LeaderTHRIVE Daily

“How you respond to the challenge in the second half will determine what you become AFTER the game, whether you are a winner or a loser.” – Lou Holtz The first half of the year is over. It doesn't matter if it was the best or worst 6 months of your life, it is now in the past. Focus your time, effort, and energy on setting tone for a successful remainder of the year.     

"Don't allow your emotions to overpower your intelligence"   When you experience something that creates an emotional reaction, focus on taking a moment to absorb the situation before responding immediately.  This will give you time to look at the bigger picture vs. just seeing what is right in front of you.  Many times, the mistakes we make though emotionaly charged decisions can be costly.  

Remember – it's easy to start off the year fast and motivated… but greatness is highlighted toward the finish line… Finish Strong my friends!       

From my daughter Emma -  Don’t spend too much time on work.  Enjoy time with your kids, it's important to us.  We don't want to grow up and only remember how much time you spent on your computer or cell phone.  If you have to work at home, let us be apart of it.

“He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” - John 8:7   We all sin - and to magnify or call out another's sin over yours is hypocrisy.  I encourage you to focus on the positives of others, call attention to the good instead of bashing the bad.  When we talk about or judge others, it says more about who we are than who they are.

“Faith in God includes faith in God’s timing.”   If you are waiting on something today, my encouragement for you is to keep the faith and continue to work… help is on the way… and it will come at the perfect time.  

"The price of inaction is greater than the cost of making a mistake." - Carla Harris   What's holding you back from taking your next step?  We're not going to make the right choice every time we make a decision, but it doesn't mean we aren't growing or learning.  I encourage you to make a decision today and take the initial step on something that has been anchoring you down. 

“Every mistake is an opportunity to learn something new.” We are all going to make mistakes – daily.  Instead of beating yourself up over it, leverage this as a learning opportunity for yourself and for others.  Don’t be afraid to share your experiences with others… leaders recognize and utilize their experiences to help others... even the painful ones.  

“The only limits in life are the ones you make.” – Kristinna Habashy   What limits have you intentionally or unintentionally created in your life?  What’s one thing you can do today to begin breaking down those limitations? 

Wayne Gretzky once said, “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where is has been.”  Where are you at today?  Are you chasing the puck or are you waiting for it to come to you?  Are you prepared to do what it takes to get in position?

“Your reaction sets the stage for how others will trust you with their mistakes.”   How do you react when others bring you less than desirable news?  Are you building a culture of secrecy and embarrassment or promoting ownership and transparency?  I encourage you to evaluate how you react to bad news from those you lead.

“If you can’t do anything about it, then let it go.  Don’t be a prisoner to things you can’t change.” - Tony Gaskins   We aren’t doing ourselves any favors by holding onto and stressing about things that we can’t control.  What do you need to let go of today? When we let go of the weights that our holding us down, that’s when we truly begin to live out our higher calling.

“Leadership is about empowering others to achieve things they did not think were possible.” – Simon Sinek Is your focus on building personal relationships and empowering others?  If not, where is your focus?  What is one thing you can do today to build a relationship and empower someone you lead?

“Life changes when we realize that we don't have to know everything and we don’t have to pretend we do.” - Simon Sinek   Stop trying to be who the world tells you to be.  If you don’t know the answer, it’s ok to be vulnerable and say so… not knowing is NOT a sign of weakness or poor leadership.  I encourage you to practice honesty and transparency in all aspects of life.

“A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back to the crowd.” – Max Lucado Who are you leading today?  You either look at the orchestra… or you look at the crowd, but you can’t do both.  The more you focus on leading your orchestra, the better the music will sound.

“Stress makes you believe that everything has to happen right now… faith reassures you that everything will happen in accordance with God’s timing and plans.”   Is there something that you are stressing over now that you aren’t fully giving to God?  What’s holding you back from trusting in his timing and plans?  What can you do today in order to let it go and allow God to work? 

“With great power comes great responsibility” - Spiderman   Are you responsible with the power you have?  How are influencing, inspiring and growing those around you?  Influence is power, and I encourage you to take an assessment of how you are using yours.

