Filed under Growth …

Nov 15 2012
Leave a comment
Better Together, Christianity, CrossFit, Growth, Lifechurch.tv, Workout

CrossFit and Growing Better Together

Since arriving in Tulsa, OK and LifeChurch.tv South Tulsa Campus, I have been struck by the culture that I have found myself fortunate enough to be a part of.  Early on in the office, I kept hearing the “crossfit” come up in conversations over and over again.  I have always been fairly athletic, but let’s be honest there is a lot of truth to the statement, the older you get to more intentional you have to be about staying in shape.  Feeling that I was (and still am not) where I needed to be, I was hesitant about joining some of my fellow staffers in the early mornings to end up way behind them all.

However, what I forgot was a simple, yet powerful principle:

When we choose to grow together, everyone will begin at different levels.

Because of this truth, no matter what areas we choose to grow, it is important that we grow with the “right” people.  People who will teach, develop, and encourage you along the way.  Being at a different level is never a bad thing; because we all should be striving to get to the next level.  We must consistently be placing ourselves in positions where we are the low person on the totem pole.  When we do we will learn, be stretched, and grow…together.

Tagged , , , ,
May 22 2012
Leave a comment
Catalyst Dallas 2012, Growth, John Maxwell, Questions

John Maxwell – Catalyst Dallas

John Maxwell was loaded with great information.  There was so many great stuff.  John gave 7 questions that he asks people who you want to learn from.

  1. What’s the greatest lesson you ever learned?  (Learn from their experiences)
  2. What are you learning now?  (shows passion and what they are doing currently)
  3. How has failure shaped your life?  (usually people have been shaped by failure and it shows how perspective and attitude play into success and failure)
  4. Who do you know that I should know?  (this is a networking question)
  5. What have you read that I should read?  (gives insight to new learning)
  6. What have you done that I should do?  (experience question)
  7. How can I add value to you? (growth is not a one-way street)

John went on to talk about defining what “success” means to you.  Everyone has a definition of success, but most don’t have it written down.  It can take a while to figure out, but you can’t really go for your dreams unless you know what success will look like.  For John success is: 1.  Knowing his purpose in life, 2. Growing to his maximum potential, and 3. Sowing seeds that benefit others.

“Intentionally add value to people everyday.”  Value people who are not like you.

Rule of 5:  Get a goal and do five things everyday that will help you achieve that goal.

 

QA with Andy Stanley

Some quick quotes from the QA session:

“Always plan to give away what you create.”

“The Kingdom is bigger than 1 person.”

“You can keep what you start, but if you don’t give it up you will keep it and it will be smaller.”

“Your goal shouldn’t for a moment but a legacy.”

Tagged , , ,
Mar 13 2012
2 Comments
Change, Direction, Discipleship, Growth, Mentoring, Stephen Blandino

Owning Personal Growth

When Christopher Columbus set out in August of 1492, his goal was not to discover a new world, but rather to find a world that already existed.  Columbus’ desire was to find a new shipping passage to Asia in order to have a more efficient trade route.  What he found was something totally different; something better than his original mission.

I was just reading a blog post from Stephen Blandino (www.stephenblandino.com) on the importance of people development in the church setting.  In the post, Stephen states,

“Our growth equation is often nothing more than Activity + Attendance = Personal Growth. As a result, people fail to “own” their growth.”

I believe that this is spot on for the church today.  What stuck out to me the most, however, was the correlation between personal growth and ownership.  This is where Columbus comes into play.  No one had to tell him what to shoot for; he knew what his desire was.  In other words, he owned his potential.  How many Christian can say that they truly own their personal Spiritual growth potential?  How many can say that they take responsibility for their personal growth, families, decisions, etc.?

For personal growth to be effective and take motion, ownership is the key.  When there is desire to accomplish a goal (spiritual, physical, etc.), little planning is actually needed; it’s simply fueled by desire.  We are willing to try any number of plans, ideas, and actions to attempt to accomplish our desired change.

Some might say that, “I am no Christopher Columbus.  I have no great ideas or desires to discover new worlds or routes.”  We have heard it said before, “Dream no little dreams, because they stir not the hearts of men,” but what about our own hearts.  We must dream large enough dreams to stir our own hearts.  The activities, attendance’s, schedules, and plans if not funneled correctly will stifle the fuel that ignites the passion and drive for personal betterment.  You define your potential personal growth.  It is not set in stone.  Columbus wanted to discover a new route to Asia, what did he find in return?  A whole new world.  What could you find in your own life?

