LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Don't be afraid to start over. This time you're not starting from scratch, you're starting from experience." Unknown

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

It's a New Year, and this month we're going to talk about the word BEGINNINGS. We have a couple more...

I want to camp out on these words: Don't Be Afraid.

Many of us never start something new because of FEAR.

Fear defined is simply, "an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat." Other words that come up in the definition are "anxiety, dread, & reverence".

I think in my life, I've had a number of moments where FEAR has kept me from moving forward, or it's slowed me down.

I remember my junior year of high school, making the decision to run for Student Council President. I don't know why I wanted to do that. I was already a leader in the band and on my basketball team, but there was something about this Student Government role that I was interested in, but I didn't just pursue it.... I paused, I wrestled with it, I hesitated, I talked it through. Looking back, it was FEAR that was slowing me down. Could I do this job? Would people vote for me? What would happen if I didn't win?

I still remember that anxious feeling of stepping into something completely new and being out of my comfort zone. I don't know what got me over the hump, but I eventually decided to make a run and I launched a campaign and was elected.

I really enjoyed that role during my Senior Year of High School, and I learned a lot from our faculty sponsor, Randy, as well as from the others I served with. I enjoyed it so much that when given the chance to run for office in college, I again ran a successful campaign to be President, but this time, there was no fear.

The Bible uses that term "Do Not Be Afraid" almost 365 times in scripture. Jesus knows something about fear. He says things to us like:

• "Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid." Matthew 14:27

• "So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Matthew 10:31

• "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself." Matthew 6:34

Jesus knows that often our first response is FEAR and He's reminding us over and over again that WE'RE NOT ALONE. He is with us, He sees us, He knows us, He loves us.

Think of a time when you let FEAR keep you from doing something you felt you were supposed to do? Looking back, how does that look now? Do you have regret? How did you get past that?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"The beginning is the most important part of the work." Plato

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

It's a New Year, and this month we're going to talk about the word BEGINNINGS.

Here's the difference between GIVING UP and STARTING OVER:

• Giving Up is often driven by fear or frustration

• Starting Over is often a conscious choice to launch in a new or better way.

• Giving Up means you're abandoning a direction because you lack the willingness to continue to work towards that goal.

• Starting Over means adjusting your course to find a new way to reach a meaningful objective.

• Giving Up often results in feelings of regret.

• Starting Over often brings a sense of freedom, growth & excitement

Let me clarify.... Giving Up is not always a bad thing. Sometimes we need to just stop doing what we're doing because it's not going to get us where we're going.

When I was 10 years old, my uncle invited me to come and play pee-wee football (tackly football for little kids). I loved baseball and always enjoyed playing every chance I got, but my uncle wanted me to come and give football a chance.

I lived in Southern California, so when at 10 years of age, I showed up for the "football camp" in August, it was really hot, I had never worn the pads and football gear before, and we spent the entire day running. I wasn't having any fun, I didn't really want to play football, so I lasted about 3 days then I told my uncle and my dad that "I wanted to focus on my baseball career"... that from a 10-year old with a clear vision of a future with the Dodgers!

I quit.

No regrets or remorse. No bad feelings. I just quit.

I knew what I wanted, and I definitely knew what I didn't want.

That was the end of my short-lived football career.

*Little did I know that 2 years later I would move to South America where there was no Baseball, no "American Football" and I would dive into the world of basketball and soccer.

For me, STARTING is simply aligning myself up with what I want to pursue, what I want to accomplish and what I want to focus on.

One of the first things I do when I go to start something is to identify things that I can STOP DOING. This gives me the margin, the space and the intentionality to focus on what is truly important.

Think of something you QUIT: Do you have regrets? Do you wish you would have continued to push through it?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"The beginning is the most important part of the work." Plato

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

It's a New Year, and this month we're going to talk about the word BEGINNINGS.

I love the cycle of life: seasons, rhythm, endings and beginnings. I sometimes struggle with endings, but when it comes to beginnings, I love to start fresh.

You can see this in the way I approach a New Year...

• I block out time the first week of the year to ORGANIZE. I go through files, I go through storage, I get rid of stuff, I find things that I've been looking for, but I love to get organized.

• I make lists! Lot's of lists... things I need to do, things I want to focus on, things I've ignored for too long. I just write stuff down, then work on organizing it into a system.

• I "let stuff go". There's always some "unfinished business", some unmet expectations or some regret. I make a conscious decision to just let that go. It does no good to keep carrying that weight.

I like New Beginnings because it's an opportunity to PAUSE, to TAKE A DEEP BREATH, and then START AGAIN!

I don't know how you do with beginnings, but Plato nailed it when he defined beginnings as "the most important part".

If you don't begin well:

• It's difficult to find traction and build momentum

• It's impossible to get a fresh perspective

• You spend more time looking back than looking forward

• It's a lot of work to define goals & objectives

• You end up working "harder" not "smarter"

If you struggle with NEW BEGINNINGS, don't freak out! Below I'll give you some practical suggestions on where to start.

As you look forward, what are you most excited about when it comes to NEW BEGINNINGS?