Podcast appearances and mentions of Richard Swenson

“We must have some room to breathe. We need freedom to think and permission to heal. Our relationships are being starved to death by velocity.” — Dr. Richard Swenson, The Overload SyndromeIn our fast-paced, always-on world, these words ring true. We're overloaded—physically, emotionally, mentally, and financially. But what if the antidote to our exhaustion isn't doing more, but doing less? Today, let's look at rest from a biblical perspective.What Is Margin?Margin is the “room to breathe” that Dr. Swenson describes. It's the space between our load and our limits, which allows us to pause before we break.Too often, we end the day with nothing left—no time, energy, or money. Then the next day starts…full throttle again.That kind of lifestyle comes at a cost. The Sleep Foundation reports that nearly half of Americans experience trouble sleeping—a third of them get less than seven hours of sleep a night. Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to serious (and expensive) health problems like anxiety, heart disease, and diabetes. It also undermines our relationships and decision-making.The truth? Rest is not a luxury. It's wisdom.God Created RestGod rested on the seventh day of Creation—not because He needed to, but because His work was complete. He blessed that rest and called it holy (Genesis 2:3).Later, He enshrined the Sabbath in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8-11). Why? Because He knows our tendency to keep pushing ourselves, and He lovingly tells us to stop. As pastor and author Rich Villodas says:“God gives us Sabbath—he gives us rest—as a gift to remind us that our standing in Christ is not based on our works. When we rest, we're reminded: I'm not producing anything…and God still loves me.”Margin in a Work-Obsessed WorldTechnology allows us to work from anywhere, at any time. But just because we can doesn't mean we should. Rest gives us the strength and focus to do our work “as unto the Lord” (Colossians 3:23).Working late nights and skipping vacations might seem productive, but over time, they damage what matters most—our health, our relationships, and our spiritual lives.Rest doesn't mean avoiding work. It means working wisely and worshipfully—and stepping away when it's time to refuel.The Difference Between Rest and LazinessNow, let's be clear: Rest is not laziness.Laziness is neglecting what we're called to do. It violates God's design for us to work, serve, and create. Paul warned the Thessalonians to “warn those who are idle and disruptive” (1 Thess. 5:14), and added in 2 Thessalonians 3:11 that idleness often masks itself as busyness.Proverbs 31 praises the noble woman who works diligently. Verse 27 says she “does not eat the bread of idleness.” Laziness can show up subtly, like scrolling endlessly or shopping to avoid responsibility.Proverbs 24:30–31 tells of a neglected field, overgrown and crumbling, due to a lack of care. That's what happens when laziness takes root. But there's hope.Rest Is a Gift of GraceWhether you're burned out or stuck in patterns of procrastination, God's grace meets you where you are. Jesus doesn't offer a tighter schedule—He offers a lighter burden.“Come to me, all who are weary and burdened,” Jesus says, “and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)Rest isn't something you earn. It's something you receive. So step into the rhythm of grace, not guilt. Your soul—and your stewardship—depends on it.On Today's Program, Rob Answers Listener Questions:My son is 26, and last year he was able to start a 401(k) with his job. I want to get him a Roth IRA and start with $200 to get something going. Is that a good idea?I'm 87 years old. If all my assets have beneficiaries designated, is there any reason to have probate, or is there a maximum dollar amount that requires probate, so I would have to get a trust?I pay my bills and save as much as I can. Is it okay for me to spend $10 at the Salvation Army to get a new church dress? I don't make much money, but I get paid every two weeks with a decent check.Resources Mentioned:Faithful Steward: FaithFi's New Quarterly Magazine (Become a FaithFi Partner)The Overload Syndrome: Learning to Live Within Your Limits by Dr. Richard A. SwensonMargin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives by Dr. Richard A. SwensonSchwab Intelligent Portfolios | BettermentHeart for LebanonWisdom Over Wealth: 12 Lessons from Ecclesiastes on Money (Pre-Order)Look At The Sparrows: A 21-Day Devotional on Financial Fear and AnxietyRich Toward God: A Study on the Parable of the Rich FoolFind a Certified Kingdom Advisor (CKA) or Certified Christian Financial Counselor (CertCFC)FaithFi App Remember, you can call in to ask your questions most days at (800) 525-7000. Faith & Finance is also available on the Moody Radio Network and American Family Radio. Visit our website at FaithFi.com where you can join the FaithFi Community and give as we expand our outreach.

OUR FAMILY MUSIC ACADEMY:Affordable and effective online weekly music lessons designed for families. https://www.voetbergmusicacademy.comUse coupon code: PODCASTVMA for 10% off each month-Get it All Done Club: Stop drowning in motherhood and start thriving! https://www.nowthatwereafamily.com/get-it-all-done-clubIs your life just too complicated to ever feel peaceful? Learn how to create a peacefully productive home in one week. Check out Katie's Free Home Management Masterclass: https://www.nowthatwereafamily.com/peacefully-productive-home-masterclass - Books mentioned during podcast: - “Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives” by Richard Swenson - https://amzn.to/4aJ801v - “The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth About Extraordinary Results” by Gary Keller - https://amzn.to/3COqhh7 - “The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick)” by Seth Godin - https://amzn.to/3Ez0qKA - “Four Thousand Weeks” by Oliver Burkeman - https://amzn.to/4hsXgXG

It's Thanksgiving week, so I'm counting my blessings, and my 12 children are right up there at the top of the list. Another thing I'm grateful for? The fact my husband didn't cut my childbearing years short by getting a vasectomy, though he definitely considered it at one point. Listen to this week's episode to hear why, and to learn what stopped him from going through with it.  Show Notes: VERSES CITED:  - Colossians 1:16-17 - "...all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." - Hebrews 1:3 - "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word." - Revelation 4:11 - “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” - 1 Corinthians 8:6 - "...there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through Whom all things came and through Whom we live." RELATED LINKS: - More than Meets the Eye - this is the book by Richard Swenson that made such an impression on my husband (I don't think I gave the title in the podcast) - Always Open: 5 Reasons I Love Having My Tubes Intact - my response to an article from the other side of the issue, written by a woman who was grateful to have hers tied - Postponing Motherhood: At What Cost? - my review of Holly Grigg-Spall's Sweetening the Pill

Sometimes our motorcycle rides are fast paced. Yes, that's fun, but a fast paced life?  That's not so fun.  It can be high-risk and destructive.  There are ways of building some cushion of safety, both in motorcycling and in life. Creating some “ Margin" as they call it.  We need to know when to adjust the load, when to slow down, when to make a change, when to rest, before something happens that could impact our ability to ride.  This is important stuff. Send me a message!

Join Mark and Randy as they discuss the essential leadership discipline of creating margin. Learn how to prioritize time for reflection, assessment, and creation, and discover how this simple practice can transform your leadership. Based on Richard Swenson's definition, margin is the space between your load and limits. Find out how to apply this principle to achieve clarity and exceptional results.

Margin is “The space that once existed between ourselves and our limits.” When we reach the limits of our resources and abilities, we are out of margin. Former Probe staffer Lou Whitworth reviews a very important book by Dr. Richard Swenson, Margin: How to Create the Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves You Need.

On this week's episode of CMDA Matters, Dr. Mike Chupp is joined by Drs. Gloria and Paul Halverson to talk about how impactful CMDA has been in their lives as Christians in healthcare.  RESOURCES FOR THIS EPISODE:  Give to CMDA  Email CMDA Matters CMDA Bookstore 2025 CMDA National Convention Women Physicians & Dentists in Christ CMDA Awards Marriage Enrichment Weekends CMDA Today Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives by Dr. Richard Swenson

Dr. Richard Swenson, author of The Overload Syndrome and Margin, writes that… “We must have some room to breathe. We need freedom to think and permission to heal. Our relationships are being starved to death by velocity.”Too many people are physically, emotionally, mentally, and financially overloaded these days. So, we'll look at rest from a biblical perspective today.The Concept of MarginIn his writings, Dr. Richard Swenson introduces the concept of "margin"—essentially, it's the space to take a break before you break down. Many of us feel there's just not enough time, money, or energy left at the end of the day to recuperate, leading us to start the next day at full throttle again. This lifestyle, lacking margin, can have severe physical and financial consequences.Consider sleep, for instance. The Sleep Foundation reports that nearly half of people in the U.S. struggle with sleep, and about one-third of adults sleep less than seven hours each night. Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to expensive health issues like diabetes, anxiety, obesity, and heart disease. Additionally, research from Sleep Advisor indicates that over 2 percent of the U.S. GDP is lost due to workers' lack of proper sleep.Working late nights and weekends might seem necessary if you feel like life is moving too fast. However, burning the candle at both ends is ultimately unproductive. Exhaustion leaves no energy for the most important things—your relationships with others and the Lord.Work and Rest: Finding the Right BalanceWhile God calls us to work for our families, His Kingdom, and the community, He also emphasizes the need for rest. Rest is God's idea as much as work is. God rested on the seventh day of Creation—not out of tiredness, but because His work was complete. He blessed that rest and called it holy. The Sabbath, enshrined as one of the Ten Commandments, shows how much God values rest. We need time to be with the Lord, reconnect with loved ones, relax, enjoy God's creation, exercise, breathe deeply, and sleep!Technology enables us to work from anywhere at any time, but that doesn't mean we should. Creating margin in our work means getting enough rest to do our jobs “as unto the Lord” with purpose and energy. Staying late at the office or skipping vacations might make you look diligent, but the stress and broken relationships that follow are too high a price for professional progress.However, it's important to distinguish between proper rest and laziness. Laziness is choosing not to do what you're supposed to or doing the bare minimum. This goes against God's purpose for us, which involves good works. In his first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul advises the church to “…warn those who are idle and disruptive,” implying that inactivity can lead to trouble. The saying “Idle hands are the devil's workshop” is a testament to this idea.The Dangers of IdlenessIn 1 Timothy 5, Paul highlights other dangers of idleness, such as gossiping and leading others into sin. Idleness, unproductiveness, and laziness open the door to harmful habits. Contrarily, Proverbs 31 praises the “woman of noble character” for her hard work in caring for her family, running her business, training her workers, and providing for the poor. Verse 27 confirms that she “does not eat the bread of idleness.”Laziness can also mean spending too much time on unimportant activities like endless scrolling through Instagram or mindlessly shopping online. At its core, laziness is a failure to take care of responsibilities. Paul provides a stern example in 1 Timothy 5:8, stating, “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”If laziness tempts you, turn to Jesus in prayer. 1 John 1:9 assures us, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”Whether your issue is working too hard or hardly working, it's time to restore the margin in your work and finances. Do your work “as unto the Lord,” as Colossians 3:23 advises. And if you're feeling overwhelmed, find comfort in Jesus' words from Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”On Today's Program, Rob Answers Listener Questions:Where should I go to find a Certified Kingdom Advisor to get a referral for a godly estate planning attorney?I paid a capital gains tax a few years ago when I sold some stock. Even though my income from my job was below the limit to be taxed at 0% for long-term capital gains, they taxed me on the full capital gains amount as if that was my adjusted gross income. I want to check with my tax preparer since I thought I should have gotten taxed at 0% based on my income that year.Please give me a simplified explanation of a money market account. My new husband and I are considering putting some retirement money into one.Given all the economic uncertainties, does it make sense for someone in their 70s who is still working, with money in a 401k and savings account, to consider spending that money now on something of value like real estate? I'm concerned about the dollar's devaluation and wanted your perspective on proactively spending the money versus letting it sit in investments and seeing what happens.Resources Mentioned:The Overload Syndrome: Learning to Live Within Your Limits by Dr. Richard SwensonMargin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives by Dr. Richard SwensonBankrate.comRich Toward God: A Study on the Parable of the Rich FoolFind a Certified Kingdom Advisor (CKA) or Certified Christian Financial Counselor (CertCFC)FaithFi App Remember, you can call in to ask your questions most days at (800) 525-7000. Faith & Finance is also available on the Moody Radio Network and American Family Radio. Visit our website at FaithFi.com where you can join the FaithFi Community and give as we expand our outreach.

Send us a Text Message.PRESCRIPTION FOR A DULL SPIRITUAL LIFESpringcreek Church | Senior Pastor Keith StewartJune 2, 2024#god #realspringcreekchurch #prescriptionforadullspirituallife #prescription #spirituallife #connect #grow #serve https://www.springcreekchurch.org/Is your spiritual life not what it used to be? Has the fire gone out? The hunger you once felt for the things of God, is it growing or has your appetite been diminished? Believe it or not, people experience dullness in their spiritual life for very predictable reasons. It doesn't have to be that way. On Sunday (June 2), Pastor Keith will walk us through the root causes of spiritual dullness and explain God's prescription for a growing, vital and life-giving connection to Christ. This may be the most important message you will hear this year. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS1. Richard Swenson in his book Margin talks about many different kinds of overload. From the list below, which of these forms feel the most relevant to you right now?• Activity overload• Change overload• Choice overload• Commitment overload• Debt overload• Expectation overload • Information overload • Media overload• Noise overload• Fatigue overloadGuide the group through the following prayer exercise. Close your eyes and spend a minute or two in silence, calling to mind some kind of image that represents the limit that you are struggling to accept. Now, imagine Jesus walking up to you. Slowly imagine yourself handing Him that object, and with it, your finiteness in that area. How does He respond? Take some time in silence imagining His response. 2. What practices have you adopted, presently or in the past, to facilitate life with God? Which were “upstream” (challenging, but good for you) and which were “downstream” (easy for you and your personality)? What time of day and what space works best for you to spend time alone with God?  3. What current habits in your life are moving you toward the goals of being with, becoming like, and doing what Jesus does? What current habits and rhythms are getting in the way? What is one daily rhythm that you're excited about adding? What is one weekly rhythm that you know you need to add? 4. The three spheres of spiritual growth or what Pastor Keith referred to as Christ's sacred rhythm, are growing, connecting and serving. It's time to do a spiritual check-up. Where are you strongest and where are you weakest? In what ways did today's message challenge you to devote more time to the area where you have room for growth? 5. The spiritual disciplines are all various ways of creating space for God in your life. Which disciplines have you tried and what has been your experience? Which ones have you never tried? How has God met you during your engagement with the spiritual disciplines?RESOURCESBOOK - Practicing the Way by John Mark ComerFor more information on developing a rule of life and use of the spiritual disciplines(https://www.practicingtheway.org) Two booklets – How to Unhurry and Rule of Life can be downloaded from Springcreek's resource page (https://www.springcreekchurch.org/resources) Pastor Keith's prior teaching on spiritual growth can be heard here (https://www.youtube.com/@RealSpringcreekChurch) In particular, listen to the following series, The Way, Rooted, Discipleship, Prayer, Ghost.

We are well in the swing of the Christmas season.  For many, that means a daily crush of gift buying, holiday parties, Christmas cards, the end of the school semester and on and on.It's all part of that relentless rush of life, but God intends for us to honor the Sabbath and to trust Him with our time – it's His gift to us. We must allow God to guide us in incorporating rest into our lives intentionally. This includes seeking His presence, rejuvenating relationships, and finding mental and emotional rest. Lionshare's founder and president Dave Buehring preached this sermon at Northway Christian Community in Pittsburgh on how God wants us to live and lead in peace, joy, and health, with a deep sense of His presence and purpose in our lives.Books mentioned:"Margin" by Dr. Richard Swenson"The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry" by John Mark ComerWhen available, episode notes are at Lionshare.org/podcast. Learn more about Lionshare's ministry at Lionshare.org Purchase books on discipleship and subscribe to teaching videos at Lionshare.org/store Download the Lionshare Leadership Group app for free video devotionals.

Many chiropractors are busy and broke, or busy and broken. It shouldn't be that way, and it doesn't have to be that way. It may take some challenging work to get there, but having healthy margins in your life should be the lighthouse. We often only think of the word margin as it relates to profit, however, there any multiple aspects of margin you should strive for in your professional and personal life. A recent book I read “Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives.” by Richard Swenson, M.D. has provided me with clear insights on this topic and how it relates to chiropractors. In this episode, I discuss how to evaluate and improve the margins in your life, and what I am looking at improving for myself. I hope you leave this episode with some thought-provoking ideas on how you can design more margin for yourself and your family.

Part 4 of Do Not Disturb – Become more productive, fulfilled, and ultimately free to focus. Watch this episode at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://YouTube.com/@ChurchAdvance⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Episode 56: You Need a Sabbatical – ⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3Mjd9Tk⁠⁠⁠ Recommended Book: Margin by Richard Swenson – ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://a.co/d/ewfCzGu⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Bryan at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://BryanSamms.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Luke at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://MustIncrease.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

Part 3 of Do Not Disturb – Become more productive, fulfilled, and ultimately free to focus. Watch this episode at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://YouTube.com/@ChurchAdvance⁠⁠⁠⁠ Episode 56: You Need a Sabbatical – ⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3Mjd9Tk⁠⁠ Recommended Book: Margin by Richard Swenson – ⁠⁠⁠https://a.co/d/ewfCzGu⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Bryan at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://BryanSamms.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Luke at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://MustIncrease.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

Part 2 of Do Not Disturb – Become more productive, fulfilled, and ultimately free to focus. Watch this episode at ⁠⁠⁠https://YouTube.com/@ChurchAdvance⁠⁠⁠ Episode 56: You Need a Sabbatical – ⁠https://bit.ly/3Mjd9Tk⁠ Recommended Book: Margin by Richard Swenson – ⁠⁠https://a.co/d/ewfCzGu⁠⁠ Connect with Bryan at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://BryanSamms.com⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Luke at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://MustIncrease.com⁠⁠⁠

In part 1 of this conversation, Bryan and Luke lay the groundwork for the upcoming series of episodes by making the case for disconnecting in order to be more productive, fulfilled, and ultimately free to focus. Watch this episode at ⁠⁠https://YouTube.com/@ChurchAdvance⁠⁠ Episode 56: You Need a Sabbatical – https://bit.ly/3Mjd9Tk Recommended Book: Margin by Richard Swenson – ⁠https://a.co/d/ewfCzGu⁠ Connect with Bryan at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://BryanSamms.com⁠⁠ Connect with Luke at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://MustIncrease.com⁠⁠

Join Gail and Linda as they discuss knowing your limits. Reccomendations "Margin" by Richard Swenson https://www.amazon.com/Margin-Restoring-Emotional-Financial-Overloaded/dp/1576836827 "You're Only Human" by Kelly Kapic https://www.amazon.com/Youre-Only-Human-Limits-Reflect/dp/1587435101 https://runhardrestwell.org/ Visit the church website: https://www.kkchurch.org/

Children learn to grow. Charlotte Mason, Home Education Show Summary: Today's guest is Sonya Shafer is a veteran homeschool mom of 4 daughters as well as a popular author and speaker and co-founder of Simply Charlotte Mason How Sonya first discovered Charlotte Mason How Sonya and her friend Karen Smith started Simply Charlotte Mason How Simply Charlotte Mason grew over time to cover a complete curriculum Why it is important for parents to have encouragement and support in home educating How people can pick and choose SCM resources that work together for a full course of study for the whole family A little about the Charlotte Mason Elementary Arithmetic Series How Sonya has homeschooled her special needs daughter Books and Links Mentioned: A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola Charlotte Mason Education by Catherine Levison For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay Laying Down the Rails by Sonya Shafer Atomic Habits by James Clear Range by David Epstein Plato's Lemonade Stand by Tom Morris Margin by Richard Swenson, M.D. Know and Tell by Karen Glass   Find Cindy and Sonya: Morning Time for Moms Cindy's Patreon Discipleship Group Mere Motherhood Facebook Group The Literary Life Podcast Cindy's Facebook Cindy's Instagram Simply Charlotte Mason The Simply Charlotte Mason Homeschooling Podcast

Is Balance Attainable? Episode #349 with Dr. Kevin Groth Your profession is a part of you. It may give you purpose, direction, and some degree of happiness. But your work is not all of you. And if you give 100% to your work, you will have nothing left to give yourself or others. To speak from experience and offer advice, Dr. Kevin Groth returns with Kirk Behrendt to share his journey of attaining work-life-self balance to help you become your best self. To find out the steps for a simpler yet fuller life, listen to Episode 349 of The Best Practices Show! Main Takeaways: Become in-tune with your emotions and develop self-awareness. Identify who you are at your core. Self-awareness will drive everything else. Understand the essentials — things that give you purpose and direction — in your life. Never give 100% of yourself. Give 80% so you have 20% left to give. Learn to say no to obligations, especially when you don't have the capacity. Quotes: “[I was working] Monday through Friday, sometimes some Saturdays. But really, it was probably 225 days, I would say. I think I counted that up in 2019, 2018 . . . Now, I'm down to 160 and keep dropping that number because I found a nice way to tune those dials that we talk about all the time and figure out what works for me and what doesn't.” (04:32—05:03) “[By working less days, my income] increased. Which, I don't know what kind of magic it is. It doesn't make any sense to me, mathematically. But for some reason, you do find a sense of purpose and things that you want to do, and you become more efficient with it.” (05:12—05:24) “When you have the right team around you to support you, everything gets a lot easier. Everything is far more manageable. And I found that you've just got to get the right people in the right seats and get out of their way.” (05:25—05:35) “[Identify] who you are at your core. If you can identify who you are at your core, that will drive why you do something to give you a purpose. And then, once you know your who and your why, then you could realize what you do and how you do it.” (08:04—08:17) “We all experience things on a daily basis. But we just, a lot of times, tune out our emotions because we don't want to deal with it. And once you start listening to those emotions and really reflecting on it, it becomes more of a self-awareness. And that self-awareness becomes something where you become more knowledgeable of who you are. And then, that can drive everything else.” (08:31—08:50) “I think the first thing with anybody who's in that point of their life trying to discover themselves, you've got to start with who [you're] not. It eliminates some of those things that you say, ‘Okay, this is not me. This is not me. This is not me.' And eventually, it does lead you down a path to then discover, ‘This is me.'” (09:41—09:57) “It's so important, no matter what phase you are in life, to know who you are. And it drives how you do something.” (11:15—11:20) “I think it starts with identifying, once you know who you are, what are the essential things in your life. When I can list the three to five things that really give me purpose and direction, it really simplifies things down to, ‘What do I want to devote my time and energy to?' as well as what are some things that bring me joy in my life. Because then, if you can surround yourself with the bulk of what you do based on your essentials, and then you fill in those little spaces with some of the joys, there's a far more meaningful, fulfilled purpose out of your life that a lot of people just don't really have, to be honest.” (11:54—12:30) “[Richard Swenson in Margin] talks about, ‘We should never give 100% of ourselves. We should always give 80% of ourselves. Because if we give 80% when asked upon, we have 20% to give. But if we're running ourselves ragged, if we don't have the energy, if we don't have the means to give when we are asked upon, that's when you get burnout. That's when you get stressed....

Ecclesiastes 2:4-11 We're thankful for our modern conveniences: washing machines and dishwashers, microwaves and automobiles, online bill pay and text messaging. With all this time-saving technology, you'd think we'd have loads of free time. Instead, our lives get squeezed to the limit. Dr. Richard Swenson, MD says, “Many people commit to a 120 percent life and wonder why the burden feels so heavy.” Did you know that our margin-less lives are symptomatic of a bigger issue? Curious about what it is?

Margin is 'The space that once existed between ourselves and our limits.' When we reach the limits of our resources and abilities, we are out of margin. Former Probe staffer Lou Whitworth reviews a very important book by Dr. Richard Swenson, Margin: How to Create the Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves You Need.

Long-time ESA client, Karen Graham, has been in the financial industry for 16 years, advisor and wholesaler. She and Mitch Santala talk about her experiences as a woman in a male-led industry and the four words that she believes have defined her success. Mitch begins with the reminder that The Whole Enchilada spirit resides in every human and that we hope to awaken it in our listeners. He starts his conversation with Karen, asking about her sales team leadership keywords. Karen gives four words that she says defines a leadership personality and talks about the different perspective that a woman has in a male-dominated industry. She cites a couple of stories and pieces of advice from the earlier days of her career, giving appreciation to the wisdom she gained. Mitch and Karen go on to discuss growth in a leadership position and Karen notes her own knowledge of the industry as a turning point in her career. She shares a story about knowing a product will help a client who is reluctant to buy…and why she won't take no for an answer. The pair move on to talking about motivating a team to carry a success target, with Karen giving her point of view as the head of an all-female sales team, along with the usual, more common targets. The Whole Enchilada cites the place, the person, and the path and the conversation leans toward what Karen knows to be the most important part of the path, also stating that long cycles need to be considered. The secret to her success? “Just one more.” When Mitch asks Karen if she believes that leaders are a different breed, she goes back to her keywords to explain what makes a successful sales leader. The two also delve into the role-reversal in Karen's family, with Karen giving an insightful example of what it's like for her at a conference versus what it's like for her male counterparts. Karen talks about betting on herself when she switched career roles, and the pivotal moment when she discovered her “swagger.” Mitch agrees that everyone has swagger and that it's important for leaders to determine what sets them apart from everyone else. Karen also believes that success and failure can be rolled into one factor – that a go-for-it attitude can lead to success but can also lead to failure. What is the cost of being the best? The conversation ends with Karen's story about ethical business practices and Mitch's own thoughts on living beyond the transaction. The final question lands us at Karen's favorite Mexican food restaurant, Casa Alde in Buda, Texas. She says that we'll be going for breakfast to have their famous “Fatty” breakfast taco and wishes us good luck on that Chuy's dinner with Season One, Episode Nine guest, Brett Collins. Apparently, we won't want to eat again for a long time after indulging in the Fatty. Table Talk: Immediately following his conversation with Karen, Mitch introduces The Whole Enchilada team and asks who wants to begin. Erin jumps at the chance, giving her own story of teaching integrity to her daughters much like Karen did in her story about helping a former who no longer had a sales agreement with her distribution company. Gil equates it to his time in media relations and the need to build trust with reporters. Isaac says that he connected with Karen's philosophy of listening, talking about a friend who gave up a big sale in order to benefit the client…and how that came back to bless him later on. Gil says that a solar salesperson he recently met with had a similar story. Mitch recalls learning the lesson that the harder he has to work for a sale, the harder the client is to keep, and that sometimes success means letting go. He ends the episode talking about how success is a tricky and subjective concept. Links: The Spanx Story by Charlie Wetzel and Stephanie Wetzel https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07T8SG7WZ/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 Margin by Richard Swenson https://www.amazon.com/Margin-Restoring-Emotional-Financial-Overloaded-ebook/dp/B00IDHW5KK The Whole Enchilada, Season 1, Episode 9 https://www.thewholeenchiladapodcast.com/podcast/episode/219df1d9/s1-e9-why-bet-on-yourself Casa Alde, Buda, TX https://www.facebook.com/helenscasaalde/ About Our Sponsor: Executive Scheduling Associates employs 120 professional schedulers filling the sales calendars of 500 financial wholesalers across North America. And we now provide short-term services dispositioning event and cold contact lists. Ask us for details at www.esasolutions.com. Follow Us: Subscribe to our podcast on Apple, Spotify, Google, and Stitcher. Follow us: Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn  

Paul Casey: Goals are dreams with a deadline. So you have to start somewhere and that's some kind of dream or aspiration, and then you have to have a deadline now, because it's not done until you get there. Speaker 2: Raising the water level of leadership in the Tri-Cities of Eastern Washington, it's the Tri-Cities Influencer Podcast. Welcome to the TCI Podcast, where local leadership and self-leadership expert Paul Casey, interviews local CEOs, entrepreneurs, and non-profit executives, to hear how they lead themselves and their teams, so we can all benefit from their wisdom and experience. Here's your host, Paul Casey, of Growing Forward Services. Coaching and equipping individuals and teams to spark breakthrough success. Paul Casey: It's a great day to grow forward. Thanks for joining me for today's episode with Bob Smart. Bob is the principal at Southgate Elementary school, the proud home of The Dragons. And I asked Bob for something quirky about him and he talked about Chuck Taylor's sneakers. Bob, tell us more about that. Bob Smart: Well, I started getting Chuck Taylor's sneakers, old school sneaks to match the colors of the schools that I was working with. And then somewhere along the line Paul, it became kind of a problem. I've done up two dozen pair and... Paul Casey: Two dozen pairs. Bob Smart: Yeah. Sadly true. Paul Casey: Are you competing with your wife or is this just she outpacing you? Bob Smart: No. I have won that one. Yeah. Paul Casey: Well, we'll dive in with Bob after checking in with our Tri-Cities influencer sponsor. It's easy to delay answering uncomfortable questions like, what happens to my assets and my loved ones when I die? So it's no surprise that nearly 50% of Americans don't have a Will, and even fewer have an estate plan. Many disabled clients worry that they don't have enough assets to set up an estate plan. But there are important options available, to ensure that you have a voice in your medical and financial decision-making, even if your health takes a turn for the worst. Paul Casey: Estate planning gives you a voice when your health deteriorates or after you're gone. Maren Miller Bam attorney at law, is currently providing free consultations. To find out more about estate planning, or to book an appointment, call Maren at (206) 485-4066, or visit Salus. That's S-A-L-U-S-law.com today. Paul Casey: Thank you for your support of leadership development in the Tri-Cities. Well, welcome Bob. I was privileged to meet you, Boy, how many years ago has it been? Bob Smart: It's been a number of years. I was trying to figure that out before I came over. Paul Casey: Yeah. I'm going to guess seven or eight. Bob Smart: Yeah. Easily. Paul Casey: Yeah. You've spoken for... When I used to do these edge events, you spoke for one of those and I was able to coach one of your employees somewhere along the line, and one of the teams there. And so, yeah, it's been great. I've always enjoyed your focus on leadership and your enthusiasm. And so it's a pleasure to interview you today. So that our Tri-City influencers can get to know you, take us through a couple of career highlights that led you to your current position. Bob Smart: Well, I've probably taken the scenic route. So I started off as a science teacher and loved it and a baseball coach and loved that as well. Ended up being the school principalship and loved doing that. Had a tour of duty in central office as an assistant superintendent, I was a professor and a Dean. I was teaching in the grad school and I kept telling my students, which were principal and superintendent candidates, that the best job is principal. And then I got thinking, I was teaching a critical reflection class and I got thinking, what am I saying? So luckily I found my current job and they hired me and I love being a school principal. Paul Casey: And why do you love being a school principal? Bob Smart: I was just talking today to some folks that, if you like, anything can happen. That's the job. And it's phenomenal. You get to work with great kids, parents, teachers, staff. It's just a neat little place. Paul Casey: I too, I've been a principal and it is a variety job. No two days are exactly the same. Bob Smart: Yeah. Yeah. Paul Casey: I've chased children around the gymnasium, discipline issues. Yeah. I've sprained my ankle playing freeze tag with children before. So it's a great job, very stressful job for sure. And so you actually were a principal, went to district office professor, came back to that. Was that a difficult decision? Bob Smart: No, it really wasn't. Truly, it was thinking about what am I saying about the principalship? And I think I have had enormous satisfaction being a school principal. Paul Casey: So love what you do, is probably a philosophy that you would want to put out there for the Tri-City influencer listeners. Bob Smart: Absolutely. I mean, if you do what you love, it's a great day every day. Paul Casey: Yeah. So you're probably in your strengths zone, which multiplies your influence. How do you add the most value to the school? Bob Smart: Well, I think I'm a good listener, and I think I'm pretty thoughtful, and I think those skills really, really help. Pretty present in the building, so I have a lot of conversations in a day. Paul Casey: Do you intentionally pull yourself out of your office to be present? Is that just natural for your personality style? Or do you literally put that on your calendar, walk around? Bob Smart: Well, no, I do. I'm probably the opposite Paul. I have to return to the office. The joke is that I could probably sublet that office. I'm not in there that much. And there are definitely times I need to be there and do those kinds of things. But really most of the business is done in hallways, and walking around talking to people, hearing their stories and what their hopes and dreams are, and talking to kids all day. Paul Casey: What's been the net positive effect of that style of leadership? Bob Smart: Probably situational awareness. Being out in the building, talking to people, talking to kids, you can get a feel for what that tempo is, where the issues are, and then where you can help out. Paul Casey: Yeah. It's the old managing by wandering around MBWA. Right? Bob Smart: Exactly. Paul Casey: You can curtail problems. People say like, "Oh, while you're here, I've got a quick question." Right? Where they might not come to your office. Bob Smart: Have you been following me around? It's like every day. Paul Casey: Yes. Since you're here. Bob Smart: Yeah. Since you're here Bob. Paul Casey: And the other opposite, is people start to distrust leaders that they don't see. You've probably seen leaders or even principals along the years, that are bound to their office. Right? Bob Smart: Yeah. And it's also for our parent group too, stakeholder group. Because everyone has an experience with the school principal. And what we've been trying to do, is kind of break down those stereotypes. Paul Casey: Yeah. Bob Smart: And right now in COVID, it's really challenging. Paul Casey: Sure. Bob Smart: Prior to that, we see parents all the time and we try to stay away from the principal's office, so that people have a different experience so to speak. Paul Casey: I remember you teaching me that years ago, that people have negative experiences with school principals from their childhood, and you were trying to blast away at that stereotype by being one of them and just leveling the playing field. Bob Smart: Indeed. Paul Casey: On the flip side, leaders have to be aware of their weaknesses. So what is one of your favorite quote, unquote "ways" to sabotage yourself? Bob Smart: I love how you put that. And I can sabotage myself in a variety of ways, but one of the ones that I've had to get a handle on, is overthinking, and over-planning, and over analysis. Having a research background as such, I am real happy to try to overcomplicate something. When in fact what I've learned from that over time, is that a much more timely decision while maybe not the perfect decision, is probably a better decision. Paul Casey: Yeah. That reminds me of Colin Powell, the battlefield, if he gets 80% of the information it gets to go forward. Bob Smart: Yeah. Paul Casey: You'll never get 100%. Bob Smart: Exactly. And the cost, the cost of the organization and the person, to get that other little bit, isn't worth it. Paul Casey: Right. Right. It's minuscule. So I coach a lot of over thinkers. Bob Smart: Yeah. Paul Casey: I think we should start over thinkers anonymous group here in the Tri-Cities. What would you you say to an over thinker to try to help them snap out of it and yet still be who they are? Bob Smart: Yeah. That's tough. I mean, because you've got to understand the small game, and you've got to listen, and you've got to really think about what people want. So I'll start a lot of conversations with, "Do you want me just to listen? Do you want to work on a plan? Paul Casey: That's good. Bob Smart: Or do we want to gather more data?" And such. And a lot of times, it's just, Bob, I just want you to listen. And what I try to find, is when I start breaking out pages of spreadsheets and pivot tables, I normally try to have an intervention. Paul Casey: You just lost me so. Bob Smart: Well. Paul Casey: What's a pivot table? Bob Smart: It's something really cool, but it's probably just to me at [inaudible 00:10:24] Paul Casey: Down in the weeds, right? Bob Smart: Yeah. Paul Casey: Just down in the weeds. No, that it's a great marriage principle as well of, do you want me to still listen or do you want me to help solve the problem? Bob Smart: Yeah. Paul Casey: Because if you can get ahead of that, you're going to get ahead of the conflict that comes with, just listen, or I need you to help me come up with a solution, stop staring at me. Either way it sets the context for the conversation. Well, really do we achieve our highest potential by ourselves? So Bob, who keeps you accountable and energized, although you can feel the energy from Bob, can't you listeners?. But who keeps you accountable to getting your professional and personal goals accomplished? Bob Smart: One of the things I've done over the years and more recently than ever, is sharing with people, asking for feedback, and doing that in a genuine way. And telling folks, "Hey, when you see me start to do this, would you let me know?" Kind of the thing. And it can be a really difficult thing because you're setting down that mask and that shield and such to get to that point. So that's really helped me along. And what I have found is being a pretty approachable person. Many people, [inaudible 00:11:44]. Paul Casey: That's a blessing. Bob Smart: It's all blessing for sure. Paul Casey: Why don't more people especially leaders, ask for feedback? What's your gut on that? Bob Smart: I think ultimately, it's got to have a root cause down in fear. And I mean, people are stretched to their limit and we're all trying to figure out who we are, and how we can do these kinds of complex jobs like you talked about. And sometimes that feedback, especially unvarnished feedback, it can kind of hurt. And we need to be able to talk about that. And I think that's a start with valuing that feedback. Paul Casey: That is so good. Yeah. I think there is that fear. There a little bit of pride, maybe as well, like, oh, I think I'm doing the right thing here and now you're telling me I'm not." Bob Smart: Right. Paul Casey: And I don't know if I like that. Bob Smart: Well, you're pretty invested in these things. Paul Casey: That's a good word. Invested. Yeah. Bob Smart: All of a sudden it's like, wow, I'm getting some feedback that maybe this isn't the right course. In which genuine feedback and those kinds of genuine relationships and a shared sense of where we're going, I think is pretty powerful. But it's tough. Paul Casey: It is. Bob Smart: Yeah. Paul Casey: It is. And what a vulnerable question, when you see me doing this, would you bring that up? I mean, that just shows you're working on something. Bob Smart: Yeah. Paul Casey: And you really want to get better. Anybody that would say that question wants to get better. And it just makes it easier for then people around to go, "There it is again." And then you can chuckle maybe even. And it sort of puts a little levity to that issue of like, I interrupted again, or I'm talking too much, or whatever that thing is. Well, replenishment of energy keeps a leader at the top of their game. So Bob, principal's work is never done. Right? You could work seven days a week and the to-do-list is still going to be there. So what do you do to manage stress? Bob Smart: So my wife and I, we walk Howard Amon every day. Paul Casey: Really. Every day? Bob Smart: Snow, wind, slit, whatever. We walk it every single day. And if you know of Howard Amon Park, there's a red bench up at the top, and it's got a neat history to that bench. And we sit on that bench every day. And we don't finish the day until we go out. And sometimes that's eight o'clock at night with flashlights, or if I'm feeling particularly goofy, I wear those things on my head and those kinds of things. So we do that. That helps a lot. I also, I try to laugh a lot. And if you can't find humor in a school, you're not searching. Paul Casey: I've got a comedian buddy who started a Facebook group. You can all look it up. It's called Work Happy. And it's all the different ways, people in this group all are coming up with funny things to bring levity to work. Because we default to the negativity due to the stress of our job. So you've got to mix in laughter. And it is a great stress reliever. It's one of the best, I think emotional wellness habits that you can do. Bob Smart: You're right. You're so right. Paul Casey: And where is that bench by the way? So you've got the pool launch there at Lee. Bob Smart: Okay. Paul Casey: Where's is it compared to that? Bob Smart: Well, if you keep going North and you go up, there's an old building there. And you go up onto the dyke there, it's right at the top. Paul Casey: Okay. Bob Smart: You can't miss it. Paul Casey: Okay. Bob Smart: So here's the real secret Paul. Paul Casey: All right. Bob Smart: You got to look on the back of it, because there's a neat little plaque there. And I'll leave the rest to you. Paul Casey: Yeah. We'll just make that a little tease for the listeners. Bob Smart: Yeah. And so if you see a couple there say idle, because that's probably my wife and I. Paul Casey: I love it. And that's quite the commitment to say, you're going to do it every day, whether that's early or that's late. Bob Smart: That's right. Paul Casey: So you're getting exercise out of that, you're getting good conversation with your wife. Bob Smart: Exactly. Paul Casey: And both of those distress you. Bob Smart: And laughter. Paul Casey: And laughter. Well, before we head to our next question on people development, a shout out to our sponsor. Paul Casey: Located in the Parkway, you'll find motivation, new friends and your new coworking space at Fuse. Whether you're a student, just starting out, or a seasoned professional, come discover all the reasons to love coworking at Fuse. Paul Casey: Come co-work at Fuse for free on Fridays, in February. Enjoy free coffee, or tea, WiFi, printing, conference rooms, and more, and bring a friend. Fuse is where individuals and small teams come together in a thoughtfully designed, resource, rich environment, to get work done and grow their ideas. Paul Casey: Comprised of professionals from varying disciplines and backgrounds, Fuse is built for hardworking, fun-loving humans. Learn more about us at fusespc.com, or stop by 723 the Parkway in Richland, Washington. Paul Casey: Well Bob hiring in people development is crucial for leadership. If you could clone the ideal employee, whether that's a teacher, or support staff, anybody for your organization, what traits would that person have? Bob Smart: I think a person needs to be flexible. I mean, we've gone through a year of huge change, second order change. And I think that people that are much more nimble, people that are flexible, are going to be all right, but it's tough. And the second part, would be someone with a fierce customer service, whether that's in education or business I think is critical, an effective leader. And then I think the thing that is the game-changer, that last 5%, is somebody that's truly empathetic. Somebody that can truly empathize with stakeholder groups, people you work with, clientele, customers. Paul Casey: You used the word fierce before customer service. Why did you choose that word specifically? Bob Smart: I think that word is critical in the sense that, if you don't have a commitment to your next in line customer, and you're not absolutely committed to that, I think one, you lose genuineness and I also think that you're not in a service role. Paul Casey: Yeah. I had a feeling you were going to say that word service. That servant leader mentality, is gone when you get myopic. Just about me and my world, instead of the customer, the constituent that we're looking to serve. Bob Smart: Or transactional. Paul Casey: Oh yeah. Transactional. Bob Smart: Yeah. I mean, I think it's important to really have that commitment. Because once you have that commitment, more positive things from that relationship are going to come out it. Paul Casey: And it can become transformational, not just transactional, which educators are in a transformational business. You mentioned empathy as well. What does empathy sound like? What does it look like when you're... Interviewing is a tough deal, right? How do you listen for whether this person is going to be empathetic? Bob Smart: Well, I think some of it comes across as non-verbal inside those kinds of conversations. So what we'll do oftentimes, is we'll talk about scenarios. So here's the scenario that we oftentimes engage in. And then based on that response, that gives us a little bit of insight, whether or not you've got that empathetic response. Because in our business, we're in a highly, emotionally driven business. And oftentimes, we have to deescalate situations. And we can do that through humor, through kindness, but also most importantly through understanding. Paul Casey: Yeah. And that is so true that in hiring, if you were to say, "Hey, Paul give me a set of interview questions." I probably give you half of them that are scenario based, because people can be ready to answer the, "What are your strengths and weaknesses," questions. They're ready for a whole bunch of those, but they're not ready for the scenario ones. That's where the true person comes out. So I've had emerging leaders tell me they want to grow in thinking strategically. And they're like, "How I do that?" So what tips would you give on how to look at the big picture for greater longterm impact? Bob Smart: I would recommend that you study Red Tail Hawks. And that's kind of an odd response. But when you think about it, as a kid I grew up watching these red tail Hawk sit on top of these peepee apples. And then later on I found they've actually got two visions. One is on the horizon so they know when to pull up. And the other one is very focused and almost using a set of binoculars. So kind of a short-term in there, but having that eye for that horizon to get to whatever is going to happen. Paul Casey: The Red-Tail Hawk. Bob Smart: Yeah. Paul Casey: What an illustrative example of that. So it's looking long-term like you said the horizon, and then there's sort of the micro level. What are the small acts of leadership if done daily, can make a positive difference in the lives of teams? Bob Smart: I think being present, just being there, and talking to people, being seen, being visible. If you ask our kindergartners what I do, they say I boss cars. Because they see me out there in the parking lot, but we engage an awful lot of business in the parking lot, talking to parents, talking to kids, welcoming kids, especially during uncertain times. And... Paul Casey: Because you could delegate that, right? Bob Smart: Indeed. Paul Casey: You could say, "I don't want to be in that parking lot. The weather's crummy again today." But you choose to do that. Bob Smart: That's right. I choose to do that. And I think that's also part of my role is tone at the top. And demonstrating that welcoming, that assistance, that service, same thing at recess for our folks as well. Paul Casey: Tone at the top Tri-City influence listeners. Bob, flush that out a little bit more. Bob Smart: Well, I can espouse a variety of things. Paul Casey: Sure. Bob Smart: I can say, "Hey, it's really important for us to be outside, it's really important for us to greet people, it's really important for us to insert." But if I demonstrate that, that's so much more powerful. Meeting kids at the doorway, "How are you doing?" Especially now. Kids are scared, parents are scared. And having that opportunity. Also, when the principal is out in front of the building, as you well know, it is a certain reassurance. Paul Casey: Confidence builder. Bob Smart: Yeah. Plus we get to have a two minute conversation and if we scheduled a meeting, it would have been 30, 45 minutes. Paul Casey: So [crosstalk 00:23:29]. Are you saying it's an exit strategy for the long-winded people? Bob Smart: No, I wouldn't say that. Paul Casey: No, it's a lot of mini conversations... Bob Smart: It is. Paul Casey: ... That cumulatively turn out to be a culture. Bob Smart: Yeah. Paul Casey: And so you said, especially in these times. So let me take a quick side jont here by saying, what else is important in these uncertain times for leaders to do? You said to welcome them, be visible during this time. Any other strategies you're employing to try to help people deescalate some of these emotions? Bob Smart: Part of it is it's going to get better. And if you're not an optimist and looking forward with this, people are looking to leadership to, is it going to be okay? And it's going to be okay. We're going to get through this. We always do. And I think at some point Paul, it's ultimately love. It's really helping reassure folks and take care of people, that during really, really tough times. And in my line of work in schools, schools have a very important role in getting whatever stases and calm. Paul Casey: So as we try to balance people, because you're a people person with administrative tasks, you probably have to utilize some other people and who are stronger, where you might be a little weaker. So do you use your office staff, your administrative professionals to help you with that? Bob Smart: Well, we always have more work than we can possibly do. Paul Casey: Sure. Bob Smart: And I have to watch where I put what limited time I've got. Paul Casey: Yeah. Bob Smart: And I've got to be pretty focused on that. And I think you gave me an idea a long time ago. I still have it on my phone even. Paul Casey: No way. Bob Smart: Who can do this work? And every time... I don't make a lot of phone calls anymore, but I think about that. Because oftentimes that's a growth opportunity for somebody else that can do it. And then I can put whatever energies I have, into whatever I'm doing, whatever mischief I'm creating. Paul Casey: Yeah. Sometimes leaders have to be at the 30,000 foot level, sometimes at 15,000 feet. And today I think all of our listeners have got from you, you've got to be on the tarmac once in a while. Bob Smart: I think you're right. Yeah. I think that's true. Paul Casey: Well, some of our TCI listeners asked you, what two to three books or resources they must read, in order to grow their leadership skills. Where would you point them? Bob Smart: I would start off with Ron Heifetz's book, Leadership Without Easy Answers. And so that's from the Kennedy School of Government. And that was written a number of years ago, but he really sets up the arguments for a leader to understand what is happening on the dance floor below. Paul Casey: Yes. Bob Smart: And then the differentiating between a technical response and something else. Paul Casey: Adaptive. Right? Bob Smart: Exactly. Paul Casey: Is that the other one? Yeah. Bob Smart: Yeah. Paul Casey: I love that one. Bob Smart: So I just think, it is so powerful. It is really, really helped me think about my role as a leader. Paul Casey: Yeah. That's a good one. I use that, get up in the balcony and look on the dance floor. Bob Smart: That's right. Paul Casey: All the time I'd probably need to quote him, because I've totally stolen that. What's another resource that you'd point people to? Bob Smart: I like Drive by Daniel Pink and understanding that really at the end of the day, people are looking at self-direction. I think effective leaders create opportunities for folks to direct their work. And I think that's a powerful outcome. And I think that goes all the way back to what we're talking about, as far as if you care about people and helping them reach their goals. So that's a powerful work I like. The other one, is... And I think about it more often in the last year to 18 months, is Richard Swenson's work on Margin. Paul Casey: Yes. Bob Smart: I love that. Paul Casey: Yes. Bob Smart: And it's such an easy equation, but extremely difficult to do. Resources minus load equals margin. Paul Casey: Yes. Bob Smart: And what I find with leaders, is that we can operate in negative margin for a while and you would never redline your car. The engine's going to blow up. Well, not altogether different than that. So I think having conversations about margin, is really important in a longterm look at leadership. Paul Casey: Boy, you're the only other person I think that has mentioned that book... Bob Smart: Really? Paul Casey: ... In my life. Yes. I read it years ago in an administrative conference in Seaside, Oregon. I still remember when he came to speak and yeah, the whole load minus limits equals margin and you can't go into negative margin. Bob Smart: Yeah. Paul Casey: But our bodies were not meant to stay in overdrive for too long. He's got some good stuff on nutrition in there. This is years and years ago. But all the different ways that we need to build more white space into our day, to absorb the unexpected. I remember that phrase. Bob Smart: All those curves are the same. You can put all those curves together, whether it's nutrition or whether it's health, they all say the same thing. And my area of research is the principalship and rapid promotion and what happens. And the concern I have, is that the attrition rate for school principals is quite high, same as teachers. And it's alarming. And I think part of the answer has to do with having more honest conversations about margin. Paul Casey: So good. Well, finally Bob, what advice would you give to new leaders or anyone who wants to keep growing and gaining more influence? Bob Smart: We talked a little bit about this before. I would still make a list, but I'd be willing to chuck it in the first hour and be okay with that. Paul Casey: Oh no. You're giving me convulsions. Bob Smart: This is probably an overused cliche, but listen, learn and lead. I just think that's powerful. And I think it's okay to take some time to understand something, to really be in a position to where you can lead. And then finally, I think don't take yourself seriously. And I crack myself up all the time with the goofy things I do and that's okay. Paul Casey: Listen to learn to lead the three L's. Don't take yourself too seriously. These are great takeaways. Bob, how can our listeners best connect with you? Bob Smart: Well, I'm in the land of The Dragons at Southgate Elementary and where every day is the dragonrific day and pretty easy to get ahold of. And so... Paul Casey: Thank you so much for all you do to make Tri-Cities a great place and keep leading well. Let me wrap up our podcast today with a leadership resource to recommend. This past year have gotten certified in the EIQ, which is the Emotional Intelligence Quotient assessment. And so it assesses you in three areas, self-recognition, social recognition, self-management and social management. So for 60 bucks, you could take this assessment. Paul Casey: I'd be happy to debrief it with you. You can do a retreat for your team on it and to do a group debrief, so that the entire organization, or your entire leadership team, can raise the emotional intelligence level, which is one of the best leadership pursuits you could have for your professional development this year. Paul Casey: Again, this is Paul Casey. I want to thank my guest, Bob Smart from Southgate Elementary, land of The Dragons, for being here today on Tri-Cities Influencer Podcast. And we want to thank our TCI sponsor and invite you to support them. We appreciate you making this possible, so we can collaborate to inspire leaders in our community. Paul Casey: Finally, one more leadership tidbit for the road, to help you make a difference in your circle of influence. Milton Berle said, "If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door." Till next time KGF, Keep Growing Forward. Speaker 2: Thank you to our listeners for tuning in to today's show. Paul Casey is on a mission to add value to leaders, by providing practical tools and strategies, that reduce stress in their lives and on their teams, so that they can enjoy life and leadership and experience their key desired results. Speaker 2: If you'd like more help from Paul in your leadership development, connect with him at growingforward@paulcasey.org, for a consultation that can help you move past your current challenges and create a strategy for growing your life or your team forward. Speaker 2: Paul would also like to help you restore your sanity to your crazy schedule and getting your priorities done every day, by offering you his free control mind calendar checklist. Go to www.takebackmycalendar.com for that productivity tool, or open a text message 272000 and type the word grow. Paul Casey: Tri-Cities Influencer Podcast was recorded at Fuse SPC by Bill Wagner of Safe Strategies

Dr Richard Swenson, physician, physicist and best selling author of More Than Meets The Eye - Fascinating Glimpses of God's Power and Design, describes the wonders of the human body, eye, ear and brain.

How can we find real peace? Physician, futurist and author Richard Swenson's work focuses on what he calls, “cultural medicine.” I’d never heard of that. He researches the intersection of health and culture. He looks at how culture impacts our mental, emotional, our psychological, and even our physical health. Interestingly, he wrote these words well before this current pandemic came along. Listen to what he says, “People have always been stressed.” He said, “It’s simply part of living this life.” He says, “There’s always been change to cope with. There have always been economic problems, and people have always battled depression. It’s the nature of life to have its ups and downs. So, why all the fuss?” He said, “I’m not the one making the fuss. I’m only writing about it. I’m only being honest about what I see all around me. I sit in my examining room and I listen to people. Then I report what I hear. And, I can tell you,” he says. “Something is wrong. People are tired and frazzled. People are anxious. People are depressed. People don’t have time to heal anymore.” This is interesting. He says, “There’s a psychic instability in our day that prevents peace from implanting itself very firmly in the human spirit. And, despite the skeptics,” he says, “this instability is not the same old nemesis recast in a modern role.” He says, “Something has changed.” And, I find that phrase, psychic instability, to be a good term for what’s going on in people’s lives. I’ve heard from two different news sources that at least a third of the people in our country, right now, are having real mental health issues. And, you know, I believe that that’s true. So, what I’d like to do is drill down and get to the heart of this issue. Because it strikes me that this Coronavirus has really shattered our assumptions that our world is safe and it’s well under control, that we have things under control. This is one of the reasons I believe that nations, particularly our nation, has drifted away from God; we feel secure. We don’t really need Him. But when we do this without recognizing it, we are throwing open the door for fear to infiltrate our lives. Why is that?

In this episode, we'll talk about how overload—living life without margins—is destroying men. We'll talk about why this is a bad thing, what environmental factors lead to this condition, and what it does to a man's health, hormones, and legacy.We'll also talk about real world strategies for avoiding burnout, crushing overload, and living a more fruitful, meaningful, and enjoyable life.Notes:  Overload Syndrome, Richard Swenson. Margin, Richard Swenson. Essentialism, Greg McKeown. Rest, Alex Soojung-Kim Pang.

In this episode, we'll talk about how overload—living life without margins—is destroying men. We'll talk about why this is a bad thing, what environmental factors lead to this condition, and what it does to a man's health, hormones, and legacy. We'll also talk about real world strategies for avoiding burnout, crushing overload, and living a more fruitful, meaningful, and enjoyable life. Notes: Overload Syndrome, Richard Swenson. Margin, Richard Swenson. Essentialism, Greg McKeown. Rest, Alex Soojung-Kim Pang.BECOME A PATREON SUPPORTER!!!Hard Men Facebook Page.Eric Conn on Twitter.Subscribe to the Hard Men Newsletter.

In this episode, we’ll talk about how overload—living life without margins—is destroying men. We’ll talk about why this is a bad thing, what environmental factors lead to this condition, and what it does to a man’s health, hormones, and legacy. We’ll also talk about real world strategies for avoiding burnout, crushing overload, and living a more fruitful, meaningful, and enjoyable life. Notes:  Overload Syndrome, Richard Swenson. Margin, Richard Swenson. Essentialism, Greg McKeown. Rest, Alex Soojung-Kim Pang.

Ruthless Pursuit “Just Stop” Luke 4:14-16 & Mark 2:23-28   What do you want most out of life?  Unlimited desire + finite humanity = restlessness   “You have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”- Augustine  Stopping for Sabbath rest:  (Luke 4:14-16) 1) It all begins with God. (Genesis 1:1) a.    God works (1:3-26) and God rests (2:1). b.    The first thing God makes holy is a period of time. (2:1-3)   2) Sabbath rest is about the journey of life God wants for you. (Exodus 16) a. Sabbath rest requires anticipation and intentionality. (vs. 21-23) b. Sabbath rest is more about imitating God than following rules. (vs. 24-27)   “Rest yourself before you wreck yourself.” – Kevin DeYoung, Crazy Busy 3) Sabbath rest is about resting in Christ. (Mark 2:23-28) a. It’s more than physical rest.  It is spiritual rest for believers. (Hebrews 4:1-3a) b. It is about trusting God. (Psalm 46:10)   “Fortunately for us, God breaks into our work and says, “OK, good job. Now it’s time to rest. Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on the universe.” - Richard Swenson, The Overload Syndrome   4) How do you practice Sabbath? a. Pick a time. (Genesis 1) b. Prepare for that time. (Exodus 16) c. Fill that time. (Mark 2) d. Protect that time. (Psalm 46)   Final Thought:  What we make room for in our life shows what we value most in our hearts.  Make room for Sabbath.

Meet Tommy Thompson Tommy Thompson is an accomplished entrepreneur, executive coach, and passionate teacher whose heart is to impact people for good and for God. After more than thirty years of owning and leading a wide variety of companies, Tommy is now an active blogger, executive coach, and consultant, while also leading a mentoring ministry at his church. You talk and write a lot about margin, can you tell us a little about what you mean about margin and why it's important? This is kind of become a cornerstone of almost how the lens that I look at all of life through these days and really for the last 30 years, and came out of a time in my life when I was completely overloaded running four businesses, volunteering at church on about five different angles, raising a family. And I was completely exhausted and overloaded and came across a book by Richard Swenson called “Margin”. And it began to just change my life. And he defines margin as the gap between our load and our limits. And my whole mind frame in life had been we always run all the way to our capacity or over our capacity. And I never realized until I read that book, that life is better when we have margin just like a margin in a book, I would never consider taking the words all the way to the very edge of the page, it would make it terrible reading if you did that. So margin became the way I looked at relationships that became the way I looked at business, became the way I framed faith, all different areas of life. So in all of these areas, margin, creating some space, where we can breathe, becomes a critical way of looking at life. And I think it can even impact organizations and even the concept of networking. So how does the presence or absence of margin affect relationships? This is probably one of the biggest areas that it impacts. And all we have to do is to kind of think of how we act. And when we're exhausted, when we're completely overloaded, when we're stressed out, the first victim of us operating that way is our relationships. Most particularly our close relationships, we’re usually terrible with our spouse when we're overloaded and stressed out. And so beginning to create margin in the various places and spheres of our life. The first benefit of it is our relationships begin to breathe. And we begin to have better relationships at home, with our spouse, with our children, with our best friends. And then it even leaks into our relationships at work, when we become better people and everybody benefits from it. So relationships are kind of a key place. And also a key victim of the fact that our culture just operates in absolute high speed with no margin, overloaded, and thinking that's the best way of operating and our relationships are suffering because of that. What difference does creating space make in organizations? I don't think creating space is just so that we have a nice, easy life. I think part of the reason for this is so that we can be purposeful and more effective in the things that we do. And so I coach and consult with some decent size operations, as well as having run a half dozen companies over 30 years. And what I've found is, as I create space, in my own life margin, that I reflect better, I plan better, the organization's run more smoothly, than if we are always in this hyper productivity mode. It feels important on the surface, but it's not the way organizations run the best. So taking the extra time to create a good strategic plan, taking the extra time to plan, a marketing campaign. Those things are things that have gone by the wayside because we think we're supposed to move fast. So I've learned that helping organizations and the leaders of organizations live a more spacious life actually improves the performance of those organizations. I thrive off of that constant demand. Does that change when you've established space? It changes, but not immediately. I mean, the problem, one of the reasons I think that so many people operate with no margin and over capacity is because it feeds their ego, and it feeds their identity. And so it takes a little while to let go of some of that and to actually operate with a different paradigm, and to say, it's okay, for me to not always look like I'm busy. It's okay, even for me as a CEO, or as a leader to be reading a book during working hours. That's not a bad thing to do, or to be sitting quietly in my office planning where the company's going to go. But our insecurities get in the way. And so it takes a while to push against that. And to begin to create a little bit of a different culture in our companies that doesn't always reward this artificial sense of busyness. Can you share with our listeners one of your favorite networking experiences that you've had? I may not be your typical guest on this because I could put on a persona of being an extrovert. But at core, I'm an introvert, and initiating is something that's uncomfortable to me. So over the years of being in business, I've had to figure out how can I do this networking thing, which I completely believe in and know is critical, but do it in a way that works with who I am personally. So for me, interestingly enough, I've used writing, which I like doing both by blogging and writing a book and in a variety of ways, as a networking tool. One of my early kind of successes was taking the uncomfortable step of taking the blog that I write, and starting to post it on LinkedIn and Instagram and just put it out into thin air, and nobody's paying any attention to it. But after about a month or two of that, I had someone reach out to me that I knew distantly, and say, well, I'm kind of interested in some of the things that you're writing about, could we get together and talk about how you might be able to help my company, both coaching, consulting, and that connection has created two of the most meaningful engagements that I have both in terms of executive coaching and consulting for two significantly growing companies. And it's not your typical way of doing networking. But for an introvert that hates to reach out and initiate doing that type of networking is consistent with me. And I found that it still creates that kind of net benefit that we look for in networking. How do you nurture your network? I would answer that two ways. The first is I find that I can nurture my network, if I'm honest about genuinely caring about the people that I'm reaching out to. If I'm dealing with the internal tension of thinking that I'm really only doing this, to create sales, or to create coaching engagements or consulting engagements, then that's going to come through. But if I choose to kind of approach my networking from the perspective of genuinely caring about people, then all of a sudden, everything starts to come through naturally. And that is where it also helps me to say, I'm going to be able to nurture my community, by writing, by sharing things that I'm learning, whether it's book reviews, or different things that I'm learning in my blogging, so it all kind of comes through in a consistent way, and a consistent way with my personality and my values, and that helps my community. What advice would you offer the business professional who's looking to grow their network? I think, for me, and maybe again, I'm kind of coloring all of this from my introverted personality, it's to network according to your personality and according to your values. If you can begin to build a framework for networking, that is comfortable for you, whether you're an introvert or extrovert, whether you're really funny or whether you're really serious, and you can be authentic to who you are, and create a framework around that, then I think networking works for virtually anyone. Let's go back to your 20-year-old self, what would you tell yourself to do more of, less of, or differently with regards to your professional career? I love thinking about that. I think what I would tell myself is to discipline my networking. I think for too many years, I took the easy path of saying, I'm an introvert, I'm not good at networking. And I kind of pawned it off and didn't do this. And interestingly my son taught me something about this. He's an introvert too. And when he was just entering college, I told him kind of, as we were just sitting around talking one night, I said, Chris, if you could just make the practice, the discipline, when you go back to college of networking, with one of your professors, one time each week, it would change your path. Little did I know is that he would take me seriously. And he went back to school. And he began meeting with his professors. And the benefits to him were huge in terms of the networking that he did, and the connections and where that led him to in terms of some of his past. But I didn't take that advice myself when I was 20 years old. I took the easy path. So I would have loved to have told myself, look, I know this is uncomfortable, but set up one lunch a week with someone you want to get together with. And that would have catapulted me in ways that took a lot longer. We've all heard of the six degrees of separation, who would be the one person that you'd love to connect with? And do you think you can do it then the six degree? I had to think about who it is that I would want to connect to and as soon as I did that, I realized It's probably only a couple degrees off in terms of separation. So one of my favorite communicators, that I know of, in business or in any venue is Andy Stanley, who is the pastor of North Point Community Church. But he's also this amazing leadership guru, he has several massive podcasts. And he's just a phenomenal communicator. And I've loved listening to him and reading his books and learning from him. And I realized, kind of by your question on this, that he's only a couple steps away from getting to meet him, and getting to know him a little bit. He's a Pastor out of Atlanta, and I have some connections in LA and Atlanta, that are connected with his church, and so probably not too far down the road. Do you have any final words or advice for our listeners with regards to growing and supporting your network? I would just really encourage people to take a few minutes away from kind of the busyness and think about out the ways they might go about networking that are in sync with who they are. I've just been strong believer in that we do far too little reflecting. And because of that, we end up with shallow answers. As you know and feel that networking is too important for shallow answers. So I think taking a little time to step back and say, how do I really want to do this in a way that's consistent and authentic with me, is a worthwhile use of a few minutes. How to connect with Tommy Website: https://tommythompson.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_tommythompson/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/tommypthompson/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommy-thompson-teacher/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TommyThompsonAuthor/

In this episode Brett and Lyn Johnson talk about the need for Margin, in reference to the book on Margin and meeting the author, Dr. Richard Swenson. Essentially the term Margin means getting rid of clutter so we can have the life we want. It is time to embrace prayer, thinking, creativity and to be with friends. Connect with Brett Johnson on social media: Facebook Instagram Twitter LinkedIn Visit brettjohnson.biz for articles, devotionals and more.

In the late 80s, police were dispatched to investigate why thousands of VHS cassettes were scattered on highways around Jackson, Mississippi. That started a series of events that threatened the most powerful people in town and ended a mom and pop business. Without margin, small businesses—including small law firms—can't survive.   Episode Resources Connect with Mike Whelan https://www.lawyerforward.com/ The Cost of Law by Gillian Hadfield: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2333990  Margin by Richard Swenson: http://www.richardswenson.com/margin

In this episode, Lisa shares share a very important concept that she learned in 2004, that transformed the way she works: Margin. Thanks to Dr. Richard Swenson’s book, Margin Lisa developed awareness of the ways she lived without margin. What is margin all about? Well, it's essential and we take it for granted. And in this day and age, it's absolutely a measure that needs to be paid attention to. Lisa dives deep into educating her listeners as to why we need to keep our eyes open to the various Margins in our own work, life and faith.  Lisa reads from Romans 12:1-2 The Message … "So here's what I want you to do. God helping you. Take your everyday ordinary life, you're sleeping, eating, going to work and walking around life and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” Bottom line:God is on your side. You're going to be changed from the inside out when you don’t let yourself become so well-adjusted to the culture around you which expects you to work beyond your capacity and live outside your margins. Just say no! If you are living within your margins, you have extra to give to those you love and care about, your people, your family, the community, and to others that might come across your path. Having margin will change your life.  Lisa’s word of encouragement: “ When we go outside our margin, we get sick. Leave room for growth, and health and over-all wellbeing - but most importantly - take time to focus on God and your spiritual growth." References mentioned in this Episode:Dr. Richard Swenson Question and answer opportunity: What do you hope is the outpouring of your heart to those around you? How will having more margin allow you to serve those you lead?  _______________________________________________________________Be sure to sign up on Lisa’s email list at lisalewiscoaching.com and connect with her on social media: InstagramFacebookLinkedIn If you’re ready to take the next step in your personal transformational leadership development, click here to schedule a 20 minute complimentary coaching conversation with Lisa. 

Matt reflects on the recent violence and the inability to combat it without a margin-focused life.The Four Principles in the Pursuit of MarginPermenanceDiscoveryGratitudeGenerosityPlease consider supporting this podcast:Give monthly (as little as $5 a month) on our Patreon Page - https://www.patreon.com/ltrGive a one time gift through Venmo at @mattboettgerGive a one time gift through PayPal here - https://paypal.me/mattboettgerThings Discussed In Episode:Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely - https://amzn.to/36Pc7YKThe Oz Principle by Roger Coners - https://amzn.to/3drWjO0Margin by Richard Swenson - https://amzn.to/2ZUvs9DThe Good Samaritan Study - http://faculty.babson.edu/krollag/org_site/soc_psych/darley_samarit.htmlWant more information on Matt's Living the Real method and 3-M framework? - https://www.livingthereal.com/Please click the link above to sign up for his newsletter and get information about upcoming releases such as his upcoming FREE mini course on living a margin-focused life.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/ltr)

A recording of our Sunday School class from May 31, 2020, focusing on Chapter 11 of Dr. Richard Swenson's book, "More Than Meets The Eye: Fascinating Glimpses of God's Power and Design." The chapter is titled, "Time, Space and Light." This lesson was taught by Dr. Wesley Fryer. Lesson slides are available via Google Slides. A recorded video version is also available on YouTube. Learn more about this class and access additional resources on followjesus.wesfryer.com.

Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Play in new window | Download“Make margin in your life, or life will make margin for you.” –Chuck, from a federal prison cellNo one stops to think. These five words, spoken over two thousand years ago,1 have the potential to change your life more than any others. These five words are the headwaters from which a single idea is found, an idea that might be the universal narrow gate through which all like-hearted apprentices of the Kingdom of God must travel if we are to recover the Gospel in our age. Having nothing to do with COVID-19 or a pandemic, we find ourselves in an unprecedented time in the history of humanity in a wholly other respect. Thankfully, every unprecedented challenge comes with its own unprecedented possibility and particular provision, for such a time as this. Join me as we risk going after the deeper things of God and his Kingdom together. Below, you'll find resources referenced in the podcast that will help you dive deeper. There is a revolution being seeded around the globe. It's a revolution of the human heart. It's taking hold. This is our hour. Let's go. For the Kingdom, Linear vs. Exponential Growth Curve Human Function Curve 1Isaiah 44:19a NIV Reflections Questions: 1. Observe the current condition of the space that exists in your life between your load and your limits. What does this reveal, through your actions, about what you believe about margin? 2. Notice what has happened to your attention and your affection...      over the last year      over the last five years      over the last decade 3. What if this life we find ourselves in is not normal? Notice your capacity for adaptation. How has it been a blessing? How has it been a hindrance? Margin by Richard SwensonThe Overload Syndrome by Richard SwensonHurtling Toward Oblivion by Richard Swenson

Does the day-to-day task of managing your bookkeeping feel overwhelming as a photography business owner?In episode 384 of the Bokeh Podcast, Tanya Hirschy of Tidy Books Boutique offers three steps to organize and simplify your bookkeeping. If you're ready to maintain your books, learn the responsibilities of a bookkeeper and an accountant, and prepare your finances for the rest of the year, listen in to this episode!The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Wedding and Portrait Photographer. You can also subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, follow on Spotify, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.Customer Experience: Show empathy with your clients. (2:46)Brand Position: Bookkeeping for the profitable photographer, because you have better things to do. (5:32)Technique for Time: When I’m working, I’m working. When I’m not, I’m not. Plan out all of the work you’ll be doing. (9:43)Technique for Time Book: Deep Work by Cal Newportbokehbookshelf.comBook Recommendations: (13:07)Margin by Richard Swenson - bit.ly/bp-marginThe Business Boutique by Christy Wright - bit.ly/bp-businessboutiqueOutsourcing/Delegation: Has a team of bookkeepers and a virtual assistant. (14:40)Bookkeeping vs Accounting (23:42)Three Steps to Simplify Bookkeeping: (34:06)1. Know the goals of bookkeeping (tax ready, strategy, and growth) (34:13)2. Research & get organized (35:41)3. Develop a workflow and stick to it. (42:31)The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman - personalmba.comHow Tidybooks Helps BusinessesLinkstidybooksboutique.cominstagram.com/tidybooksboutiqueQuickbooks - quickbooks.intuit.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dr. Mark Harrod, Bryce Ballard, and Dane Bundy tackle important questions regarding contentment:What's a biblical definition of contentment? What does Scripture say about contentment?Is discontentment ever a good thing? What about ambition? Does contentment rule it out? How do we become content with what we have? Special Guest: Dr. Mark Harrod Mark has served as the Senior Pastor of Trinity Baptist Church since October 1995. His passions are the proclamation and teaching of God's Word; and helping people grow as followers of Jesus Christ. He is a graduate of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Carson-Newman College. He's taught Bible for many years at Providence Academy. Mark and his wife Jodie have 3 children.Recommended resource: Contentment by Dr. Richard Swenson

Margin book https://www.amazon.com/Margin-Restoring-Emotional-Financial-Overloaded/dp/1576836827 Man Vs. Horse (Radiolab) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/man-against-horse/id152249110?i=1000460947415 Vice: Darkside of the ring. Chris Benoit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkUsAztC4Xc Songs to cook by: OK-Kirk Franklin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nzr-TsrIeNc --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/tyler-paul-wolfe/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/tyler-paul-wolfe/support

This is a recording of Dr. Wesley Fryer's Sunday School lesson on April 5, 2020, for our class, "Curiosity and Questions: Jesus and Science." We are continuing our study of Dr. Richard Swenson's book, "More Than Meets The Eye: Fascinating Glimpses of God's Power and Design," and this week highlighted Chapter 5 which is titled, "Cell, Genes, and DNA." The slides for this presentation are available along with a video version of this recorded presentation on followjesus.wesfryer.com/media. The video we watched in class has been removed from the recorded video and this audio-only recording. Check it out on YouTube: "Your Body's Molecular Machines" (6 min, 20 sec) by Derek Muller (@veritasium). We were not able to get to the neo-coronavirus slides and video in this presentation, so those were postponed until our next class on April 12th.

This is a recording of the lesson portion of our adult Sunday School class on March 29, 2020. The title of today's lesson was, "More Than Meets the Eye:'The Brain and Nervous System - Part 2." Our focus Bible verse today was Romans 8:8-11. We are continuing to read and study Dr. Richard Swenson's 2000 book, "More Than Meets The Eye: Fascinating Glimpses of God's Power and Design" in our Sunday School class, "Curiosity and Questions: Faith and Science" at First Presbyterian Church of Edmond, Oklahoma. Slides for today's lesson are available. These and other resources related to our class are shared publicly on: followjesus.wesfryer.com

Cynthia Marquez: "Sometimes to begin a new story, you have to let the old one go." Author unknown. I am Cynthia Marquez and I am a Tri-City influencer. Paul Casey: But really this is the core philosophy of what I teach in time management, and that is manage your time around your values and vision. This is your foundation for everything else in time management. Speaker 3: Raising the water level of leadership in the Tri-Cities of Eastern Washington, it's The Tri-Cities Influencer Podcast. Welcome to the TCI Podcast, where local leadership and self leadership expert Paul Casey interviews local CEOs, entrepreneurs and nonprofit executives, to hear how they lead themselves and their teams so we can all benefit from their wisdom and experience. Here's your host, Paul Casey of Growing Forward Services, coaching and equipping individuals and teams to spark breakthrough success. Paul Casey: Hey, thanks for joining me for today's episode. It's going to be a bonus episode. I'm going to do a little teaching today on work-life balance and hopefully it'll be beneficial to you if you struggle with having a hard time drawing that healthy line between your work and personal life. So we'll dive in after checking in with our Tri-City Influencer sponsors. Speaker 4: The C12 Group is a national organization focused on spiritual and professional development of Christian CEOs and business owners. Members participate in professionally facilitated monthly meetings during which 12 experienced Christian CEOs exchange ideas to solve business issues biblically. Additionally, members receive a 90-minute personal coaching session each month. Information is available from Tom Walther at 715-459-9611 or online at c12easternwa.com. Paul Casey: Thank you for your support of leadership development in the Tri-Cities. Nathan Margalit is a rabbi and Jewish scholar. In a recent blog he said, "Humans are unique. We can choose to ignore rhythm. We can and do keep our factories running day and night. We try to fool hens into laying more eggs by keeping the lights on 24 hours at a time. With every new pad, pod and phone, we push ourselves into 24/7 connectedness. We have created a culture that is built on the metaphor of a machine impervious to any rhythm other than the drone of production. In the name of progress, convenience and even freedom, but most of all profits, we have lost the music of life." Paul Casey: It's sort of a sad reflection that oftentimes we just keep pushing, pushing, pushing and we don't take the time to rest. We don't take the time for those other priorities in our life that we really need. So, instead of achieving balance in your life, which I sort of believe doesn't really exist. I mean, work-life balance is sort of this thing that if you really went after it, you probably would achieve it for five minutes and then you'd be out of balance again. I like the phrase work-life rhythm a lot better, or now one that's more in vogue is work-life integration. Paul Casey: So you can think to yourself, when do you feel like you are ever in a good rhythm? Can you just reflect on that for a moment? When do you feel like you're in a good rhythm? What's going on in your life? Maybe what's not going on in your life during that time? That would be a good place to connect with as we go into this podcast episode. Paul Casey: I went to a seminar years ago by a guy named Wayne Cordeiro and he was discussing a terrible time in his life where he was completely burned out. If you've ever been burned out before, you know it's a rotten time where you just barely can get out of bed, you have trouble with even remembering what your favorite color is. I mean, it's just sort of a dead time. He actually checked himself into a monastery and had to put away all of his technology, he couldn't check his cell phone or his laptop and it almost drove him insane. He said he only snuck out one night from the monastery, but it was a real healing time for him after this burnout time. And he said work-life balance is not a thing. That's where I've sort of gotten this from. Paul Casey: And so I have actually developed a tool for time management, my framework for time management as a result of this seminar by Wayne Cordeiro, because he drew a picture of a teeter totter, if you remember that playground implement, which now is probably considered illegal. It seems like all the things we grew up with on the playground are now considered unsafe, but the teeter totter, the classic thing where you put one person and one on the other side and you go up and down. Paul Casey: If you put work on one side and you put balance on the other side of that teeter totter and you're really working for that balance, you're probably not going to get to it or just for a little bit, you might get to it. But he said instead of thinking work and life and trying to balance those two instead, think of just the fulcrum part. Fulcrum is like that triangle that separates the two sides of the teeter totter. If you decide to shift the fulcrum left or right towards work or towards life, instead of thinking about balancing it, it's going to be a lot more fluid in your life. So sometimes based on the urgency or importance of what's going on in the arena, on your life, you have to move that fulcrum fluidly to direct your energy appropriately. Sometimes when you have to spend more time in your life area because you've had a parent who might have to go into assisted living or maybe your child has the flu and because of that you've got to spend more time at home dealing with the personal issues. Paul Casey: Other times you have to spend more time in the work area of your life. You've got a deadline for a key client or that your ramped up season of the year and you've got to work some overtime. Now, you just push that fulcrum left or right and that's going to help you more with that work-life rhythm, that work-life integration instead of balance. Now, if you spend too much time of course on that one area of your life for too long, then of course you know what's going to happen. It's going to dry up the other area of your life. That's going to get empty and decay would set in. If your spouse is forgotten for too long and a rift becomes evident, you're not putting enough time there, or maybe you're not putting enough time in at work, you're not following up with your customers and they start to slip away as a consequence. Paul Casey: Basically, you can't stay in overdrive mode for too long or you will burn out. So what is one of the main practical solutions to achieve work-life balance or work-life rhythm? I think one where I'd like to talk about today is the word boundaries. Boundaries allow you to move the fulcrum where you determine what needs to be moved right now, to have a hard stop at the end of a quality and a productive workday so that you can be fully present at home. So that you can give 100% at work knowing that your tank and your family's tank, your energy tank has been filled up at home. To be able to embrace this time block or this season of life that you're in without longing for the other time block or the other season of life. I want to give you some tips today on how to set up boundaries so you can move the fulcrum intentionally. Paul Casey: The first one is to figure out what's most important to you. Figure out what's most important to you. So you've got to reconnect with who you are and who you're not of course. What you have to offer and what you really want. That's the key coaching question, is, what do you want? So that you're crystal clear and you can live that out day after day. I recommend you do a personal retreat to get to solitude and reflection in order to really wrestle with this. You're like, "Well, I know who I am." Yeah, but really do you? Have you lost touch with that over time? Have you changed over time and it's like, "Now I've got to get back to grounded-ness. Who am I really? What do I really stand for?" What you could do is this time of solitude, whether it's a couple hours or a half day, or maybe go off to the mountains or the beach so you've got a whole day or two to think about this, is you can try to come up with a personal mission statement. Paul Casey: I have a personal mission statement and it's to add value to people through equipping, encouraging words, servant leader actions and a contagious passion to honor God with my life. So I've said that enough times that it's memorized and I use it as a filter for my life and how I came up with that mission statement. It's sort of a combination of some exercises that I went through. Can't remember if they were with a coach or just, I did these on my own, sort of self-life coaching here. It's a combination of the values and by the way, I can send a sheet of values to you if you'd like to go through some of these exercises, just email me at growingforward@paulcasey.org and I'd be happy to send you that value sheet. Paul Casey: What you do is you go through this whole activity where you narrow it down to the things that are totally you and then you get down to the top 10 and then you get down to the top five that you'd practically die for those. I mean, they are so important to you and everybody around you would know it from watching your life that those five things, it could be family, it could be your faith, it could be growth, it could be happiness or trust. Some people have written in other words on the chart like accountability, love and affection. These are your DNA and you must live in congruence with those values in order to be successful in life. So that's a worthwhile exercise even if you're not doing a personal mission statement. A second exercise you could do is some type of strengths assessment. Paul Casey: I recommend StrengthsFinder, which I think is now called CliftonStrengths and you can either buy the book StrengthsFinder 2.0 and there's a link in the book, a code that you put in online to take the online assessment or you can just go to the CliftonStrengths website and you can take the 20 minute strengths assessment. I think it costs about 20 bucks and it's worth doing that because it's going to spit out your top five strengths and you're just going to go, "Whoa, that's like someone's reading my mail." I mean they're usually totally you because there's 34 of them and it's not just like four. There's 34 and when they narrow it down to your top five, it usually hits right on. You don't have to spend the money on that. You could just simply think about as you go through your day. Paul Casey: Marcus Buckingham, who's sort of the father of the strengths' movement, he uses the acronym sign SIGN. S is success, what do you feel effective at most of the time? And other people around you validate that they're saying, "You're so good at that." You've probably been told that for many, many years and that would meet the first criteria of a strength. The I stands for instinct. There's just something inside of you that naturally leans toward it and you look forward to it. So, I might be good at math, so I might say I'm pretty good at math, but I don't like math. So that's not something I actually look forward to. So in this criterion it would be ruled out. So, success, then instinct is the I, G is growth. Growth means time speeds by while you're doing it. Like you're doing it for a while and you start getting engrossed in and you get in that state called flow and you look up two hours later and like, Oh my goodness, the day just slipped away from me cause I like it so much. Paul Casey: And then the N in sign is needs. That means you're tired when you're done with it but you're not drained. For instance, when I do speaking or coaching, I'm tired at the end of the day because I've given it all that I have, but I'm not drained because I love doing this. I feel like I'm put on this planet to fulfill that role. And hopefully you do too with your job. So really be mindful of what you love doing and since Buckingham, as a Brit, he says what you loathe doing. So, the things that make you feel strong throughout the day, the things that make you feel weak or drained or bored, you can just track these things. Just have a piece of paper by your desk and then you'll have a list after a couple of weeks of writing these specific things down and I encourage you to tell that, debrief that with somebody else. Paul Casey: The third thing that would go into your personal mission statement would be your vision for your life and it can be the ultimate vision for your life or it could be just like the one year vision out, like how do you want to be different than one year from now? It could be your big dream that you've always had and it just, you try to shake it off but it still sticks to you and it's like you find yourself talking about it when you're out for coffee with friends or when somebody says, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" You just keep uttering the same dream. It's something you're really passionate about and a passion actually as part of the root word of passion is you would suffer for it. So, maybe there's a degree that you would suffer for that cause if you were to pursue it. Paul Casey: So you've got, in order to put a mission statement together, you've got values, your strengths and your vision for your life. Another thing to think about when you're in solitude, maybe on a personal retreat, is the amount of margin you have to have to function optimally. We don't want you to burn out, right? That's what this whole work-life rhythm is about. And so we have to have enough margin or cushion of time in our life to keep our energy level up. So, margin is a concept that was developed by a guy named Richard Swenson. He was a doctor and he defines margin as your load minus your limits. So all the things that are on your plate versus the amount of energy and time that you have. And some of us have actually more load than limits. And so we can actually be a negative margin and that's when we really get irritated and we get close to burnout. We can have like zero sum margin where they're equal. But hopefully we have enough margin where there's some cushion time to absorb the unexpected in our life. Paul Casey: Part of boundaries is acknowledging that you have limited time, that you have limited energy and you have to determine how accessible you want to and how you actually can be. So we have to say yes, we have to say no on a daily basis to all the things that are clamoring for our time. Choose carefully who not if you will disappoint on an average day. I'll say that again. Choose carefully who, not if, you will disappoint on a given day because you're always going to disappoint someone when you're saying no, but oftentimes that no is worth it because of the other priorities you're going to be able to give time to. Paul Casey: One more thing you could do on that personal retreat is to really get clear with your priorities. Stephen Covey calls those your big rocks, those big things that you put in your schedule first. Not just what you are conditioned to do, not just what's urgent and yelling at you to do, but those things that are so core to you, so important to you and they're often not urgent, but you know that if you don't give them attention, it's going to bite you later. And you know if you do do those things, you're going to move the needle on those relationships or on those projects. So you're sort of setting what normal is for you because when you're on the verge of burnout, you've lost touch with what that is. Hey, before we head into more teaching on work-life balance, let's shout out to our sponsors. Speaker 4: If you could trade one day each month for targeted application of biblical business practices, purposeful accountability and godly pure counsel, would you consider it a wise investment? The C12 group is a national organization focused on spiritual and professional development of Christian CEOs and business owners. Members participate in professionally facilitated monthly meetings where 12 experienced Christian CEOs exchange ideas to solve business issues biblically. Information is available from Tom Walther at 715-459-9611 or online at c12easternwa.com. Paul Casey: A second tip for you in work-life balance is to watch your gauges. Watch your gauges, so, your dashboard of your car has gauges or an airplane has gauges. Gauges are really important to see if we are in trouble, if anything is running a little bit hot or needs attention. Henry Cloud and John Townsend said in their boundaries book, "God wants us to take care of ourselves so that we can help others without moving into crisis ourselves." One speaker says, "Take care of your body like you're on a space shuttle headed on a long journey." Paul Casey: So, a gauge is something that runs a little bit hot, that's not you. Like you think when you do this thing you say, "Boy, that's not even me. Why did I do that?" It's things that get triggered in your life. Like for me, a trigger for me if I'm on the edge of burnout is when I start losing creativity. I've got ideas all the time. As an entrepreneur, I just love creating, coming up with new ideas and if I slowly, slowly go dark in my brain, have no ideas, I'm thinking, Uh-oh, something's wrong. That's a gauge for me when I don't have any ideas. That means, wow, I must be fried. Or another one of my triggers is balls getting dropped. Like someone's in a coffee shop and they texted me and go like, "Hey, so Paul, are you coming? I thought we were meeting over there at Barracuda's." I'm like, "Oh no. I didn't even get that into my calendar cause I was running so fast." So that tells me that I'm on the edge of burnout. Paul Casey: Maybe for you, you have consistently high energy and all of a sudden you're in this consistently low energy weather pattern in your life. Maybe you typically are a peaceful person and now you seem to be freaking out and having panic attacks or just anxiety way more often than you used to. That could be a signal that your gauge is running hot. Maybe you're typically a peaceful person and you can roll with the punches, but you've gotten angry and irritable more often than usual. Like, how quick is your trigger versus how much grace that you give or how much laughs that you share with people? Stress is informational. So when you're experiencing these things, it's your body and your spirit telling you that, Whoa, you've got to check those gauges. Paul Casey: You've got to get back and move that fulcrum over into the life side and pour back into yourself. So think about what is your gauge. You want to be able to be response-able, sort of like that word responsible, but put a hyphen between a response and able. We need to be able to respond to things without freaking out or without just going into the tank and going dark. So if you're redlining, redlining's a term that my trainer taught me many years ago, that's when I can barely breathe. For the next exercise she said, "You're redlining, go get some air outside." So if you're red lining in life, get back into a self care program, move that fulcrum urgently over to the life side or you will burn out and then you'll be no good for anyone because then you're just going to bleed all over everybody. And that's not going to help, especially if you're in leadership because leaders, they just don't have that privilege to be able to come into work and wreck everybody else's day. Paul Casey: Prolonged stress can become chronic unless steps are taken to eliminate the source or effectively manage that stress. Let me give you two more points. The third one is to filter each request for your time and every interaction through the boundary lens. Filter each request for your time and interaction through the boundary lens. Paul Casey: In other words, if you're strong and you're feeling strong in your life, you can offer it, but if you're depleted, you don't because then it might put you over the edge and like I said, then you'll bleed all over everybody. So you think about like is this a strong place that I can say yes to it, but if I'm feeling like I haven't taken care of myself for a while, then I would say no. One way you can do that is to truly say that you will think about it. So somebody says, 'Hey, Hey Paul, can you do this for me?' And everything inside me wants to yell out "Yes!" because I'm an opportunity person and I like to say yes to things, but I have to teach myself to insert the pause. Paul Casey: So there's stimulus instead of response. You go stimulus, you insert the pause and then you respond with, "Hey, can I think about that for a while?" Or maybe you ask a little bit more about their commitment level before I say yes and if safe, you know somebody might go like, "Well why? Why do you have to think about that?" Then you're going to say, "Because I need to run that through my filter. I need to see if I have enough margin." Most decisions are not urgent so if that person won't allow me to think about, then it's definitely a no. And I've had people call like, "Oh, hey okay. Well then you just think about it for a while." Paul Casey: So separate yourself a bit. Buy yourself some space and during this break,  stop, look and listen. Here's the three parts of stop, look and listen. So stop and think, do I want to do this or am I trying to please somebody else? Because pleasers, we struggle with that. What will I receive from my participation in this? Am I going to get, is this going to build my confidence level if I do that? If I agree to do this, will it continue to be rewarding or do I think over time it's going to become oppressive and then I'm going to start getting resentful? So the stop part is to stop and think. Paul Casey: The look part is to look at your commitments, all the other things that are on your plate and count the cost for this commitment. This one that's staring you in the face right now. Ask for clarification, like what really is the time commitment to this? Ask for more information so you can answer these other questions. So you stop and think, look at your commitments and count the cost and the listen part is to listen to your feelings. So oftentimes we're running so fast that we skip this step and if you're not a big feelings person, you're like, yeah, you sort of laugh this one off. But do you find yourself hesitating or hedging when you're thinking about saying yes to this? That could be your body saying like, Nope, don't go there. Paul Casey: Do you feel cornered or trapped into making a decision? That's probably another thing that you need to say no to. Do I feel a tightness somewhere in my body because often stress, there's biofeedback in your body that you feel a tightness in your shoulders or that sick feeling in your stomach or do you feel at your temples? That's probably a sign to say no. Do you feel a nervous reaction? Like you start tapping your pencil or you got your legs crossed and it's just going a mile a minute? That could be a warning signal that's coming from inside you that says you might need to rethink this decision. Paul Casey: Remember that you must take full responsibility for the choice once you make it. So you can't play the blame game once you say yes, because as it's been said, blame is to be lame. Put a hyphen between the B and the L. so to blame is to b-lame and nobody wants to be lame and there's a shortage of people who own their own issues, you've probably noticed that. So the quote for you to remember on this one is "Don't let your mouth overload your back." In other words, by saying yes too much, don't let it overload your capacity that you have available to you. So once you've done that, then you can make the decision without regrets. See, you've run it through all these filters that you have and then you can say yes or no. Mahatma Gandhi says, "A no uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a yes merely uttered to please or what is worse just to avoid trouble." Paul Casey: One more step. The fourth step of achieving work-life balance or rhythm is to have accountability partners who keep you true to yourself and your stated work-life balance. Have accountability partners. We need to draw on a power higher than ourselves to maintain good boundaries because if we just try to have that willpower, it's usually going to become won't power after a while. So we really need accountability partners. Have them ask you specific questions, where are you are the weakest and sometimes we want to avoid those questions because it's like, Oh, I don't want to answer that, but usually that's a really great question for us to rebuild that resolve to have boundaries. Check in regularly with that person or those people, rejoice together when you succeed and fail forward when you screw up. In other words, we're going to fail but we're going to fail in the right direction by saying, 'All right, I screwed up this time but I am not going to say yes to that next time." Paul Casey: So, good points here. Remembering to figure out what's most important to you, to watch your gauges, to filter each request through the boundary lens, and to have accountability partners who keep you true to yourself. What do you get as a result of this? Hey, there's some really good work-life payoffs and benefits. One is you're going to live with joy and not anxiety and who doesn't want more joy? Second is being good stewards of your time and your money. Third is working with excellence, not sideways energy. Fourth is to experience true community with people you care about and you're not just giving them the leftovers. Paul Casey: And fifth is you get to model this work-life balance for your children, for your friends and for your followers. Whether that's on social media or people that are following you at work and I'd be happy to email you these slides or my speaker notes, if you want to reach out to me at growingforward@paulcasey.org. But, I really hope that you will, we'll wrestle this down because, work-life rhythm is huge. Don't try to achieve balance, really try to move that fulcrum back or forth into seasons where it makes the most sense. Paul Casey: Let me wrap up our podcast today with a resource I'd like to offer you. And it is a goal setting tool. It's a pad of paper that has got 25 sheets and on the front it has you setting one very important goal for yourself and really making that both smart goal and a hard goal, which it says what those mean on there. You could even sketch the goal out on that front page. On the back page of each sheet is a storyboard tool, which breaks that big goal into six small steps. And you can put a deadline by that. You could put the resources needed by each one and it's amazing how by doing that storyboard, you're not going to get stuck along the way because you're going to know what the next step is and it's going to be in a bite size for you to tackle it and get more goals done this year than you ever had before. Paul Casey: So that goal setting tool is on my website, paulcasey.org or again, you can reach out to me through email. Again, this is Paul Casey and I have been happy to share with you about work-life rhythm today and we want to thank our TCI sponsors and invite you to support them. We appreciate you making this possible so we can collaborate to help inspire leaders in our community. Finally, one more tidbit for the road to help you make a difference in your circle of influence and it is a quote by Dorothea Brande and she says, "Envisioning the end is enough to put the means in motion." Until next time, KGF, keep growing forward. Speaker 3: Thank you to our listeners for tuning in to today's show. Paul Casey is on a mission to add value to leaders by providing practical tools and strategies that reduce stress in their lives and on their teams so that they can enjoy life and leadership and experience their key desired results. If you'd like more help from Paul in your leadership development, connect with him at growingforward@paulcasey.org for consultation that can help you move past your current challenges and create a strategy for growing your life or your team forward. Paul would also like to help you restore sanity to your crazy schedule and get your priorities done every day by offering you his free control my calendar checklist. Go to www.takebackmycalendar.com for that productivity tool or open a text message to seven two zero zero zero and type the word growing. Speaker 4: The Tri-Cities influencer podcast was recorded at Fuse SPC by Bill Wagner of Safe Strategies.