When your heart is stirred to action and you place a goal in front of you to achieve, you accept ownership, and begin your journey for success who knows what new worlds you will discover?  Who knows the people you will impact?  What we do know is this: If you dream no dreams, if you continue to use addition in the equation of your personal growth, you will never multiply.  You will not multiply your personal spiritual growth, physical growth, emotional growth, or any other potential growth that you see in your lives.

We must take ownership of our lives.  Let’s not stand on the sidelines waiting for someone else’s dreams to come along and move us.  Let’s move ourselves to action.  When we do, we will find that personal growth will come naturally.  It will come because we have decided to move towards something, and if that something is directed by God, then new worlds will be open that we never thought possible.

Tagged , , ,
Jan 18 2012
2 Comments
Character, Coaching, Growth, Mentoring

Coaching and Mentoring

I wasn’t planning on writing a post today, but after lunch today, I knew I had to write one.

There has been a recent craze and influx of “coaching” networks and businesses over that last years.  We all know that there is value in having a coach, but we typically think that it is only valuable for those in sports or something like that.  However, coaching and/or mentoring can be for anyone.

For athletes, coaches help them see the larger picture, help them with form, repetition, and make the athlete better on and off the field of play.  This is also true for non-athletes.  For me, this actually is a guy who use to be my youth pastor back in the day, turned into my supervisor during an internship, and is now officially is what he has always been, my coach and mentor.

You might think to yourself, “Well that’s great for you, but what does that do for me?”  Fair question.  Let me give you some quick hits on what to look for in a coach or mentor for any area of your life.

First you must identify where you need/want growth.  This could be a more knowledge in a job, relationships, spirituality, or even physically.  Second looks for these traits:  Find someone who you respect, has integrity, is wiser than you at the subject you want to grow in, and someone who loves growth.   

I am sure that you can add to this list, but these are a start.  My mentor/coach, @stephenblandino, fits all of these traits.  Every time we have a meeting I always find myself saying, “Wow, is he smart!”

So go and find a place where you want growth and get a coach.  If you know someone who fits those characteristics then they are just waiting to pour into someone…why not make it yourself?  You will learn and then you pour into others.  This is the process: Be Coached, Be a Coach, experience growth.

Tagged , , , , ,
Jul 12 2011
2 Comments
Attitude, Behavior, Change, Decisions, Growth, Resolve

Resolve Today

The lights flicker.

Like a shot of adrenaline, you begin to feel the imaginative juices and hope for a better today.  Yet like the lights flickering away, today gets in the way of the potential better today.  Confusion sets in.  The adrenaline has run its course through your veins and you need another shot to get that high that you just experienced.  The high that today, is the first day of the rest of your life.

We have all heard people (mainly on TV) that have made that statement.  They decided to make a change one day and it was a new beginning.  There was no looking back.  So why is it you and I make a decision and then fall back into the habits of today that keep us stuck in the days of yesterday?  Why can’t today be a new day; a day that is tackled, that is won, that we have victory over?

Is it really as simple as a decision?  Decision has a lot to do with it, but I think there is the underlying attitude behind the decision.  For those who we have heard and seen transform their lives through one decision, there lies hiding in the background, behind the lights, smiles, and excitment the understanding that the decision was not a simple “Today is the day.”  In words, it was simple, but in reality, if you were to ask them, “Did this take you only one try?”  They would answer no.

The key to making a life-changing decision falls on the shoulders of resolve.  

Those that have made the decisions that change lives, only are able to accomplish what they do because of the resolve to achieve it.  It is not a one day decision, it is an everyday, every hour, every minute, every second decision to stay the course.  Reality has finally set in that the hopeful future and current reality will not intersect.  The resolve is to get those roads to come together.

What do you need to resolve today?  Is your current reality going to lead you to your preferred future?

If not, its time to decide today, to decide this hour, this minute, this second, to become the person of your future.

Jun 24 2011
2 Comments
Behavior, Character, Direction, Growth, Identity, Imitation, Ray Bradbury

Imitation Limits

I have been recently trying to find some good books on how to improve my writing and I came across Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury.  For those of you that don’t know Bradbury has been an acclaimed author of books like, The Martian Chronicles, Something Wicked This Way Comes, Dandelion Wine, and Fahrenheit 451.

As I have been getting into this book, Bradbury hits on something not only that helped me see about writing, but also showed me something that I think we can all get sucked into if we are not careful.  Bradbury discusses how as a young writer, he now realized that part of his problem in writing was that:

I was so busy imitating.

