To Serve well

Serving with Excellence for a Life of Excellence

Bold

Simple Thoughts Sunday – 12/20

blog_748284_2825205_1450655586It’s the Sunday before Christmas, my bold prayer for all of my readers, friends and family this week is that you will truly try find love, peace and joy. That you would look up and see the beauty of the season. There are so many opportunities including the joy found in a child’s smile, or the love found seeing an adult child walking their elderly parent into a restaurant.

Most of all this year, we need to find peace. Peace that for me can be found in moments of silence that I am forced to carve out of my hectic days. Wherever you find yourself, pray that God will give you eyes to see the love, peace and joy that surrounds us.

(Photo Creds: Pinterest: Look at who is driving the car! Cute!)

Live it out!

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“And the greatest of these is love …” I COR 13:13

As we enter the holiday season with the hope of finding joy and peace, may we all remember that the greatest way to live out our lives is to show our love in big and small ways.

What is one big or small way you can show your love each day this week? Might as well kick off the season strong!

BOLD PRAYERS FOR YOU ALL!  

Bold celebrations: Go Royals!

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Happy Thursday everyone!

We made it past hump day and on the home stretch to finishing week one of November. I started on Sunday with the theme of bold. Bold in our thinking, our priorities, our actions, our intentions, our love, our prayers.

Tuesday we got a little deep in talking about bold thinking… but, since most readers are Kansas Citians and we were celebrating our Royals winning the World Series, you might want to go back and check that one out if you missed it.

So, how do you wrap up a bold theme? Of course talking about the KANSAS CITY ROYALS 2015 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS!

My top three thoughts on how we can learn and be inspired following the big celebration this week:

1. Salvy has shown bold passion every game, all season long.

With every dump of the Gatorade and every time he flashes that smile, he embraces the essence of hometown heart and a spirit that literally shines.

2. Hosmer has shown us what bold grit looks like in action!

His “roll up your sleeves” attitude and willingness to put himself out there and make the play is a big reason the KC Royals – and the rest of Kansas City – were able to celebrate this week.

3. Through 162 regular season games and 16 postseason games, Yost has demonstrated bold coaching.

Most of us know that a team cannot be their best without great leadership. Whether you are a fan that loves him, or questions his decisions, his results cannot be contested for long.  He loves his team, takes appropriate risks and has created a culture that is contagious.
Kansas City is thankful today and all other cities hopefully will take a close look at the beauty of this place! Bold and wonderful! 

Bold thinking

blog_732335_2801591_1446515295WE ARE CALLED TO BE BOLD.

We are called to make the most of our life. Our gifts. Our passions. To change the world we live in for the better. Being bold requires bold thinking. 

Bold thinking is different than our everyday thinking because it makes us anxious. It moves us out of our comfort zone and makes our heart race. Most of the time, when we begin to think boldly, we back away quickly due to these uncomfortable feelings.

I propose that we come up with a game plan to push through the adrenaline and into the realm of what is possible.

A “thinking” mindset is where we find inspiration. Getting this “flow” of thoughts generally needs to be intentional. We can literally go months and maybe years without getting into this mode if we don’t set up a plan.

blog_732335_2801592_1446515295Rock climbing/hiking is a great place to push yourself and get into that “thinking” mindset. Over the weekend I got to do a little hike through Red Rock Canyon, and although it was only a couple of hours, the very act of exerting myself a bit and getting out of my routine refreshed my mind and set me on a path to do some thinking.

Honestly, I need to be out there for a few days to get where I want and need to go mentally, but the point is it doesn’t take much to get you into this place where you can actually think. I mean really think. Almost everywhere you look there are beautiful parts of our cities, our homes, to help get us into this “thinking” mindset.

I have a friend that does a personal retreat about once every two months. It’s a Saturday morning at a local park, but I admire her a ton for this.  I need to take her lead and follow suit…

I don’t know about you, but I have so much I want to do to honor the people and places God has put in my path at home, work and in my community…To do that I want to be BOLD in my thinking so that I can act BIG! I hope you’ll join me! 

 

Simple Thoughts Sunday

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Bold in our thinking, our priorities, our actions, our intentions, our love, our prayers.

