LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"The true measure of leadership is INFLUENCE - nothing more, nothing less." John C. Maxwell

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

We're going to explore this word INFLUENCE over the next number of weeks. I'm hosting a Global Leadership Summit in Georgia in March with Leader Mundial, and the theme this year is The Influence of a Leader. While we have a number of topics, books and presentations to address this, I wanted to simply look at some quotes that explore this more.

A definition of Influence is simply this: "The capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something."

Basically to "shape" something.

Here's a story of influence. I've shared this in the past, but it's such a good story, I want to tell it again.

When I was in High School, my dad was a pastor. He hired me as the church janitor, and my job was to clean the church during the week, and get it ready for Sunday Services. I usually spent a few hours on Saturday cleaning, then I showed up early on Sunday to dust and to make sure things were set for the day.

My dad showed me what he wanted done, and being a teenager, I looked for ways to do the minimum required and keep my job. Sometimes I didn't vacuum all the floor, or I wouldn't empty out all the trash cans. I remember trying to just get through it as quickly as I could, and sometimes I didn't really care about the quality.

My dad would point things out to me, and he'd remind me what I had committed to do.

But then, on Sunday Morning, if something wasn't done right, he would just do it. He'd dust the piano that I hadn't cleaned. He'd empty out the trash, or line the chairs up the way he wanted them to be.

He just did it. And I watched him.

Soon I realized that this job that I had was important. My dad really cared about what the sanctuary was like on Sunday Morning, and while he was the Pastor, he cared about the little things like picking up leaves and trash that blew into the entrance way overnight.

I watched him do it, and then I began to do it. I didn't want him doing my job, so I tried to do it better.

His simple attention to detail taught me something, and challenged me.

Here's the funny thing: Today, when I'm hosting an event, I pay attention to the little things, in fact I obsess about them. If something isn't right, I fix it. If there's paper on the floor, I pick it up. I care what things look and feel like.

Guess where I learned that. From my dad.

There was some teaching, but there was a lot of just "showing me" what was important.

This is influence. He shaped the way I worked and the way I think about preparing a room for something important.

WHO has influenced you in some way, large or small? WHO taught you or modeled for you something that has become important to you?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Reset, Refocus, Readjust, Restart, as many times as you need to. Just never give up." Unknown

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

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

Here's one last thought on BEGINNINGS. You can read the other posts and quotes HERE.

This past week I had the opportunity to travel to connect with a ministry and a group of ministry leaders. We had a great time doing a "deep dive" into understanding the scope of ministry and identifying some of their key issues.

While it was a full week of engagement, it also offered me some "windows of time" that have been a little illusive over the past month. I sat for hours on a plane, spent time in the airport, had some time driving and then in a hotel.

In the midst of a full week, I kept finding these opportunities to think, to listen, to wonder and to just be.

This year has started with a BOOM! It's now February, and I have no idea where January went, and today I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by the items on my list... in fact, I've felt this way since the beginning of January. I'm having a hard time keeping up and keeping focused.

This quote above just spoke to me last week.... RESET, REFOCUS, READJUST, RESTART. Powerful words. And then the kicker... NEVER GIVE UP!

I don't know where you find yourself today. Are you disappointed in the start of 2026? Did you have big goals and you now realize those things were unrealistic? Do you find yourself drowning in all of the things you thought were going to be great, but now just feel like work! Did you think you were going to get more done, but now you're frustrated and you just want to throw it all out the window?

If you identify with any of those things, You're Not Alone!

TODAY, take a deep breath. Just slow down for a second and assess where you're at todoy, and determine what your next step needs to be.

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?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?" Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Christmas

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

We've been on a journey this year, learning, listening and digging in and now as we come into December let's just PAUSE a little and catch our breath. As the year winds down, it doesn't mean we just stop all that we're doing, but let's change up the pace.

To read past quotes & thoughts.... CLICK HERE.

I'm going to simply share some Christmas Time Quotes this month, and encourage you to reflect, recharge, restore, reconnect, and then restart to the best of your ability!

Today the word is RECONNECT.

Charlie Brown figured this out when Linus broke down the true meaning of Christmas in the classic film, A Charlie Brown Christmas. Watch below...

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal." Johnny, Home Alone 2

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

We've been on a journey this year, learning, listening and digging in and now as we come into December let's just PAUSE a little and catch our breath. As the year winds down, it doesn't mean we just stop all that we're doing, but let's change up the pace.

