearfully and wonderfully made. That we are created on purpose for a purpose we have been perfectly equipped – we have all been given different gifts and abilities – to fulfill. And second, God works all things together for the good of those who love Him. If you believe these two things, what I am talking about might make sense to you. If not, perhaps it won’t. Either way, I have to share my heart.

Who you are, where you are, the people you do life with (family and friends), and the purpose you pursue each day matters greatly and they will all lead to your spiritual transformation. You are not a mistake, the job you have, the spouse/partner you have, the children you have, and your purpose are not mistakes. All of these things can, and will, work for our good if we will humble ourselves, have a teachable spirit, and be willing to learn and grow. Yes, problems and challenges are real, and they hurt really bad sometimes. I can, however, testify that even the painful moments are a part of the refining process, the process of helping you and I become all we are capable of becoming. In fact, experience has taught me, the greatest moments of growth and development come from the greatest challenges and adversities.

So, my hope for all of us as this glorious new opportunity begins to dawn, is that we will look at things with a slightly different perspective. You, where you are, the people in your life, and the purpose you pursue every day are blessings waiting to unfold. When things are difficult and challenging, recognize that you are learning and growing…be grateful. When things are going really well, recognize the blessing of the moment…be grateful. Either way, walk in the mercy and grace of each dawning day, redecide and recommit to pursuing all you were created to become in all aspects of your life, and embrace the journey. None of us are finished, yet! 😊

Todd Gongwer wrote an excellent book, LEAD…For God’s Sake! I would highly recommend it to all of you. Earlier this week Todd posted something on twitter that I wanted to share with all of you. It is titled, “12 Choices for the Graduate…from a wise Janitor”, however it is great advice for all of us. I hope you enjoy it!

Choose to BE where you are: Mobile devices constantly tempt us to check out of where we are mentally, and often emotionally. Manage this urge. Discipline yourself to BE where you are and engage with the people in your midst.

Choose your close friends wisely: Love everyone, but spend the majority of your time with people who encourage and challenge you to be your best. Character influences character, both good and bad!

Choose to be intentional with personal development: Find good mentors, seek honest feedback, read good books, and guard your heart. Your intake always affects your output!

Choose to pursue YOUR best over THE best: ‘The best’ is about external comparisons, ‘your best’ is about personal composition. Focus on maximizing the gifts you’ve been given.

Choose to embrace struggles: Pruning is painful, but it’s been a proven path to healthy growth for many of the world’s greatest leaders! EVERY trial you face is an opportunity for growth!

Choose to live by Truth: Virtually every media outlet you encounter is agenda driven. Find the agenda, learn from the perspective, but make your decisions based upon TRUTH – it does exist…and it doesn’t change as a result of cultural trends or preferences.

Choose to embrace your role in leadership: Leadership begins with influence from words, attitudes & behaviors, all three of which you choose! Choose wisely – use your influence for the good of others, not just for yourself!

Choose to take responsibility: Don’t play the blame game. When issues arise around you, search within first to find how you’ve contributed to the problem, then own it and move on!

Choose to leave things better than they were when you found them: This applies to any job, anything you borrow AND to your interactions with people.

Choose to exceed expectations: Don’t live life to merely meet minimum requirements – give YOUR best! Find the expectations and strive to exceed them; opportunity will follow!

Choose to embrace the journey: Most accomplishments that matter in life take time and effort, and require you to engage in a process. Learn to embrace delayed gratification along with this process that comes with it, and your accomplishments will become much more fulfilling!

Choose to prioritize PURPOSE over passions: Aspire to be great & pursue your passions but not at the expense of the people God has placed in your path. Relationships are the foundation of your purpose in this life – value every one of them as such!

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 families, and please stay well!

Kev