This statement struck me.  In some senses I think that imitation can be very valuable.  If you don’t know where to start, then climbing on the backs of those that have gone before you can be a great place to start.  However, Bradbury shows great wisdom in suggesting that far too often we stay busy imitating, and in doing so we forfeit the individuality and creativity that resides down inside of us.  If we stay the course of imitating, we lose out on the struggle and process on finding our “own delights and despairs”; we lose out on finding our strengths and talents that we were created to use.

Imitation is a great starting point, but don’t stop there.  Don’t get stuck in the habit of living someone else’s desires and life simply because it seems easier.  The moment you begin to search how God created you, you will find that the life he has for you is far easier and more enjoyable to live.

Apr 29 2011
Leave a comment
Craig Groeschel, Direction, Family, Growth, Heart, Weird

What Matters Most?

I have been continuing in Craig Groeschel’s new book, Weird.  Most recently I was reading the section on money, and particularly debt.  Groeschel makes the easy case for staying out of debt and making the choice to get on the right path.  Towards the end of the chapter 4 I love what Groeschel says about getting out of debt, because it can also be applied to so many other different avenues of our lives;

(Y)ou have to make a choice about what matters most and then act on your heart’s desire.

Making the choice of what matters the most must be our hearts desire.  Each time we choose a direction, we drive an extra stake in the ground of our hearts to that particular direction; it is our hearts desire.  What matters most to you?  Your spouse and children or your golf game?  Your friends or your spouse?  Your things or freedom?  Your way or God’s way?

What matters to you the most comes out of the desire of your heart.  Your choices will either confirm your hearts desire or shift it down another path.  Every decision matters because it does affect the desires of your heart.  And our hearts take the lead in directing us throughout life.

Apr 25 2011
Leave a comment
Direction, Growth, Music, Wisdom

“I Fall to Pieces”

Don’t you love that classic song, “I Fall to Pieces”?  It just has that great rhythm and sound that brings you back to old radio listening.  But the problem is that a lot of times the title of that song becomes a reflection of our lives.  We seem to fall to pieces in any number of situations.  Usually when we fall to pieces, we have made decisions in our lives that are negative and we end up reaping the reward of our actions.  How then do we become wise?  How do we stop falling to pieces?

Proverbs 13:20 MSG states,

Become wise by walking with the wise; hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces.

There are plenty of ways that the Book of Proverbs directs us to become wise, but I think this might be one great way to start.  Get around people who are wise.  If you see someone who seems to have a wonderful marriage or family relationship, “walk” with them.  Ask them questions about what they have done and learned over the years to get where they are at today.  If you have money issues, “walk” with those who are disciplined and principled in their finances.  Ask them how they save, give, and spend there money.  One way to stoping falling to pieces is “walking with the wise”.  When we do the title of our song will begin to change.

Apr 08 2011
Leave a comment
Direction, Growth, Hearing from God, Purpose

Experience

“You just had to be there!”

I don’t know about you, but I have heard those words a lot when someones is telling me an exciting story.  I am pretty sure that I have said them myself a time or two.  There is something about experiencing the action that gets us so excited that we can’t even put into words the emotions that well-up inside of us.

There is a great line in the movie Good Will Hunting where Robin Williams and Matt Damon’s characters are sitting on a bench and Williams begins to pick apart Damon’s character by essentially telling him, “You are so smart and analytical, but you have never really experienced life.”

Experience involves getting your hands dirty.  It involves stepping out of our comfort zones and really experiencing life.  Experiencing life is recognizing that the fear of missing out on a opportunity is worse than staying exactly the same.  It is the desire to walk outside the bounds of comfort and be used by God in this world.  There is no explaining it, “You just have to be there.”

Apr 05 2011
Leave a comment
Connecting, Growth

Alone

“Alone”:  The absence of being with someone.

Seems like a simple enough definition.  However, definitions often don’t equal what happens in the real world.  Being alone and feeling alone are two separate things.  One is about physical distance, while the other touches the soul.  When someone states that they are feeling very alone, it is not just about people not being around, it is the longing in the soul to simply connect.

The reason that we want and need to connect is the power that comes from making contact with someone or something.  There is power in connecting.  Just like a fan is useless until it is plugged-in, so are we when we remain unplugged.  There is power when we plug-in.  The moment we make connection, we begin to feel a breeze; a breath of fresh air.  Yet oftentimes we don’t even realize that the fresh air is coming from within us.  The connection is what gave us the power to breath life not only in others, but perhaps more importantly within our own lives.

The connection gives us life, because God created every individual in His image.  When we connect with others, we get one step closer to connecting to life.  One step closer to breathing easy again.  One step closer to finding God.

← Older posts
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 248 other followers

%d bloggers like this: