There was a time when it seemed to me that spiritual life was all about words. My experience of spiritual life was teaching and preaching, studying and talking to God. Spiritual life was only valuable when it could be put into words. I worked to strengthen the spiritual life in me by talking, reading, writing. Spiritual life was all about what you could describe to other people. I memorized the words of scripture passages. I thought about words, analyzing them to... Read more
I learned early in life that I am highly motivated to make a difference. There have been times when I was happy to work hard to put someone else’s vision into practice. I was good at getting things done, achieving results, accomplishing goals. If you wanted something to happen on time and under budget, I was your guy. My passion was for making things work. My focus was on When? and How?, the goals and objectives side of the spectrum. With a few... Read more
The things that surprise me are the people and situations outside my expectations. I have worked with people who believe leaders should never be surprised. They think planning and preparation allow leaders to anticipate every possible challenge. For them, leadership is about foreseeing and being ready for any eventuality. The leaders who inspire me recognize that leadership is more than having a scripted answer for every question. Leadership is as much about adaptability and being flexible as it is about organization... Read more
We are comfortable around things we can observe and explain. We rely on our ability to understand, to trust what our senses tell us, to analyze and organize things. We are secure when we can recognize cause and effect, find rational reasons, and create order. Spiritual life makes us nervous. Spiritual life goes beyond our control. Spiritual life is not about experimenting and verifying results. Spiritual life is often about things we are not as able to see, hear, or smell. Spiritual... Read more
We believe in the wisdom and power of work teams. We may each have experienced the joy of being a member of a strong team. Some effective teams develop new products or new ways of understanding. Teams have potential beyond a group of individual people. We know that it is a weakness not to be a team player. We all know the person who does not want to be a member of any team unless they are the captain. We have all seen teams... Read more
Some people understand leadership to be like an article of clothing. They believe they can put leadership on or take it off as they need it. Some of us see a quality or skill in a window and decide to add it to our leadership ensemble. They may add a scarf or shoes to their leadership wardrobe to give it some flair. They have a leadership style. Some people tend to be basic nuts & bolts leaders, while others tend to be... Read more
We want spiritually rich lives, and we want them now! We do not want to sacrifice anything we already have, or change the things we already do. We do not want to struggle with any of our habits, or opinions, or expectations. Is there a book we can read, or a podcast to which we can subscribe? Is there a conference we can attend, or someone we can follow on Twitter? Where is the magic formula to give us abundant spiritual... Read more
So many different jobs, surrounded by time looking for work! I practiced law as a criminal prosecutor, and as a lawyer for a nonprofit corporation. I worked as an adjunct professor, developing and teaching university courses. I was an executive for companies in different parts of the country. I have worked in a library and bookstores, cafes and a restaurant. I have worked at home, in offices, and in airports. I have started my own companies, and helped other people start theirs.... Read more
Yes, there are treats and tricks. Yes, there are masks and costumes. The truths go deeper than that. Halloween has strong cultural, historic, and spiritual roots entwined with some of our deepest fears. When I was a child, I understood Halloween as the day for collecting candy. As I grew up, I focused more on deciding what costume to wear and how best to celebrate. Some years there were parties, and some years I went to see scary movies. None of these were... Read more
It is easy for us to ignore, get distracted, or procrastinate about spiritual life. Spiritual life can be intimidating. Some people who take spiritual life seriously can come across as intense, or a little out there. Spiritual life can feel confusing, or confining. People who are serious about spiritual life often seem to be speaking about something else in a foreign language. Spiritual life can seem warm and fuzzy, so we feel comfortable letting it slide. We may accept the importance of spiritual life, but... Read more
Strategic Monk
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