This is a recording of our online Sunday School class "Curiosity and Questions - Jesus and Science" on March 15, 2020. We discussed and highlighted Chapter 4 of Dr. Richard Swenson's book, "More Than Meets The Eye: Fascinating Glimpses of God's Power and Design." Slides for our lesson are available. Our "big question" for today was, "How can more scientific insights into our human brains inform our faith?" We read Psalm 105 as our focus Bible verses of the day. The two videos we watched together and discussed were: Brain 101 by National Geographic Jason Silva on Sleep from the National Geographic series, "Brain Games" All resources for our Sunday School class, "Curiosity and Questions: Jesus and Science" are available on: https://followjesus.wesfryer.com Contact Dr. Wesley Fryer on Twitter (@wfryer) or his electronic contact form. The video version of this class recording is also available on YouTube.

Today we will continue our topic on finding joy.  During the previous 2 weeks in episodes 16 and 17, we talked about the difference between happiness and joy. As you may recall, Jeff Spadafora in the book “The Joy Model” states that “differentiating joy from the term most often used interchangeably (and incorrectly) with joy: happiness.  Happiness is circumstantial. Joy, on the other hand, continues despite circumstances. I also talked about the model itself and how you need a balance between being and doing.  In review: Being - Who is God….Who am I? Doing - What should I do with my time, talent, treasure, temple, and tribe? The Joy Model is based on four quadrants with a vertical axis labeled as doing (what should I do with my time, talent, treasure, temple, tribe) and the horizontal axis labeled as being (Who is God, who am I). The bottom left square is “The frustrated believer”. The bottom right is labeled “The Heartless Hypocrite”. The top left is labeled “The Weary Worker”, and the top right is labeled “The Joyful Follower”.  As you may have figured out from the quadrant, moving to the top right is the goal and it requires a balance of being and doing.  Without the balance, focusing on being will lead you from a frustrated believer to a heartless hypocrite, where focusing only on doing will lead you from a frustrated believer to a weary worker. Integrating your being and your doing, knowing who you are and using your strengths and talents to add value to others, the community, and world which we live will bring joy. Today’s episode, number 18, we are going to take a deep dive into the “M” of the acronym, MASTER.  We will spend the entire episode on this because it is such a key ingredient in leading a joyful life.  The M is for margin.   Futurists back in the 50’s and 60’s predicted that with the advent of technology and other innovations that would free the human race from menial tasks, the average work week would be 24 hours, giving us unprecedented time for rest and relaxation.  So how has that bold prediction worked for us?  A Harris poll  indicated that the average time for leisure has shrunk by 37% since 1973, and the average workweek since that time has gone from 41 to 47 hours. In his excellent book, Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives, Richard Swenson, M.D. describes margin like this: Margin is the space between our load and our limits. It is the amount allowed beyond that which is needed. It is something held in reserve for contingencies or unanticipated situations. Margin is the gap between rest and exhaustion, the space between breathing freely and suffocating. How do we find margin?  If we look at efficiency, we just need to do what we are already doing faster. Building quality, realistic margin in your life isn’t so much about efficiency and time management as it is about exploring our personal values.  We must remember that saying yes to one thing always means saying no to something else.  If you don’t know what your values and priorities are, you will say yes to anything that looks like it could bring benefit to yourself and bring joy.  The problem is, what brings you lasting joy? Jeff Spadafora in “The Joy Model” says “There’s something one level deeper than our values that compels us to work so hard and overcommit ourselves.  It’s the False Self, which is rooted in fear, guild, comfort, pride, and/or greed and drives us to act in a way that we desperately hope will lead to the approval of others. He poses these questions to answer what is at the root of your business: “Is it fun, energizing activity and work that is a natural outflow of who you are and what you really believe in? Or is it driven by Fear Pride Jealousy Selfishness Greed Boredom The desire to impress others Low self-esteem” I know from working for many years for a large organization that many see business and rushing from one task to another as a badge of honor, but when you look hard at their accomplishments, they are really just running themselves ragged without accomplishing quality work. What I did see far too often is broken families and relationships, poor health, living for the weekend, and living for when they can retire.  That is not joy. It isn’t hard to find people or hear of people who boast (or complain) of long hours, little sleep, no breaks, and many may move up the career ladder.  But many of those people end up in crisis, which can happen at any point in your life. What about as we retire, shouldn’t we have margin then?  How many people retire and you hear them say they are busier than ever.  That’s OK if the business results in fun and energizing activities that are an outflow of who you are and what you believe.  But so many have things they want to accomplish in their encore life but keep repeating the phrase “I don’t know where the time went.”  They have goals and dreams for their encore life and they find themselves 6 months, 1 year, 5 years, or 10 years later still hoping to have time to accomplish them, and still are not experiencing joy. In an article by Lifehacker Magazine titled “Why You Need More Margin in Your Life (and How to Get it), they offer a few tips to help you find more margin.  They include: Get more sleep - 6.5 - 8 hours of sleep is needed by most people. Make that non-negotiable Take advantage of Pareto - The Pareto principle (also known as the 80/20 rule, the law of the vital few, or the principle of factor sparsity) states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. Focus on the 20% that gives you the best results and let some of the rest go.  We will talk more about the Pareto Principal in a future episode. Give yourself an extra 15 minutes more than you think to get places and accomplish things.  I am a master at underestimating how much time it takes to get places and do things. Find ways to limit time on social media - Yes, this one comes up again.  Take advantage of some of the new features like screen time on iPhones and iPads and make it a point to reduce social media time, even impose limits on yourself. They go on to say:”Margin has to be cultivated. Spend time every three months looking at your schedule and how you spend your time. Is there anything that can be removed? Are there 15 minute opportunities that you're missing? Are you using your down time to truly recharge? By being honest with yourself and ruthless about your priorities you can increase the likelihood that you stay happy and engaged at work and at home. The Bible says that King Solomon is the wisest and richest man to ever live.  Economic historians state that in terms of percentage of the worlds total wealth, King Solomon was wealthier than John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie combined.  For reference, Bill Gates and Warren Buffet don’t make the top 10 all time list.  King Solomon states in the Bible: Ecclesiastes 1:14 New International Version (NIV) 14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. I leave you with this action item.  Don’t chase after the wind, be still and listen to it for a moment as you consider what your values and priorities are and what one thing you can do to make more time for them.  Start by taking care of yourself. “As long as habit and routine dictate the pattern of living, new dimensions of the soul will not emerge” -Henry Van Dyke (Writer, Professor, Clergymen) Resources: How to Create More Margin in Your Life: Michael Hyatt Why You Need More Margin in Your Life: Lifehacker Half Time Institute: The Joy Model Bible Gateway Contact Craig