Just imagine what could be achieved if we all were to be as bold as possible? You know, we were truly called to be bold: To use the amazing gifts that God gave us, and to step in and be the hands and feet of Christ and serve others to improve our world.

What can you do this week to showcase boldness? Pray bigger and broader, then watch what happens.

Fueled by good decisions

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A little history lesson:  John Deere was born in Vermont in 1804. His father died at sea, and he was raised by a single mother who had a meager income. John, at a young age, made some decisions, which resulted in his great success. As you may know, John Deere is the namesake of the global company that provides us with world-class machinery that started with farming equipment and has expanded over time. As Ralph Waldo Emerson says so well, sometimes, the universe conspires to help us be greatly successful once those decisions are made!
“Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson

One of my favorite concepts I have learned over the past few years is this idea of making “pre-decisions.” At first it was a parenting application, sharing with my boys that when sticking with their values, the first step is making a “pre-decision.”  If you make a commitment to yourself to do or not do something important, well then, that is likely to be exactly what happens.

The thought then came into the area of health and fitness. Making a “pre-decision” at the beginning of each year to complete the “Daniel-Fast” for 21 days, was the catalyst for me getting on the right road to health!

After some reflection, I realized my whole life I have been making these personal agreements or decisions on how I wanted my life to look at the end of my “run,” so to speak. Decisions to pick the right friends, to make a difference, to encourage others daily, to be a person of excellence and lead well in my career. Somehow, giving it an actual term helped frame it and helps me to share those thoughts with my boys and others.

The application of the idea of making a “pre-decision” is well laid out once you look at the few key steps to John Deere’s success. I always believe that looking at historically great people who have impacted our world is a good idea when the topic is ‘how to be the best I can.’

Here are a few decisions Mr. Deere made:

  • He decided to go out boldly and leave home, leaving his family so he could help provide and learn his skill.
  • He decided to actually create what he thought just might work, to make his job easier (note that this is no different than what it is today, he simply decided to be fearless.)
  • He decided that to do this in the best way, he needed to partner with others who could help him move forward.
  • He decided after his company was well-oiled, to get engaged in the community. He held several leadership roles in his hometown, including mayor.

What decision do you need to make today? Where are you on life’s path? Time to dive into the community where you can help others or make a child laugh? Is it time to go after that new role at work that you have been teetering about for months?

Step in and make a decision today! I’m cheering for you and the whole world will conspire for your success. I believe that!

Make it a week of great progress

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Happy ‘Simple Thoughts Sunday!’ Our focus this week will be on making pre-decisions. 

I promise it will be fun and it’s one of my favorite “insights” that I’ve gotten over the past few years. Thank you for joining the conversation!

Oh, and GO ROYALS!  Seriously, they clearly have made a pre-decision to do whatever it takes in whatever inning! A terrific story in itself for us: be bold! 

Blessings to you and your family!

Take on October!

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Can you feel the excitement?

Football, baseball playoff time, pulling on the cute type of winter boots (though they are not all cute…), sweater weather, crunching leaves, smoke-filled air from fire pits and fireplaces, and of course, comfort food with family and friends!

October is amazing.

So here’s the deal friends: We have approximately 90 days until 2015 wraps up! We have a full quarter – a full 25% – of our time left this year to make a difference. Businesses nationwide are driving hard toward having a successful year. Football teams are no doubt in huddles trying to figure out just how to win the game! Students are looking at those mid-term grades and making the adjustments needed to move into victory.

As you think about a life of excellence today, what do you need to do to achieve what success looks like to you over the next 90 days?

I leave you with my list of 13. Why 13? Because that’s my lucky number, of course!

  1. I really need and want to make healthy fall meals! Think soup, warm bread (sorry to my trainer, but I promise I’ll put in the work to cover it) and a yummy apple crisp.
  2. Plan ahead to ensure I have time to spend with the people I hold the dearest over the next three months, not letting the rush of the holidays be a barrier!
  3. When I am with those people, cherish every moment.
  4. Complete my annual “read through the bible” effort. I have done every year this for four years now, and it makes a huge difference in my life.
  5. Go see my grandma in Tennessee!
  6. Take in a few Chiefs games, and even take the time to put together an actual tailgate.
  7. Generate some ideas for my annual Christmas theme and act on making it magical for the family.
  8. Get to the Cider Mill, pumpkin patch and to my friend’s winery next door, which is so much fun!
  9. Review my ‘life plan’ and make sure I’m on top of my goals! “Achieve great success at work this quarter” is a big one.
  10. Make progress on my book, To Serve Well. I’m about halfway done right now.
  11. READ! I read 3-4 books per month, which is a terrific habit.
  12. Watch my Royals win the World Series… nothing wrong with having bold faith!
  13. And most importantly, love and cheer on my boys like it’s nobody’s business.

I’d love to hear a couple of yours – I am cheering you on.

BE BOLD in your GRATITUDE

blog_702017_2755685_1437521960This week I am going to focus on being BOLD for things that you are FOR!  I am for so MANY things and my hope is that you will take a few minutes today to think of what you are FOR.

Today’s focus is on BEING BOLD in your GRATITUDE!

  1. Bold GRATITUDE enlarges our HEARTS!
    Science actually proves that gratitude makes us happier and healthier! That’s REASON ENOUGH!
  2. Bold GRATITUDE returns the FOCUS TO THE RIGHT THINGS. 
    Developing a practice of taking notes of what you are grateful for moves your energy to what is good, and not all of the “junk” that can creep in if we let it. That stuff may still be there, but at the end of the day the positive is pretty amazing.
  3. Bold GRATITUDE makes the WORLD BEAUTIFUL. 
    When we COLLECTIVELY decide to be GRATEFUL things just are BETTER. A terrific quote from Brendon Burchard, author of Life’s Golden Ticket…

    “When you are alive with joy, gratitude, and genuine interest in others, you are your most beautiful.  Remember that.  NOW GO STUN THE WORLD.”

For the FUN OF IT… THINGS I’M “FOR”  (AND SO VERY GRATEFUL) PART 3:

  • My Tribe – Every last one of them
  • Pine Cove – Our amazing second family
  • Education –  Learning is outrageously cool

    And for the not so serious but still true…

  • Fireflies – Yep, I still think they are so cool out there dancing around!
  • The idea of picnics…
  • A good craft beer and all things local really.
  • A cool looking cookbook … to LOOK at!

There is sooo much more I may have to do an entire series of blogs on….

Have an amazing week ahead!   My prayer is that you will take BOLD GRATITUDE into your week!

BE BOLD – What are you for?

Tblog_701190_2754934_1437350104his week I am going to focus on being BOLD for things that you and I are FOR!  I am BOLD for so MANY things and my hope is that you will take a few minutes today to think of what you are BOLD for too.

Today’s focus is on BEING BOLD FOR YOUR FAMILY!  WHY HAVE BOLD VISIONS FOR YOUR FAMILY?  Here’s why!

  1. Our families are the very fabric of our country.
  2. Our families no matter how small or large, make us who we are.
  3. Our families can create GREAT JOY.

I have BOLD VISIONS for my family and I TAKE THE TIME TO FOCUS ON THAT.  So, how do you do that?  The biggest thing is to do it with INTENTION.  Here is one idea to focus on today to get started!

Schedule time every quarter to establish goals for that quarter. I challenge you, on October 1, come up with 3 areas you are going to focus on with your family for the upcoming quarter.

It could be…

  • Call my dad every Sunday.
  • Schedule 3 family dinners with extended families.
  • Take my dog on a walk every day, rain or shine (Okay… dogs are family too!).

It’s easy!  Don’t just say you are going to do it, SCHEDULE IT AND DO IT!

By the way, here are other things I’m definitely BOLD for:

  • Ice Cream – Especially the Mint Chip or Coffee variety.
  • Jalapenos mexican food!
  • Farmer’s Markets…anywhere!
  • Afternoon coffee meetings!
  • Exercise- okay so I haven’t always been, but age has a way of moving that to the top.
  • Table topic dinner conversations – I love to hear what’s on everyone’s heart.
  • Spectator Sports & POWDERPUFF FOOTBALL.
  • Traveling….

More to come this week!