“A day without laughter is a day wasted” – Charlie Chaplin   When things seem to be spiraling out of control – take a moment to step back and just breath.  Focus on and count your blessings… I promise, they will always outweigh your problems.

“Growth is painful, change is painful, but nothing is as painful as being stuck where you don’t belong.”   Do you enjoy what you do? Are you living out your purpose every single day?  If not, what is stopping you?  I encourage you to spend some time today or this week being honest with yourself. 

“Life is a marathon, not a sprint; pace yourself accordingly” – Amby Burfoot Are you setting and maintaining the pace for those you lead?    Take a moment today to evaluate your pace in all areas of leadership; home, business, and spirituality… are there any adjustments that you need to make with your pace in life? 

"Without change, there would be no butterflies."   Are you resisting change because of comfort or fear?  I encourage you to step outside of your comfort zone - you may just be surprised at the beauty and wonder that is hiding under that old cocoon.  

“Focus on where you want to go, not where you’ve been.”   Where is your focus today?  Are you stuck in the past or busy watching the other racers?  I encourage you to keep your eyes on the future, and take it one step at a time.

“Your talent is God’s gift to you.  What you do with it is your gift back to God.”   How are you honoring God with the talent he has given to you?  Are you going out and sharing these talents, which is ultimately growing you and others… or, are you burying them out of fear or discomfort? 

“Sometimes the answer is to just listen… without trying to  fix it or offer alternatives, just be fully present and listen.  An ear that listens can be the best medicine for a heart that is hurting.”   Don’t be so quick to offer a solution when people come to you… sometimes all they are looking for is an ear.  I encourage you to listen for understanding, don’t listen to respond. There is a BIG difference in the two.

“Hustle beats talent when talent doesn’t hustle.”   You can have all the talent in the world, but if you aren’t using it, you might as well bury it in the backyard.  What areas of life do you need to increase your hustle? We don’t have to constantly sprint, just have consistent and intentional movement. 

“If you want to leave a footprint, don’t drag your feet.”   The work you put in today will yield the results of tomorrow.  What will your influence and life be 20 years from now? What are you doing today to leave a positive footprint?

Servant Leaders invest in the growth of those they lead.    How can you invest in the long-term professional, personal, and spiritual growth of those you lead?  How will this investment impact the current climate of your workplace and the future of your organization?

“Don’t allow your wounds to transform you into someone you are not.” - Paulo Coelo   Don’t change your nature simply because someone harms you.  It’s ok to take precautions, but don’t stray away from who you are as a leader or person.

“To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and discover that the prisoner was you.” - Lewis Smede   Who do you need to forgive today?  Forgiveness doesn’t mean you agree with what has happened, it means you aren’t going to allow the past to control you.  When you find it difficult to forgive… think about the forgiveness and mercy we have been given.

“Promote what you love instead of bashing what you hate.”   Where do you spend the majority of your time, mentally?  Are you focused on the opposition when you should be focused on your mission?  I encourage you to think positive today, direct your time and attention toward things you love or things that build up instead of things that divide or destroy. 

“When you replace ‘why is this happening to me’ with ‘what is this trying to teach me’ everything shifts.”   Shifting your mindset from a victim to a learner is an important process for growth.  God doesn’t just put things in our way to make life tough, he gives is an opportunity for growth and development.  I encourage you to reframe the “tough” situations in your life. How can you leverage these to live out your purpose?

“Success is a series of small wins.”   Are you celebrating small victories or too focused on the wining the war to notice the achievements of your team?  Take time to celebrate a small victory today.

“Activity breeds productivity”   How active are you in life?  Do you find yourself waiting for the next step or actively pursuing it?  As a leader, it’s important that we remain in an active and growing state.  Movement doesn’t have to be fast, it just needs to be constant. 

“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” - Psalm 91:4   We aren’t promised a peaceful life, in fact there is story after story in the bible where Godly men and women were tempted… but those who remained faithful to the Lord were rewarded.  Our reward is there, we just have to trust in the peacemaker.

