It's All About The Stories

Originally Featured in The Javien Chronicles #35

The other night as I was going up to bed I noticed that the ottoman was out of place. Instead of it being in the middle of the living room, it was right by the stairs. I could have easily taken 2 seconds to move it to the right place but instead I brushed the task of for tomorrow.

A few hours later in a hurry to get my day started I ran down the stairs and right into the ottoman. After grimacing in pain for a moment I started to laugh at myself. I was laughing because it was my fault. If I took the time to move the obstacle yesterday, I would have reached my destiny (the kitchen) more smoothly.

That humbling experience reminds me that I can reach my goals a lot more smoothly if I only remove the obvious obstacles today. The most obvious obstacles that hinder success are the television, the internet, addictions, poor time management, disorganization and the most deadly of all is fear.

If you want to reach your destiny smoothly I recommend you examine your life. Are any of the obvious obstacles hindering your success. If so then move them. Move them today that way you can arrive with less bruises.

Originally Featured in The Javien Chronicles #34

When I first lost my job earlier this year I counseled with my buddy Eric. Since he worked in the HR department I figured he could help me find a job.

I asked him how much I could make if I applied for a non-managerial job. A job that didn’t involve me supervising anybody. A job that I could just do and collect a paycheck.

He replied, “You could make $40,000 to $50,000 a year.” I was surprised with his answer so I asked, “What about closer to $100,000?” He replied, “Those positions are reserved for the leaders.”

Why did I inquire about a non-leadership role? It should be obvious that I didn’t want to manage anybody. I just wanted to do my job and be on my way.

All my life I’ve tried to avoid leadership roles but for some reason they keep knocking on my door. Fear has been my main roadblock to accepting the challenges put before me. Fear that I will look foolish, fear that no one will follow, fear that I would fail.

Now that I’ve learned how to get past my fears, I can now take on the challenges that lay before me.

One of the most important things I learned about leadership is the “Me First” attitude. Before I can ask anyone to do anything I must do it first. Before I ask my kids to eat their veges, I must eat mine first. Before I ask my wife to clean the house, I must do it first. Before I ask anyone to walk like Jesus walked, I must do it first.

The “Do as I say, not as I do” mentality is out the door once you decide to follow Christ. Once you grab hold of the “Me First” attitude your journey with Christ will be a lot easier to understand.