Hello everyone and welcome to episode 48 where today we start Season 3. It’s so good to be back! I’m generally a person who’s comfortable within my own skin. I’ve never been very good athletically. I’m OK with that. I’m not very good at fixing things. I like to say it’s because I don’t have the right tools. I never buy tools, and don’t accept them as gifts, because if I did, I couldn’t use that as an excuse for not being able to repair anything. Rather than tools, I have this principle I live by that if something’s broken, wait 2 weeks, and about 10% of the time the problem will fix itself. The one exception is with cars. Car problems rarely ever fix them self. Not too long ago, for example, I had a minor plumbing problem that I didn’t know to fix. So I waited, actually just overnight, and the next morning a solution came to mind that worked. I didn’t have to go looking for help. None of these personal deficiencies, and others like them, get me down. But there is one thing that does. One quality I lack that I am envious of others who have what’s missing in my life. I know there’s something like this in your life, too. Something you’d like to change about yourself, that you can’t. Something that’s missing that others have that you want for yourself. Listen in and I’ll tell you how I learned to work through this, because if I can work though it, you most certainly can, too. So here’s the story. I’ve always wanted to be a person who embraces music, especially to sing. But music has never been part of my life. Don’t listen to music on the radio or on my phone, except at Christmas Don’t go to concerts Don’t know how to sing, but always admired people who do Carol sings well. Heard her the other day from outside our ladies locker room down stairs. It was beautiful Her husband Terry has a terrific tenor voice that melts butter I’ve wanted that for my life, because in church, singing is at the heart of worship, and I want to worship God in a meaningful way But singing in church rarely does it for me. It rarely connects me with God There are moments when it does, however, when the singing of others will move me to tears. When I go to a performance of Handel’s Messiah each December, that connects me with God, through the singing of others. Many Christmas Carols connect me with God. Have 7+ hours of Christmas music on my phone. But it’s all about the singing of others, not my own. I was especially discouraged about all this until one day I came across Romans 12 in the bible I’ve read this passage numerous times before, but this time, starting in verse 4, I was amazed how the rest of chapter 12 was so relational. So many directives on how we are to relate to each other. It is so rich in relationship principles. To my way of thinking it’s the most relational passage of the bible. So steeped in how we can have better relationships. That was the last 17 verses of the chapter. But then I thought, what about the first 3 verses? Maybe I should look at those verses more closely because they provide the context for the rest of the verses that follow. And that’s when it hit me. The first 3 verses are about relationships, too. Several very deep relational truths there too. And the one that tipped it over the edge for me was the very first verse.  It’s where Paul writes “Therefore I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship.” And what follows this verse, all this relationship stuff, are examples of worship. Nothing at all is mentioned about music or singing. It’s all about how our relationships, when done the way God wants them done, is a means to worship and please him. This excited me. This discovery has changed how I view worship, and has over time, shaped what I want to do with the rest of my life. It’s to help people please God through their relationships. It’s why I started this podcast. You Were Made for This is about helping people transform their relationships into the best they can be. Because when that happens, we find joy in life, it’s what we were made for. We were made for this. We find joy in pleasing and worshiping God in our relationships with others, our relationship with God himself, and even in our relationship with our self. We’ll be looking at all of this in the episodes coming up. Here’s what I learned today. Here’s what struck me The way I worked through this desire for musical ability and talent, is to appreciate this quality in others, but to know I don’t have to be like others. That while they worship and please God because how they’re wired and gifted, to know I can please and worship God by another means: relationships. Music has the power to draw us into a deep relationship with God. But if how we are doing in our relationships isn’t pleasing to God, I don’t see where God is too impressed with our singing and music If our music is good, but our relationships are bad, we don’t please God at all. He’s more concerned with how we relate than the tunes we sing. And finally, and most encouraging to me and I hope you too, is that if our singing is bad and out of tune, but our relationships are good and in harmony with God, we worship him well. If you forget everything else, here’s the one thought, the one idea, I hope you remember from today’s episode We worship God and please him through our relationships, perhaps even more than the songs we sing and play. Here’s what you can do in response to today’s show. Ask God to show you someone he wants you bless today. Someone you have to sacrifice for, where you get nothing in return, except for the satisfaction that you’re pleasing God. Then ask the Lord for the strength to do so. Ask him to bless that other person through you, where he does the work through you. As always, another thing you could do is let me and your fellow listeners know what resonated with you about today’s episode. You can share your thoughts in the “Leave a Reply” box at the bottom of the show notes. Or you can send them to me in an email to john@caringforothers.org. Closing I hope your thinking was stimulated by today’s show, to both reflect and to act. So that you will find the joy God intends for you through your various relationships. Because after all, You Were Made for This. Now for Our Relationship Quote of the Week Nearly everything God asks us to do is in the context of relationships.                                                                                     ~ Richard Swenson, M.D. That’s all for today. See you next week. Bye for now.

Do you ever feel overhwelmed? Today’s book by Dr. Richard Swenson has the prescription for anyone who yearns for relief from the pressures of overload. Join Joe & Mike as they investigate the topic of margin, reevaluate their priorities, and attempt to simplify their lives. Links Support the show TWSBI Diamond 580 Fountain Pen TWSBI […]

As we wrap up our focus on health and wellness this month, I'm going to share with you my story about hope through depression and suicidal thoughts. *Affiliate links present.* If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts and want to talk with someone, the suicide hotline is 1-800-273-8255 and they do have a live chat option which is https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat/. If you're a veteran, you can use https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/. My story takes us back to when I was in the Navy. We were living on the island of Oahu. I was having a really hard time processing the fact that I was so far away from my family, I felt super alone and that my leadership wasn't doing a great job getting us/me acclimated to the Navy command. A command is the headquarters for those Sailors or Soldiers assigned to that area. I felt like the command was not supportive of the Sailors and there was not good moral in the command. There have been a lot of mental health issues in the military on Oahu because of different things. I know I'm not alone because of the number of people who have had difficulties. Living in Hawaii was not a good time for me mentally or for my mental health. It was a very dark time. It was difficult to be happy when things at work were not good. I loved being in the Navy at my previous command. I was the top Sailor one of the years I was there. I loved my work, I loved my Sailors, and then to go to another command were things were not that way, it was sad. It went from struggling with depression to suicidal thoughts to a suicide plan. One of the girlfriends I'd shared my emotions with ended up telling my leadership and I was not happy with that. I was handling things on my own. For anyone who has been through this, it is possible to handle this on your own. It's difficult but possible. They referred me to see a counselor and I'd already been seeing one. I was working on trying to get out of the Navy at the time because I knew it was not the best place for me to be at this point. The suicidal thoughts were when I knew it was not safe anymore. I was pregnant at the time so there was a lot of strain on me. I ended up getting out of the Navy and we flew home when I was 36 weeks pregnant. The baby was born just fine here in Wisconsin three weeks later. I still had suicidal thoughts when I got home. The psychologist believed that part of the suicidal thoughts and depression was hormonal, and situational because of everything going on at work, and I also believe that there was a spiritual aspect. I still struggle with depression. Thankfully the suicidal thoughts have gone away for the most part. This is why I'm such a huge proponent of taking care of hormones and treating your body well. You may have heard that I took caffeine out of my diet about eight months ago because caffeine is not good for mental health in a lot of ways. Because I'm not a doctor, I'll let you guys look up how it helps or hinder anxiety and depression. One of the ways I've helped anxiety is cutting out that caffeine. It affects my heart and causes my heart to beat faster which is like an adrenaline rush. My natural health provider has treated my heart in a way to respond to anxiety. I'm also aware of the all of the ways we push so hard and we don't listen to the cues of our bodies. I think one of the ways we can help ourselves is to stop pushing ourselves so hard. There are people who have chemical reasons for depression and anxiety. Take care of that. Do what you need to do to get help. Nicole Walters had share the website where you could pay cash for counseling and it's at a reduced rate. Stress. I also notice when I'm under stress or under a stressful situation, my depression gets worse. I've worked to keep myself out of those situations. We cannot keep ourselves from stress because it happens, but you can help lesson the stress you encounter. One of the ways I've done this is to give us more margin in our schedules. Margin is a space around yourself or your calendar. I'm digging into a book called Margin by Dr. Richard Swenson and he talks about how our world has not left room for margin at all. If we leave space in our calendar or if we know that we have something happening and we know we're going to be going through a lot, you can create margin. It's like a boundary around yourself to protect yourself, especially if you're an introvert or an ambivert who needs more down time to themselves. Allow yourself to have space to deal with the stressful situation. For me, that's been important as I've dealt with stressful situations. I've learned this as I've had a few high stress clients. I've found that I need to take a break and actually do it. Essential Oils. One of the other ways I've found that helps is using essential oils. One of my favorite books is called Releasing Emotional Patterns with Essential Oils by Carolyn Mein, DC. We need to start being proactive about our mental health. The oil called Joy has helped my anxiety according to this book. Even something as simple as smelling orange oil is uplifting and good for us. There are a bunch of other oils that are good for emotions and I recorded a class on oils and emotions. To access the class I did on emotional oils, click here. I really believe using oils has caused a positive impact on my depression and anxiety and given me more clarity on the days that I'm dealing with depression. I don't know if you're familiar with depression, but there are days you can have a cloudy brain. With essential oils, there is so much skepticism, but when you smell them, the smells go straight to your brain. When I smell oils, it helps to clear that brain fog so I can function. If you're searching out answers for mental health, this is a good one. Faith. The last way I've made a difference in my mental health is to grow in my faith. That's not to say that I wasn't strong in my faith when I was in Hawaii, but I've grown since then. My church family in Hawaii, Kaka'ako Christian Fellowship was great. There were days when I just told them that I needed prayer and they would pray. They'd give non-judgemental hugs and advice. When I was there and I was wrestling with all these things and I really believe that it is vital to ask God those questions. I asked him why this was happening. God told me that this would not be in vain. I've been able to share with others and come alongside people. We need to remove the stigma of depression and suicide. We need to say it's okay to get help. A lot of times there are so many ways to get help. Here's the suicide hotline information again: the suicide hotline is 1-800-273-8255 and they do have a live chat option which is https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat/. If you're a veteran, you can use https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/. I hopped on the chat in November 2014 when I was not ready to take my life, but I credit that to the baby that was growing in me. I want to leave you guys with hope. God is right by your side. He's not leaving you, even if it feels like you're all alone. There was a time when I told my counselor that depression and anxiety felt like being in a box. And through the darkness, there were poked holes shining through the light. There's hope. If you're going through this right now, there's power in getting help and asking for help. People care about you. I care about you. If you want you can email me at dmr@daniellemroberts.com. Being active in seeking out help is important. I want you so much to know that God cares about you. I care about you. Let's change how we talk about mental health and handle it. Let's be proactive and listen and be aware of those who need help because there are those in our world who need help right now, even if they aren't talking about it.

Many people today are stressed out, overcommitted, and exhausted. Leaders are particularly susceptible to marginless living. This week, Richard and Sam discuss Richard Swenson's book “Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives.” RESOURCES: “Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives” by Richard Swenson. Find it here. Next Month's Book Club Pick: “The Character of Leadership: Political Realism and Public Virtue in Nonprofit Organizations” by Michael Jinkins and Deborah Bradshaw Jinkins. Find it here. UPCOMING EVENT: Join Richard at Oxford University for a week-long entrepreneurial leadership seminar, August 11-19, 2019. Find more information here. CONNECT: Follow Richard on Twitter. Follow Richard on Facebook. Read Richard's latest blog posts at www.richardblackaby.com. Send questions to podcast@blackaby.org.

Get all the fun show notes here: www.momminainteasypodcast.com

Jennifer and Courtney discuss Dr. Richard Swenson’s book ‘Margin’ and the transformation it inspires. Get all the fun show notes here: www.momminainteasypodcast.com

How do we overcome hurry sickness?Dr. Richard Swenson is a futurist who writes about the social and personal factors that afflict America. Swenson has diagnosed the problem of our day as “overload.”If you were to take an MRI of our lives, here is what you would see:“We have too many choices and decisions, too many activities and commitments, too much change creating too much stress. We have too much speed and hurry. We have too much technology, complexity, traffic, information, possessions, debt, expectations, advertisements, and media. We even have too much work.”And all God's people said — “Amen!”When There Is No MarginWhen we no longer have any margin in our lives, no space between our load and our limits, then we are in a constant state of overload. And that is not a healthy place to be. jonathanmorrow.org

How do we overcome hurry sickness?Dr. Richard Swenson is a futurist who writes about the social and personal factors that afflict America. Swenson has diagnosed the problem of our day as “overload.”If you were to take an MRI of our lives, here is what you would see:“We have too many choices and decisions, too many activities and commitments, too much change creating too much stress. We have too much speed and hurry. We have too much technology, complexity, traffic, information, possessions, debt, expectations, advertisements, and media. We even have too much work.”And all God’s people said — “Amen!”When There Is No MarginWhen we no longer have any margin in our lives, no space between our load and our limits, then we are in a constant state of overload. And that is not a healthy place to be. jonathanmorrow.org

Experiences from life that shaped who he is today. Tommy shares about going from no ambition to full of passion to help people, running multiple companies while raising kids, searing loss and devastation, and what it clarified about what’s at stake in our personal growth.Book Recommendation: Margin by Richard Swenson. Available in audio or paper.Overwhelmed with everything on your plate? Need help with administrative tasks? Free yourself up to operate in your sweet spot by partnering with a BELAY virtual assistant and get $200 off your starting costs: Schedule a conversation to learn more!BELAY website

Relentless busyness pulls at all of us, and both coaches and clients feel the weight of it in every area of our lives. In this episode, Dr. Richard Swenson, best-selling author of the book Margin, reassures us that while hurry is epidemic, it doesn’t have to be inevitable. Do you get to the end of the day, every day, and wonder where the time went? Do you or your clients consistently push yourselves harder than you can possibly go? If so, listen in as Chris, Kim, and Dr. Swenson unpack the timely topic of margin. Decode the myth that says you should do more because others are ahead. Learn the importance of the space between your load and your limits. Discover the key to banishing burnout so you can live with intention. About Richard A. Swenson, M.D. Richard Swenson is a physician-researcher, best-selling author, and award-winning educator. He received his B.S. in physics from Denison University and his M.D. from the University of Illinois School of Medicine. Following five years of private practice, in 1982 Dr. Swenson accepted a teaching position as Associate Clinical Professor within the University of Wisconsin Medical School system where he taught for fifteen years. As a physician-researcher, his current focus is “cultural medicine,” studying the intersection of health, culture, faith, and the future. He has written extensively on trends in modern society, including the acceleration of stress, overload, change, complexity, and speed. Six of his books are dedicated to this general topic, and they contain hundreds of practical prescriptions (Rxs) for decompressing the increasing pressures of life. Dr. Swenson has traveled to over fifty countries, including a year of study in Europe and medical work in developing countries. He has presented widely, including national and international settings, to a wide variety of career, professional, educational, medical, governmental, and management groups, most major church denominations, members of the United Nations, NASA, Congress, and the Pentagon. Learn more about Dr. Swenson, Margin and his other books at http://richardswenson.org/   Show Notes: http://professionalchristiancoachingtoday.com/167 http://professionalchristiancoachingtoday.com/       

We spend a lot of time building gates and systems to protect ourselves from distraction of ADHD. But, what might we be losing at the expense of saying No? This week on the show, Pete talks about control and ADHD. Spinning off of the concept of Margin as discussed by Shawn Blanc and Richard Swenson before him, what does it mean for ADHD when our systems and processes that we use to protect ourselves and our focus cause us to run out of margin in our lives and run headlong into a broader world that doesn’t understand us? Links & Notes Thank you for supporting The ADHD Podcast on Patreon! Giving up Control at Work — Shawn Blanc Margin from The Focus Course — Shawn Blanc Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives_ by Richard Swenson

