To Serve well

Serving with Excellence for a Life of Excellence

To Serve Well

Live in the arena

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again … who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.”

Theodore Roosevelt

Want to level up your personal growth? Find a bit over an hour, log into Netflix and be prepared to actively take notes. You will laugh, you will nod in understanding and you will be changed. In her Netflix special, Dr. Brene Brown, says something to the tune of “there is my life before this quote (above) and my life after.” I could say the same thing about this show. Incredible.

She talks about “engineering smallness” in her life because of her fear to step into her own power and play big. (Frankly, that’s its own headline!)

She shares incredible data that proves that if we are to achieve anything – from career success to love – we will indeed fall, get our asses kicked, and experience heartbreak. (Ouch!)

She talks about being hard-wired for belonging, and our need to speak our truth and not betray ourselves for other people.

She educates about the need for us to be vulnerable…even in the workplace. Especially if we are to develop inclusivity, equity and diversity and have uncomfortable conversations that ultimately have the power to bring us to unity. (Folks… we need to be vulnerable… this is critical for our generation.)

That, my friends, encompasses only about 5 percent of the content. I truly hope that you will make it a priority to step into this great message. And if you’ve already caught her Netflix special, I’d love to hear about your takeaways!

The “arena” can for sure be intimidating – scary even. The “arena” is also that place where we grow, thrive and shine like no other place. You all are champions my friends! Cheering you on always.

Never underestimate the importance of reassurance

Throwback Thursday! Rewinding it to this relevant post from last year.

Sharing is caring… Always a truth I fully support. I read something similar to this phrase recently and I gave an internal standing ovation, which inspired me to share.

To me, this might be the most important reminder we all get this week, or even this month. Taking the time to reassure one another is so important to a healthy community. The best leaders get this. Parents do this often when children are younger. But we need to remember that this is necessary at all ages for ourselves, our family, and our colleagues.

Who can you reassure today? Get creative with your list. Throw a quick idea below… we would all love to ignite our imagination.

  • The UPS delivery person who delivers your Amazon Prime packages could use a thank you for a job well done.
  • The front desk team member who welcomed you and had you complete that “annoying” paperwork. (Which, I assure you, they weren’t thrilled about either…)
  • The grocery store clerk that is starting hour 8 of a 10-hour shift?

I hope that you have a strong end to your week! Thank you for taking a moment or two to read these heartfelt insights.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: There is power in His name

Rewind! Throwing it back to a forever-relevant post from a previous Easter. Cheering you on, friends!

What a wonderful name! WHAT A WONDERFUL DAY!

For Christians everywhere, today is the day that we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. For today, I thought I’d keep it simple and remind you of all Jesus can be in our lives (list below). I for one am thankful he is my counselor, teacher, and that his power shows up in every aspect of my life, providing peace, love, joy and forgiveness.

Have a wonderful week, and no matter what you celebrate today… you are loved indeed.

A short list of some of the names of Jesus:

Almighty   Rev 1:8

Alpha and Omega  Rev 1:8; 22:13

Author and Finisher   Heb 12:2

Beloved   Matt 12:18; Eph 1:6

Christ   Luke 9:20

Comforter   John 14:16

Counselor  Isa 9:6

Creator Isa 43:15; John 1:3; Col 1:16

Deliverer  Rom 11:26

Faithful and True  Rev 19:11

God of hope   Rom 15:13

Light of the World  John 8:12; 9:5

Lord of the Harvest  Matt 9:37-38

Lord of Peace  2 Thess 3:16

Mediator   1 Tim 2:5; Heb 8:6, 1 John 2:1

Rock  1 Cor 10:4

Physician  Matt 9:12

Shephard  Heb 13:20; 1 Pet 2:25; 5:4

Teacher  Mark  6:34; Luke 4:15; John 3:2

Victor John 16:33; Rev 3:21; 17:14

Wonderful  Rev 19:13


My top books of 2019 – so far

Happy Tuesday! Today’s a good day to share what I’ve learned so far this year through my readings. They have all been good, with Notorious RBG, The Art of Gathering & Joyful being my favs.

I picked one take away from each of them and shared it below. If you decide to grab one let me know what you think (or if you’ve read them already)! Have an amazing week!

The Messy Middle, by Scott Belsky – This is a leadership read that is pretty heavy in content (it took me a while to get through it and truly digest the information). One of my favorite insights was on “organizational debt,” which is “the idea of ‘bounty program’ … in this system, any employee who encounters a policy or process that is hindering their ability to deliver value to the customer can submit the policy/process and a recommendation to the program website. The idea is to incentivize everyone to bash inefficiencies and dumb practices that contribute to organizational debt.”

The Art of Gathering, by Priya Parker – So much amazing work in this book. I’d grab this one for sure if you like to read. One simple idea here: “If you want a lively but inclusive conversation as a core part of your gathering, eight to twelve people is the number you should consider. Smaller than eight, the group can lack diversity in perspective; larger than twelve, it begins to be difficult to give everyone a chance to speak.”

Girl, Wash Your Face, by Rachel Hollis – This book is just so fun. It’s a simple read/self help type of book with some profound thoughts. One particular idea that I liked: “1.) I went to therapy. 2.) I hustled for joy. (love, love, love this) 3.) I reordered my list.”

Woke Church, by Eric Mason – I read this alongside a beautiful young professional I sometimes get a chance to mentor. It’s a call to justice and about understanding how socioeconomic, philosophical and historical realities inform our responsibility. An abbreviated excerpt from the back of this book says it best: “The church in America should have rejected the first whispers of slavery. But we didn’t. We should have stopped segregation and Jim Crow before they affected communities. But we didn’t. We should have been woke, but we’ve been asleep.”

Joyful, by Ingrid Fetell Lee – A really interesting and fun read that covers the full gamut of joy. One idea I appreciated: “I began to notice that while the topic of work-life balance comes up frequently in media, play is largely absent from the conversation… The most joyful people I know manage to hold space for play in their adult lives (think playing a sport, family game night, etc.).

The 10X Rule, by Grant Cardone – A classic book that has been around for a bit. So many key parts to this, but the one I hadn’t heard and resonated the most: “You must keep adding wood until the fire is so hot that no one – and nothing – can put out your success.” This was a call to action around all areas of your life! Keep adding wood my friends to what’s important to you!

Notorious RBG, by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik – Honestly you should read this no matter what your political interests or otherwise area. This absolutely fun read about the life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Gisburg is terrific in at least 100 different ways. I love all of it, but this quote in the beginning received a few stars: While reading her dissent in a voting rights case, she quotes Martin Luther King directly, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,” she said, but then she added her own words: “If there is a steadfast commitment to see the task through to completion.” Now that is true and powerful.

The 5AM Club, by Robin Sharma – I have followed Sharma for many years and his latest is a great reminder of the power of taking over our days by starting out right. His section on the 4 focuses of history-makers is solid: 1) Capitalization IQ (“What makes a legendary performer so good isn’t the amount of natural talent they are born into, but the extent of that potential they actualize and capitalize.”) 2) Freedom from Distraction 3) Day Stacking 4) Personal Mastery practice.

Farsighted, by Steven Johnson – The book is all about how we make decisions and how to make better ones. His compelling first comments, “Countless studies have shown, humans are wired to resist losses more than to seek gains,” set you off on a deeper understanding of how our habits and even wiring may not help us make the best decisions and how we should consider understanding at a deeper level how to make better choices.

Chasing Daylight, by Eugene O’Kelly – I have blogged previously about this excellent, short read. Mr. Kelly wrote this book over his last few months after an unexpected illness took over his body at 53 years old. It’s a powerful reminder to to live intentionally. “To get the most out of each moment and day-and not just pass through it.”

Go deep: We need to build our root system

Throwback from 2017- some thoughts as you wrap up your week strong!

If you’ve ever stood under a redwood tree, you know that their height is something magnificent. And yet, the extent of their root system is shockingly not deep at 6-12 feet. So, how do we account for the crazy growth, with many reaching 300 feet tall? (The tallest pine measures in at 268 by comparison.)

“Redwoods create the strength to withstand powerful winds and floods by extending their roots more than 50 feet from the trunk and living in groves where their roots can intertwine.”

Perfect! Another cool illustration for how important going deep in your relationships is to your ability to grow and optimize your gifts. Of course, I love this – and so should you!

“Community” is what allows us to live a joy-filled life. (“Community” is also defined as families, friendship groups, circles, tribes, colleagues… you get my drift.)

To serve well, it is almost required that we are encouraged, held accountable and ultimately pushed toward our best self. For most of human history, this has been a normal part of life, starting out with the earliest Native American tribes and, for my generation, playing kickball in the street until well after the sun went down. Today, many find themselves immersed in technology and other distractions. That seems almost too obvious to state but when the shoe fits… Heck, I don’t even like to get out of my car to go in the bank. God forbid I can’t take care of business on my phone or through a machine.

I like the idea of going deep. I need to work more at this. I’d love to achieve the greatness of a redwood grove… to lock arms together with some amazing people and establish root systems that allow us all to grow and flourish.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Even in the rain…

On my drive into the neighborhood I often stop and take a photo of the lake. It occurred to me that I do this when it’s beautiful outside and the late-day sun is reflecting off of the water. It often provides some sort of deep relief as I take in the beauty. (I’m a rock solid Pisces who loves the water – from stomping in puddles to my fav, Table Rock Lake… it’s heaven on earth to me.)

As I drove in tonight, the rain drops on my driver side window captured me. Against the dark backdrop of the early spring rain falling – coupled with way-too-cold temperatures (if you ask me) – I immediately thought how beautiful life can be during all seasons. Here’s what I know…

EVEN if rain falls, we innately know that the rain brings forth the glory of spring and hope for warm days ahead.

EVEN if our days are hard, and at times overwhelming, God has provided a team of people around us that not only love and support us, but want to cheer us on and relish in that as their purpose.

EVEN if we don’t understand where God has us or our loved ones, we can know for sure that when the clouds clear out (and if we quiet our souls enough to really listen and observe…) that we are exactly where we were or are supposed to be.