“He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him.” - Proverbs 2:8   Is there a snake in your path today?  I encourage you to look to God when you come upon one, he will protect your path and guide your steps.

“Stay in your lane.  Don’t look at what others are doing.  Those that look back in the race usually fall off.” - Oprah   Are you staying in your lane today or jumping from lane to lane in hopes of making it through the traffic?  Traffic is part of life and moving lanes isn’t going to make it go away. I encourage you to stay in your lane today, enjoy the ride and focus on the long term goals. 

“Therefore do not lose heart, though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” - 2 Corinthians 4:16 - 18   I’m not sure what you’re facing today, but I know we all have battles.  Don’t stand in awe at the bottom of the mountain and wonder how you are going to climb it… I encourage you to look toward the heavens, reach out to God, and start walking.

“Our greatest glory isn’t in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Confucius Don’t let discouragement and self-pity consume you after a fall.  When, not if, but when you make a bad decision or sin, don’t allow it to consume you.  Pick yourself up and keep moving toward your goal.

“If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.” – Zig Ziglar What are you aiming at today?  Are you focusing on the goal or just going through the motions of the game?  I challenge you to take a moment today to reflect on your goal and evaluate if your actions are aimed in the right direction. 

“Don’t aspire to be a firework – be a star… fireworks burn out way too quickly.”   I hope you have a wonderful Independence Day and enjoy the fireworks and celebrations. Remember, we all have a light inside of us, a light that we can share with the world… its our choice how long and bright we allow this light to shine. 

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.” - Robert Louis Stevenson   Don’t allow a bad situation or bad person ruin your vision or distort your judgment.  Even in the best conditions, you’ll experience some loss of crops. Remember, just because you can’t benefit from it now, doesn’t mean you can’t bless someone else with it… and ultimately benefit from this act of kindness later in life.

"The price of inaction is greater than the cost of making a mistake." - Carla Harris   What's holding you back from taking your next step?  We're not going to make the right choice every time we make a decision, but it doesn't mean we aren't growing or learning.  I encourage you to make a decision today and take the initial step on something that has been anchoring you down.  

“It’s not about having time, it’s about making time.”   We are responsible for the time we are given.  It’s ok to prioritize your life, we should all be doing this.  My encouragement for you though is this… be accountable for your time and how you decide to spend it.  Get rid of the phrase, “I didn’t have time”.

“He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” - John 8:7   We all sin - and to magnify or call out another's sin over yours is hypocrisy.  I encourage you to focus on the positives of others, call attention to the good instead of bashing the bad.  When we talk about or judge others, it says more about who we are than who they are.

“Never make the one you love feel alone… especially when you’re right there.”   What are you doing to let your loved ones know you care?  Don’t allow a relationship to become stagnant through time.  Just as leaders are always looking for ways to improve themselves and their teams, always be looking to improve your relationship with your spouse!  

“If you have to hurt other people in order to feel powerful, you’re an extremely weak individual.” - Bobby J. Mattingly   Hurting others should never be an agenda item for you, ever.  If you are in the thick of things with a person like this, my encouragement is to pray for them.  That’s right, “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”    

“Find ways to celebrate your spouse… you should be their biggest fan”   How are you celebrating and cheering on your spouse?  It doesn’t have to be a production, it just has to be.  I encourage you to connect with and find ways in which you can become the cheerleader that your spouse needs in their life.

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours.” - Mark 11:24   What are you praying for today?  Why are you praying for this? Is it because you are “supposed to pray” or is it because you have faith that God will indeed answer?  

“Sometimes holding on does more damage than letting go.”   What are you holding onto today that you need to let go of?  Don’t fool yourself either, saying you are letting go is way different than actually letting go.  If you are struggling with something, I encourage you to pray about it and reach out for help.

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” - Michael Jordan   How would you describe your leadership… focused on winning games or working toward the championship?  This goes for both your professional role and personal life. I encourage you to take stock of both today.

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” - Rev 3:20   God is knocking folks, but we have to open the door.  Prayer is a great tool that we have here on earth, but it also requires action on our part.  I encourage you to reflect on your prayers - what opportunities for action has God already placed in your life?