Hey It's Chris Stanley and welcome to the independent adjusting podcast. Today's episode is all about knowing whether you personally as an individual should invest in becoming an independent adjuster. maybe you aren't sure if you should invest in becoming an independent adjuster. There can be a lot of time and money invested into being an independent adjuster. So I'm going to give you ten things that I thought of that could be signs you are ready to invest in becoming an independent adjuster. If you are meeting most of the following criteria, then you may be poised to make a run at having a career in independent adjusting. This episode of the Independent Adjuster Podcast is sponsored by ACD a top independent auto appraisal company. Email them at Network@ACDCorp.com They want to work with you if you have what it takes, but do you? That is the point of this very episode. 1.      You Want to Own Your Own Business Many people don't realize it, but as an independent adjuster you are creating your own business. If you don't have the ambition or want the responsibility of owning a business it could be a big hurdle to overcame in your journey. You are a 1099 contractor for most companies and that means you are responsible for taxes, accounting, invoicing, revenue, profit, and other not fun words that we must use as business owners.   2.      You Have Initiative Taking initiative and being a self-starter is one of the biggest requirements of being an independent adjuster. You don't have bosses checking your cubicle every few minutes to make sure you are doing what needs to be done. There isn't a daily pow wow with the team to check the progress of the project. Look through your past have you started doing things that needed to be done even if there was no direct monetary gain from the project? If you have the get it done bug you'll be far more likely to be successful as an independent adjuster.   3.      You are Passionate Enjoying your job is always a good thing, but do you have passion for becoming an adjuster, or do you have passion for any career task that you determine to take on? Being passive and lackluster in attitude and energy can be a recipe for failure. Starting as an independent adjuster is much like being an entrepreneur, you can't expect to have overnight success. This can make it financially, mentally, and emotionally difficult to push through the tough times if you aren't passionate about the career you are pursuing.   4.      Your Spouse is Annoyed at How Much You Talk About… My poor wife has had to endure many career shifts, crazy ideas, and my obsession of whatever I was tackling. There is really no other word that accurately describes what it takes to enter a new and highly competitive industry. If your spouse is jealous of how much time you are spending on researching, training, & pursuing your career in independent adjusting, you may be on the path to success…… and marriage counseling. Make sure you buy some roses for the wife or bring a 6 pack home for your husband the next time you have to take a Crash Course class with me, because I won't be going to counseling…. again. YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!   5.      You Work Hard We all think that we are hard workers, but it just isn't the case. Most of the work force when looked at objectively is giving a slack performance when compared to the superstars of their respective fields. The people who excel at __________ (fill in the blank job) typically are excelling not because they have a special talent, but because they work harder. When I worked at Wal-Mart Distribution I was the short, overweight, no muscles 5ft 8 young man, when compared to other workers who appeared to be lifetime members to Golds Gym, I should have been the bottom producer. Yet, I was able to set records in my department because I worked HARDER and SMARTER. When you determine your own success, you must give it your all and put in the hard work to become the successful independent adjuster you want to become.   6.       Won't Take “No” for an Answer If you give up easy, then give up now! Becoming an independent adjuster is a challenge and you will hear no or even worse hear nothing many times before you hear, “YES!” or “You are DEPLOYED!”. With red tape in the insurance industry, long term runaways to getting on rosters, and a lot of training and networking you'll need to do, it will be a test of your resilience and patience. Get ready for big rewards when you get the “YES!”, but be even more ready to hear no and not accept it. If you keep hearing no when applying for companies download my 101 Adjusting Rosters by clicking HERE so you can hear no for a long time before your run out of companies to contact.   7.      You Love Helping Others Being an independent adjuster is about helping individuals and families get back on their feet after a traumatic event. Whether they've damaged their car or lost their house in a flood, these people need help. If you haven't learned to enjoy helping others, then you may NOT enjoy being an independent adjuster. You'll constantly be looking to shortcut the most important part of your job, connecting with the people involved. Yes, many people become an IA (independent adjuster) because they want to make money, but if that is all that is driving you then drive yourself onto another career, because you will likely not find success with that motivation. Don't believe me? This principle applies to not just adjusting, but to insurance in general. Checkout the articles on INSNerds.com section of “Why I love Insurance” and I'd challenge you to see a single person mentioning money as why they love working in insurance.   8.      You Have People Skills I can imagine an adjuster who sits in a cubicle all day, talks on the phone like those DRY EYES commercials and stamps “Deny” on papers that are placed in front of them, but my imagination and the reality of what it will be like for you as an independent adjuster are incompatible. Your entire job is based on a single word, “communication.” Which is laughable because I say jokingly I am the worst 1 on 1 communicator on the planet, which is my exaggerated way of saying I still need to work on my skillset. As an adjuster you must adjust the owner's expectations by communicating the claims process, you must communicate the damages you observed through an estimate, and you must communicate your thoughts on the entire loss through your summary/appraisal report. If you don't get along with people, then they probably won't get along with you as an independent adjuster.   9.      You Have Margin In a quote from the book Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives, Richard Swenson, M.D. describes margin like this: “Margin is the space between our load and our limits. It is the amount allowed beyond that which is needed. It is something held in reserve for contingencies or unanticipated situations. Margin is the gap between rest and exhaustion, the space between breathing freely and suffocating.” If you don't have margin in your life then a big part of your journey to becoming an IA needs to be learning how to create margin. There is an excellent article by Michael Hyatt on this matter and obviously the book quoted above would be great for you to read as well. Margin is important as an independent adjuster, because we are dealing with catastrophes on large and small scales and need emotional and mental margin to handle the stress. We are also business owners and a business with no financial margin is a business ready to collapse at the first moment things go wrong. (and they will!) You will be investing a large chunk of time into training and if you don't have space in your life it may come crumbling down around you.   10.  You Have Computer Skills This is probably the most intimidating for people, but don't close the screen and go back to working at your old job just yet. This is the least important of the 10 things listed, but if you already have strong computer skills and are comfortable at a computer you are at a huge advantage. If you are not computer savvy you can acquire these skills, but you must also have many of the qualities listed above to push through the hard work with passion and not find yourself unable to perform a job due to lack of computer knowledge.   Now I hope that this list helps you better understand what it takes to become a successful independent adjuster and be better prepared for your journey. If you need help getting started and don't know what your next step in the journey should be, feel free to schedule a 15-minute Q&A Call with me and I'd be happy to give you custom advice on how to get started. You can schedule a time with me by clicking HERE. Remember to Claim Your Life & Your Future, It Starts NOW! Your Guide, Chris Stanley

People need spiritual, emotional, physical, and financial margin in their lives. Many business professionals have "border-less" jobs which can overtake all areas of life. Because of this, it is important to develop habits and principles of taking phsycial time and a mental break from work. Do you have something in your life that you loose track of time while you are doing it? Roger Thompson has learned the best way to create margin is to say "no." Take a chunck of time;, find a hobby, carve out valuable family time. Running and woodworking are a couple of Roger's hobbies. In this episode he shares analogies from these hobbies that show the importance of taking rest. "Margin isn't as simple as taking a day off; it is how you spend your day off." - Roger Thompson Roger recommends three practices to help build margin into your life: Have a friend whom you look forward to spending time with Be part of a small group whom you can be acountable to Be a witness for Christ through excellence in the spheres you operate in Learn about Berean Baptist Church in Burnsville, MN: https://www.bereanbaptist.com/ Learn about the ministry, Man in The Mirror: http://maninthemirror.org/ Find the book "Margin" by Richard Swenson: http://www.richardswenson.com/margin/ Read about this episode on our blog: https://business.afbnl.com/blog/Details/the-thrive-podcast-episode-11-3389 Special Guest: Roger Thompson.

PJ Jonas is a business owner, goat-wrangler, entrepreneur, and mother. After getting goats to provide healthy milk for her eight children, she decided to put some excess milk into a batch of handmade soap. That decision was the beginning of Goat Milk Stuff, a growing goat milk products business that includes Goat Milk Soaps,cheeses, candies, fudge, gelato and more! PJ lives in Indiana with her husband, Jim and eight children. The entire family along with 6 full time employees work hard to promote the goodness of goat milk. You can explore more at www.GoatMilkStuff.com Nuggets of Wisdom from PJ: "Thomas Jefferson - I’m a great believer in luck and the harder I work the more I have of it." "All that hard work, ultimately, leads to the success that we are looking for." "By teaching our children how to do things, to cook, to do the dishes, to do the laundry, that frees a lot of my time and leaves me more time to spend having more fun times with them. When everybody works, all the work ultimately gets finished for the day." "When we started Goat Milk Stuff, everything had to become more focused. Starting a business from the very beginning, I had to involve my children in all the business aspects. It’s all something that we all had to work side by side." "You start small, you are not going to change something big overnight. That’s where a lot of us Go wrong. We have too drastic of a change too quickly. Pick something. Start with something small. Start with cooking. Pick a meal that you can teach your children to make. Don’t try and do it all radically because if we change too fast, it just falls apart. It’s all hard but it’s worth the effort." Some of PJ's Favorite Things: "SLEEP is the priority. I go to bed early. Don’t have time to go to a gym. I incorporate exercise into my day: 10-20 squats in the bathroom and 2 pushups against the sink, calf raises while washing dishes, 1 legged toothbrushing." Favorite kitchen gadget: Cutco Knives Niyc's Favorite Books: "Margin by Richard Swenson. Having space in your life. Time, physical energy, finances, and emotional energy. Keep space. That space between being overwhelmed and being able to keep up with where you’re at. Just keep that little bit of space, life will be so much more enjoyable." Best advice received: "Remember what’s important… You have to look 20 years down the road. Is what I’m doing contributing to that? I want my kids to be best friends and have successful marriages and families of their own and put others’ needs in front of their own. " PJ's Happiness Formula: "Sleep + eating well + doing nothing with my family. That would make me happy. Just together being a family. Telling stories, laughing -for me that’s what it’s all about." A Challenge from PJ: "Let go of something and create more margin in your life. Say no to something and free up more time. Figure out something that you can let go of. " Resources Free Bar of Soap for Vibrant Happy Women Listeners www.GoatMilkStuff.com Cutco Knives Margin by Richard Swenson Vibrant Happy Women Facebook Group  

Have you ever felt that you are in a season of starting over, again? Do you wonder what are the correct steps to take when doors are closing around you? Could God be punishing you? Should God’s will make the journey of your life easier? What environment are you creating to ‘hear’ God? These are just a few of the questions that today’s guest, PJ Jonas and I talk about. PJ is a fascinating lady. She shares some wonderful insights on being mom, wife, and business owner. PJ, her husband Jim, and their 8 kiddos have created the neatest business; it truly is a family affair – but it wasn’t always ‘sunshine and rainbows.’ Tune into this episode with PJ  and myself and learn what it means to trust Jesus even when life doesn’t look like it should. PJ’s verse, Psalm 68:20…. God is a God of deliverance PJ’s verse Romans 8:28…. work together for our good This book has really blessed PJ. It’s titled, ‘Margin’ by Richard Swenson and you can get an audio version of it free at audibletrial.com/blessed Want a free bar of ‘Goat Milk Stuff’ soap…. go here, goatmilkstuff.com/blessedsoap Click DONATE if you would like to support the show with a financial offering.

Richard Swenson, MD discusses the trends and patterns he sees as a futurist.

Richard Swenson, MD discusses the current state of medicine and what he sees for the future of the healing arts.

In this episode, I share: The key to sticking to a schedule. How to set up a simple schedule you can follow. How to create more margin in your day. How to get in the "extras" you always want to get in, but don't seem to have the time for. Resources mentioned: My At a Glance Schedule (circa 2015 - and seriously needing an overhaul!) Margin by Richard Swenson, M.D.

"Margin is the space between our load and our limits. It is the amount allowed beyond that which is needed. It is something held in reserve for contingencies or unanticipated situations. Margin is the gap between rest and exhaustion, the space between breathing freely and suffocating.  Margin is the opposite of overload. If we are overloaded we have no margin. Most people are not quite sure when they pass from margin to overload. Threshold points are not easily measurable and are also different for different people in different circumstances." At least that is how Richard Swenson, M.D. describes margin in his book Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives (a book that I have not read, but does seem interesting). Of course I could talk a lot about the importance of building margin into your life, but I may not be the best one to speak on that subject because I do have two off-farm jobs currently and margin is my biggest struggle! What I want to talk about specifically today is the importance of building margin into the life of your farm so that it is sustainable physically, financially, ecologically, and on and on and on. This is a topic that came to the front of my mind this past week when I was talking with someone about the low grain prices. They were lamenting the fact that the prices were low and how hard it was on farmers and even the agricultural equipment manufacturers. Of course I knew that when they were talking about farmers they were specifically referencing farmers that only raise grain (corn and soybeans). We talked about how John Deere had cut jobs and all sorts of other implications, but then I mentioned the fact that as a purchaser of grains the lower prices were a pretty good thing for me and hopefully will allow me to catch up a little after two years of higher prices. All of this got me thinking. Of course I could spend hours talking about the problem of the lack of diversified farms in the United States these days, but we don't have that much time (or patience)! What I can talk about though is the importance of building margin on your farm so that when prices go up (or down), when the rains come (or don't), and when the sales are great (or they're not) you are prepared to survive. Building margin in the end may slow your growth or have other implications, but if you are properly building margin I think you will have a farm that can stick around because there will be money, resources, and a farmer that isn't burnt out! What do you think? How do you build margin on your farm? Let me know in the comments below or join us on The Beginning Farmer Facebook page ... actually you should probably do that anyways :) Check out The Beginning Farmer Show on Facebook!  As always, I want to thank you so much for listening and supporting the show with your encouragement and reviews on iTunes! I am continually working to produce a better show, and I'm thankful for all of the listeners sticking with me as I learn. If you do enjoy the show, don't forget that you can subscribe on iTunes and leave a five star rating and review (by clicking the link). If you are an Android phone user you can also subscribe on the free Stitcher App. It is so very encouraging to know that people are listening and enjoying the show! I would love to hear your questions, show ideas, or comments about the show. Feel free to shoot me an e-mail! As always you can follow along with "The Beginning Farmer" and Crooked Gap Farm by checking out these links ... Crooked Gap Farm Crooked Gap Farm on Facebook Crooked Gap Farm on Twitter

Dr. Richard Swenson discusses the current and future events happening in this eternally important region of our world. Listen to this insightful and educational interview about the Middle East.

Richard Swenson, MD offers his insights and analysis on the enormous changes and conflicts in healthcare, our country and the world, as well as his reminder on the sovereignty of God.

Richard Swenson, MD talks about his book "Last Flight Out of Oz".

Let&squo;s face it: for most of us, our lives are overloaded. When we have no reserves emotionally, energy-wise, time-wise, or financially, we stress out when circumstances go south and the unexpected happens. Author and physician Richard Swenson writes that, "Margin is the space that once existed between ourselves and our limits." Without margin in our lives, we hit our natural limits and break down. Without margins, our life with God is squeezed out-and He&squo;s the one who makes life work! In this series, we&squo;ll look at the three major areas of our lives that are typically overloaded: our time, our strengths/energy and our finances. We&squo;ll explore what the Bible says about making space for life...and for the Author of Life. Support the show (https://www.vineyardcincinnati.com/give)

Let&squo;s face it: for most of us, our lives are overloaded. When we have no reserves emotionally, energy-wise, time-wise, or financially, we stress out when circumstances go south and the unexpected happens. Author and physician Richard Swenson writes that, "Margin is the space that once existed between ourselves and our limits." Without margin in our lives, we hit our natural limits and break down. Without margins, our life with God is squeezed out-and He&squo;s the one who makes life work! In this series, we&squo;ll look at the three major areas of our lives that are typically overloaded: our time, our strengths/energy and our finances. We&squo;ll explore what the Bible says about making space for life...and for the Author of Life. Support the show (https://www.vineyardcincinnati.com/give)

Let&squo;s face it: for most of us, our lives are overloaded. When we have no reserves emotionally, energy-wise, time-wise, or financially, we stress out when circumstances go south and the unexpected happens. Author and physician Richard Swenson writes that, "Margin is the space that once existed between ourselves and our limits." Without margin in our lives, we hit our natural limits and break down. Without margins, our life with God is squeezed out-and He&squo;s the one who makes life work! In this series, we&squo;ll look at the three major areas of our lives that are typically overloaded: our time, our strengths/energy and our finances. We&squo;ll explore what the Bible says about making space for life...and for the Author of Life. Support the show (https://www.vineyardcincinnati.com/give)

Let's face it: for most of us, our lives are overloaded. When we have no reserves emotionally, energy-wise, time-wise, or financially, we stress out when circumstances go south and the unexpected happens. Author and physician Richard Swenson writes that, "Margin is the space that once existed between ourselves and our limits." Without margin in our lives, we hit our natural limits and break down. Without margins, our life with God is squeezed out-and He'squo;s the one who makes life work! In this series, we&squo;ll look at the three major areas of our lives that are typically overloaded: our time, our strengths/energy and our finances. We&squo;ll explore what the Bible says about making space for life...and for the Author of Life. Support the show (https://www.vineyardcincinnati.com/give)

Let's face it: for most of us, our lives are overloaded. When we have no reserves emotionally, energy-wise, time-wise, or financially, we stress out when circumstances go south and the unexpected happens. Author and physician Richard Swenson writes that, "Margin is the space that once existed between ourselves and our limits." Without margin in our lives, we hit our natural limits and break down. Without margins, our life with God is squeezed out-and He's the one who makes life work! In this series, we&squo;ll look at the three major areas of our lives that are typically overloaded: our time, our strengths/energy and our finances. We&squo;ll explore what the Bible says about making space for life...and for the Author of Life. Support the show (https://www.vineyardcincinnati.com/give)

  I want to share with you one of the most essential concepts when it comes to improving your life.  Let’s talk about margin. First of all, what is margin? “Margin is the space between our load and our limits,” says author Richard Swenson in his book, Margin. In simple terms, margin is having room to […]

Let's face it: for most of us, our lives are overloaded. When we have no reserves emotionally, energy-wise, time-wise, or financially, we stress out when circumstances go south and the unexpected happens. Author and physician Richard Swenson writes that, "Margin is the space that once existed between ourselves and our limits." Without margin in our lives, we hit our natural limits and break down. Without margins, our life with God is squeezed out-and He's the one who makes life work! In this series, we&squo;ll look at the three major areas of our lives that are typically overloaded: our time, our strengths/energy and our finances. We&squo;ll explore what the Bible says about making space for life...and for the Author of Life. Support the show (https://www.vineyardcincinnati.com/give)

Let's face it: for most of us, our lives are overloaded. When we have no reserves emotionally, energy-wise, time-wise, or financially, we stress out when circumstances go south and the unexpected happens. Author and physician Richard Swenson writes that, "Margin is the space that once existed between ourselves and our limits." Without margin in our lives, we hit our natural limits and break down. Without margins, our life with God is squeezed out—and He's the one who makes life work! In this series, we'll look at the three major areas of our lives that are typically overloaded: our time, our strengths/energy and our finances. We'll explore what the Bible says about making space for life...and for the Author of Life. Support the show (https://www.vineyardcincinnati.com/give)

Busy Mom’s Survival Guide Podcast Episode 019. One of my all-time favorite books is Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives* by Richard Swenson.   This is a concept that is really important to a well-balanced life and it is a book that I highly recommend.  If you have margin in your […]

Join host, Trellis Usher, as she explains the name change for the radio show and all of the new and exciting things going on with the T.R. Ellis Group.  Trellis is still committed to helping individuals and organizations succeed and has some new offerings designed to help do just that.  If you were a fan or follower of PeopleBuilders, you are going to love The BluePrint.  We'll provide you with tools, tips, resources and skills to live the life of your dreams.  You don't want to miss this important broadcast! 

Richard Swenson, MD - author of Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives

author and futurist Richard Swenson, MD discusses the future of healthcare

Richard Swenson, MD - author of More Than Meets the Eye: Fascinating Glimpses of God's Power and Design

Richard Swenson, MD - author of The Overload Syndrome: Learning to Live Within Your Limits

Richard Swenson, MD - author of In Search of Balance: Keys to a Stable Life

Dr. Richard Swenson joins Dr. David Stevens to discuss his new book "In Search of Balance".