To read past quotes & thoughts.... CLICK HERE.

I'm going to simply share some Christmas Time Quotes this month, and encourage you to reflect, recharge, restore, reconnect, and then restart to the best of your ability!

The Home Alone Movies have always been a Christmas staple, and when I saw this quote, I laughed out loud. The quote was made famous from Home Alone 2, but as I read about it, it's actually from a made-up gangster movie that Kevin used to prank his enemies. The line has been quoted and used over and over in our home and probably in some of yours.

Last week I talked about ways to RECHARGE. Today I want to talk about ways to RESTORE.

When I talk about RECHARGING, I'm talking about "filling you up" or "refueling". I shared some ideas around The Replenishment Cycle and ways to qualify and quantify activities that actually help us to regain strength after being depleted.

The act of RESTORING is the idea of bringing something back to it's original state, or bringing something back to health.

Really different words when you break them out.

For me, RECHARGING is identifying things that give me energy. This week, that involved a 1-year old birthday party for my grand daughter Reese. It involved a 90th birthday party with my extended family for my aunt. It involved a visit from some good friends. Those things all gave me life and energized me.

As I've been thinking about RESTORATIVE actions these past weeks, I've focused on some simple habits and practices that I've ignored for too long:

• 2 Weeks ago, I began a stretching routine in the morning... again. Talk about the need to restore, but at 61 years of age, I need to take care of my body and one way is to just work on mobility and my muscles. It's amazing how this simple practice, 10 minutes each morning, has been loosening up my body and I believe "restoring" muscle & flexibility. I have a ways to go.

• 3 Weeks ago I returned to a simple PAUSE moment in the morning... reflection, lectio, scripture and gratitude. If "restoring" means to get back to health, this is huge!

• This week I'm doing a 3-day detox for my body, just pausing to reset, cleanse and bring some health back into my life.

I don't know what needs to be RESTORED in your life, but maybe this week is an opportunity and a reminder to identify some things that need to be mended.

Restore is about repairing, renewing and addressing things that have been diminished, damaged or lost.

What restoration needs to take place in your life today?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"You have such a pretty face, you should be on a Christmas card." Buddy (the Elf)

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

We've been on a journey this year, learning, listening and digging in and now as we come into December let's just PAUSE a little and catch our breath. As the year winds down, it doesn't mean we just stop all that we're doing, but let's change up the pace.

To read past quotes & thoughts.... CLICK HERE.

I'm going to simply share some Christmas Time Quotes this month, and encourage you to reflect, recharge, restore, reconnect, and then restart to the best of your ability!

Continuing in our Christmas Quote Theme, I laughed when I found this quote from Buddy the Elf.

Every Christmas, there are some movies that I just need to watch, but I usually don't watch them in one setting, I catch glimpses of them throughout the month... movies like Elf, Christmas Vacation, White Christmas and It's a Wonderful Life. Lately there have been a lot of Hallmark Christmas Movies showing, but I can't really tell where one ends and the other begins.

Remember this month, we're just pausing a little bit.

Last week we talked about REFLECTION. In fact, I came across this quote from Winston Churchill the other day that summed up the thought well:

"Christmas is a season not only of rejoicing but of reflection."

I hope that you've found some ways to add REFLECTION to your daily rhythm during these days.

The next word I want to look at is the word RECHARGE.

I don't know about you, but it's been a FULL year. I hit December, and I'm just worn out. The idea of finding time to RECHARGE is really appealing to me this year, so I need to get creative to think of ways to do that.

I've learned that I can RECHARGE lot's of different ways...

• Wrestling on the floor with my grandson, while it's exhausting, I love it!

• The other night, trying to get my 1 year-old grand daughter to fall asleep was a challenge, but it was also such a joy to be sitting with her in the dark.

While these involve small people in my life, they help me find perspective, purpose and real joy.

This weekend Gina and I did a long walk at the coast... the weather was beautiful, the company was wonderful and it was a time of RECHARGING.

Also, grabbing a moment early in the morning to focus on a passage of scripture, listen to lectio or ponder a question is a time of RECHARGING.

Here's the secret: You need to define what RECHARGES you! You might be able to steal my items, but it's much more about what fuels you. I'll talk a little more about that below.

This month I'll share a few quotes, and then will spend some time on each of these words: reflect, recharge, restore, reconnnect & restart.

How are you able to RECHARGE in the midst of being busy, of running through the holiday, or of simply being exhausted? What works for you?