LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"You're doing good work Russ" Uncle Ray

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

This past week my Uncle passed away, rather suddenly and unexpectedly. Gina and I were on a vision trip in Guatemala when we got the word that his health was failing quickly. We decided to call his phone direct, hoping that he would answer, and after many rings Uncle Ray picked up the phone. We were able to say some things to him and share our love with him, and he said a few things back to us, then he said these words:

"You're doing good work Russ"

I had heard him say these words to me a couple of months ago when he participated in a Global Leadership Summit I was hosting in Atlanta. He coached a young leader from the Philippines, Jomar, and at the end of the week as we said goodbye he said to me:

"You're doing good work Russ"

Back in March I had no idea that these would be the last words I heard him say just a few months later.

The Power of Words.

Think about powerful words that have been spoken to you in your lifetime.... what was said and what was the context?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Doing less is not being lazy. Don't give in to a culture that values personal sacrifice over personal productivity." Tim Ferriss

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

Have you ever asked someone how they're doing and their reply is simply:

"I'm really busy!"

When I hear that, sometimes I apologize for asking and forcing them to stop all the important things they're doing to answer me. Often they will then go into a list of all the things that they have going on.

I've succumbed to this response many times myself, and I try to fight against giving into it.

We believe that being busy makes us look or feel more important, when the reality is that it's the opposite.

When we're too busy, it often means that we don't know how to schedule or prioritize our lives. It means that we might have a difficult time saying NO, and it might mean that we choose to live in state of being constantly busy because we don't know how to slow down.

However, if you're busy doing the RIGHT THINGS, then that's OK, but I seldom find people that are super busy that are super healthy, however, there are exceptions.

Have you responded to people this way: "I'm busy"? What are you trying to communicate? What value do you find in being busy?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Nobody is too busy. If they care, they will make time." Unknown

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

I read this quote a couple of weeks ago, and thought I would test it. Here's what I learned:

*Last week, I scheduled a busy day of appointments, calls and ended up driving all over Southern California, yet I was somehow able to squeeze a golf lesson (my first one ever) into the middle of that day. When I looked at my schedule for the day, that was something I wasn't willing to compromise.

*Finishing a busy week, I was pretty tired and on Saturday Morning, I took a little longer to get moving, however the prospect of having our kids come over for the weekend gave me energy, purpose and excitement.

*I had to cancel a meeting last week because I couldn't squeeze it into a full day, however after looking at it, I realized that it wasn't an "important or urgent" meeting, so I postponed it a couple of weeks.

The results of my test are that I do this all the time.

Life is about shuffling priorities, and it's true... I'm not too busy, I just choose where to spend my time based on what's important to me.

If you looked at your life, how would you test? Do you find yourself doing things that you shouldn't be doing or that aren't really important to you?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"You can play fast but not in a hurry. As a point guard, I can dictate that." Stephen Curry

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

I enjoyed watching the Golden State Warriors beat the Celtics in this years NBA Championship in the USA. I like basketball, and while I don't keep up with every team during the season, I do tune in to the playoffs.

This year I marveled at Steph Curry's leadership on the floor and on the team as they worked through the playoffs to eventually win. There's no doubt that Curry is a catalyst on the team, and his abilities are off the charts.

I came across this statement from him, and I've been thinking about it.

"You can play fast but not in a hurry."

There's something there that can apply to my life.

Curry and the Warriors at times were running full speed from end to end, and other times their play was slow and more intentional.

"You can play fast but not in a hurry."

What does that look like in my life? Life is fast, and it seems to be speeding up, but is my response "hurry"?

Look at your life: Would you say you live in a state of hurry? Do you feel busy all the time? Do you have a hard time catching up?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"We have to slow the rhythm of rush in our lives so that the best of who are can emerge." Lysa TerKeurst

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

I've learned that most of us know what "slowing down our lives" means, we just have a difficult time actually doing it.