I need to be more present in the rain and in the days of wondering. We all rise together, so I hope today we can commit to remembering that EVEN when we find ourselves in gentle rain, shoulders down, ducking the weather, or in a downright powerhouse rain storm, that we look up and find the beauty. It is definitely there… That’s God’s promise to us all.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Great is our God

I have heard this song so many times, and never thought of it in the way that was shared at Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia a year ago. Here’s what they shared:

Great is our God….

In where he has positioned us in this world.
(May we grow where he has planted us.)
In our relationships
In our careers
In our finances
In our dreams…

I absolutely LOVED THIS perspective.

Essentially, “great is our God” in all of the areas of our life. If we choose to focus on the good and even great, it can be found anywhere. We were all born at this specific time in the world for a reason, each with a destined purpose to love those around us and to achieve the purpose set for us by using the gifts we have been given.

To me, that is the fun part. Understanding both my gifts and the gifts of those God has put in my “circle of life” so to speak and working together to do something magical.

As you go into your week, go out and do something MAGICAL. Great is our God indeed.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Trust the re-route

I absolutely love this.

Actually, let’s re-phrase that… I have grown to love the idea of this. God has taken me on some crazy paths in my life, and often they have (at least in the end) made sense. Some, on the other hand, make me wonder “what the heck was that all about?” Sure, the twist and turns of life are what makes it interesting, but also downright scary sometimes.

Yesterday, I came across a scripture (Exodus 14:13-14) that I have needed to remember many times in my life. Actually, make that two scriptures. The second, was on a sign over my bed at summer camp a few years ago. It was new to me, and one that has given me great comfort in those scary times.

The first: “But Moses told the people, ‘Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today.” Isn’t that amazing? I have often needed God to be on a rescue mission for me and those I love. In fact, as I type this, I have several friends going through pure hell who are in need or rescue. I’m praying this over them right this minute.

The second: “The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” WOW. That is the one that hung over my bed. I walked into the room for night one of camp and while I’m not sure what season I was in on that day, the message sunk deep in my soul. I know I needed to surrender and let Him do the fighting. My human spirit had had enough, and could no longer muster up the strength to take on whatever giant I was trying to take to battle. I needed to surrender.

As you go through this week and connect with others, I hope that you will keep these two front and center. Trust the re-reroute. God has you and those whom you love absolutely covered. When trust is hard – because for me, it always is for some reason – remember that He is fighting for you. Stay calm and watch.

Have a simply beautiful week.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: What does a victorious life look like?

WOOHOO! I’m 13 days into my annual Daniel Fast as you read this (assuming I make it a few more hours today… I have to say, not giving in to nachos at the Chiefs playoff WIN was a challenge). I often have people ask what I am “learning” during the fast, and I have to say so far it has been pretty clear that God is calling me to pray more specific prayers.

What does victory look like your life? What prayers might you ask that would provide that for you? I heard someone once ask “What would change in the world if all of your prayers were answered tomorrow?” Would they change your world, or would they go deeper and make our world better? That always gets me, because I definitely need to work on that!

I’m ready to step into this week asking for some clear and specific outcomes. I know God isn’t a genie and isn’t going to answer them all right away, but I fully believe that He will provide a clear “go ahead” or a clear “no” at the right time. I also believe that whether I like the response or not, the answer is perfect for me at this point in time.

“Ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you.” – Matthew 7:7

I for sure am praying for VICTORY for all of our lives as we embark on another week, and another opportunity to make a difference in the world we’ve been assigned.

Who are you at your best?

An idea I ran across for the new year was to write a three paragraph statement of who I am at my best. Hmm… Although I like to write, I’m not much for these types of exercises, and prefer a simple, bulleted approach. I figure I can be vulnerable a bit in this space, so here is what I know for sure without giving it a lot of thought. (In other words, I’m sure there are a host of things I’m missing.)

I’m at my best when…

  1. My spiritual life is on point and active.
  2. I am disciplined around my health, including fitness and eating mostly right (I have to have queso… anyone else?).
  3. My tribe of family and friends (I include colleagues here) are part of my regular schedule.
  4. My personal tribe of family and friends are thriving and happy.
  5. I am absolutely on my game in my career.
  6. I have MARGIN… margin in time to think, read, write, margin in my finances, margin in pretty much every area…

What about you? Is it worth it to take some time to identify what being your best looks like? I can easily go through the list above and see some areas that I would like to focus more on. Focus meaning intentional (and sometimes hard) work to just MAKE IT HAPPEN. Making it happen can mean sacrifice and saying no – or maybe even saying yes. It might mean that instead of spending a Saturday doing what I need and want, that I invest time with my tribe.

I can also see by looking at the list that some things are in conflict, such as that little tribe example. Margin isn’t easy to come by anyway, and harder if you also know it’s a competing priority. Here’s the thing: sometimes we have to actually think through “What is the best yes?”

In this season, in this moment, what do I need more – margin or time with friends? There isn’t a wrong answer, and we need to remember that. It’s all good as long as you are working toward your BEST LIFE.