The other day, I laid in a raft in a pool and just stared at the sky, the palm trees, some birds flying over, and every now and then, a plane high in the sky. I spent about 90 minutes laying in that position, soaking in the sun, completely separated from technology, and just laying still.

90 minutes. Maybe more, I might have dozed off a couple of times.

When was the last time you just found a moment to STOP. To FLOAT. To BE STILL. To DREAM.

The quote above reminds us that when we can slow down the rhythm of our lives, something better emerges from that.

I don't know what emerged from my time in the pool. I was a little sunburned, I needed some water to drink, but I've thought about the view from that raft over the past few days and the deep blue color of the sky. I didn't miss my phone, and I don't regret the time I took to just stop.

When you're able to change up your pace, how do you feel? What emerges within in?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Find a rhythm that enhances your life not a routine that stifles it." Morgan Harper Nichols

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

I'm a "recovering drummer". I played the drums beginning in 3rd grade and played through all of my school years, and was planning on pursuing music in college when I realized I was tired of hauling my drums everywhere I went, and I envied the people who just had to carry a guitar! I got a guitar, and have picked up the drums from time to time over the years, but primarily enjoy playing the guitar.

However, there's still a "rhythm" in me. I often beat my hands, fingers, feet, head to any song that's playing, and once in a while Gina will gently reach over and stop me, especially when my tapping is making noise!

In church recently I found myself anticipating the drum fills that would come in each of the songs that were being played, and I found joy in the anticipation of each of these sounds by an excellent drummer.

Rhythm.

I found a definition for rhythm recently that defined it as this: "A repeatable, predictable pattern that not only brings about a physical comfort, but an emotional and mental one as well."

I do find comfort in rhythm, and I'm currently enjoying a season of life where I have been able to create some rhythm in my life, and it brings comfort.

I read the quote above and have been thinking about "RHYTHM VS. ROUTINE". What do those 2 words mean to you? Are they the same?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"The future influences the present just as much as the past." Friedrich Nietzsche

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

We've spent a few weeks talking about PERSPECTIVE and VISION.

I heard someone reference this quote in a podcast, so I hunted it down and I've been thinking about it over the past few days.

One comment I found on the quote shares that Nietzsche believed that people become frantic or delusional in their attempts to live in both the future and in the past, so his challenge was to live in the NOW.

I don't know what his true thoughts were, but I can share mine:

It's really important to understand where we have come from and to be able to answer the question, "How did I get here?". We learn so much from our past and it tells a story that is laced with both success and failure. We learn, grow and adapt along the way.

While our past is important, so is our future. Our vision of where we want to go, who we want to be, how we want to impact the world, all play a role in how we live life today.

We need to live with the future in mind and that helps us to find clarity for today.

The first question I'm interested in learning from people is the one above, "How did you get here?" I want to know their story and I want to know about the things that shaped them.

The second question I ask is simply, "What's important now?" and you can't answer that question unless you are able to create a vision of where you want to go.

What does this quote cause you to think about?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"A desk is a dangerous place from which to view the world." John Le Carre

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

We've been talking about PERSPECTIVE for the past few weeks, and I found this quote, and then I "experienced" this quote.

Over the past few years, my position has changed from my primary work taking place all over the globe to functioning from my home office, pivoting in response to changes in travel, technology and the pandemic.

I've enjoyed some of the advantages of not living on the road, but I realize that my perspective has changed as I stare at my computer screen more than I used to, and I'm not breathing the air with the leaders I have the privilege to coach and encourage.

For the past 5 days, Gina and I "got out" and enjoyed a change of scenery. Fresh air, good friends, a strong breeze, water, new food and experiences, and some good fun.

This morning I'm filled up, re-energized, optimistic and ready for today.

Perspective.

I saw this quote a couple of weeks ago, but didn't really think about it until today.

While I will still use my desk and computer for my work, I realize the importance of seeing and experiencing the world in creative ways whenever that is possible.

When was the last time you got out? How did that make your feel? Did it change your perspective?