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Rick

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Growth Environment

I've been plugged in to a Leadership Development Program for almost five years now, and the following from John Maxwell re-affirmed for me why;

From John C. Maxwell's book “Your Road Map for Success” (pg 107)

Create a Growth Environment

I mentioned before that commitment to continual growth has it's difficult moments as well as it's rewarding ones. But there is a way to make the journey more enjoyable overall: you can live in a climate conducive to growth. Just as the growth of tropical fish is limited by the size of the aquarium in which they live, you are affected by your environment. If your current circumstances do nothing to help you grow, you're going to have a hard time enlarging yourself to reach your potential.

That's why it's crucial to create an environment of growth around you. That kind of place should look like this:

• Others are ahead of you: When you surround yourself with people from whom you can learn – instead of just people who are learning from you – you are more likely to grow.

• You are still challenged: Complacency kills growth.

• Your focus is forward: If you're thinking more about the past than the future, your growth has probably stopped.

• The atmosphere is affirming: Industrialist Charles Schwab said, “I have yet to find the man, however exalted his station, who did not do better work and put forth greater effort under a spirit of approval than under a spirit of criticism.” The same is true not only of work but also of growth.

• You are out of your comfort zone: Growth requires risk. Ronald E. Osborne stated, “Unless you do something beyond what you've already mastered, you will never grow.”

• Others are growing: When it comes to growth, it's better to swim in a school than to try to do everything on your own.

• There is a willingness to change: Clayton G. Orcutt declared, “Change itself is not progress, but change is the price that we pay for progress.” If everyone in your current situation isn't willing to pay that price, growth will be especially difficult.

• Growth is modeled and expected: In the best possible environment, growth is not only allowed, but leaders model it and expect it from everyone. And when that happens, everyone's potential is off the charts.

The more positive the environment, the more rapid your growth is able to be. A life of continual growth is never easy, but a good environment makes the swim upstream a little less difficult. And it makes that trip much more pleasurable.

Every item on the list above is fulfilled for me with my involvement with Team. I am so glad to have met Chris & Kristen, and especially that they never have given up on us.

I am so blessed that I didn't have to create the growth environment, I only need to choose to be a part of it.

Reading - quick quote

Ray Bradbury - "You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them"


Also, from a DVD I just watched;

Learning takes no courage – it's the application that's scary!

THE BOOK - in my pocket

I realized that I might be giving the impression that I only read these books.

Actually, my primary reading comes from THE BOOK. I have a Bible program for my Palm-based organizer. I have used it for a couple of years now.

Most recently, I started a rotation of;

• one chapter from the Old Testament
• a Psalm (unless I'm on Psalm 119 - that takes a few sessions)
• a Proverb
• one chapter from the New Testament

So, my current bookmarks indicate that I'm at;

• Leviticus 19
• Psalm 75
• Proverbs 8
• James 2

I also have Isaiah 58 bookmarked. I was challenged by a friend to read it, and I still haven't read it enough (it's probably been about 30 or 40 times - it takes a lot of repetition to "get it", and I'm certainly not there yet)

Not me speaking on this one

This posting really affected me. I think sometimes my motives aren't pure.

I want this to be how I treat people;

Leadership Conduct - The World is Watching

To go even further, it's not just the world watching. God is with me. He is who I want to impress.

Thinking about Evidence

I just finished reading "Is God Past His Sell-by Date?" by John Blanchard. There were a lot of perspectives I had never considered before. It made me want to quickly read "Meet the real Jesus", another one of Blanchard's books.

In the past, I had resisted reading books supporting rational proof for believing in God as I sought to rely on a child-like faith. I think I may have been afraid that the scientific evidence would contradict a faith in God. But instead - the more I read about evidence for my faith, the more my faith is supported.

How could I have thought differently? I think it's just that, as an engineer - the bulk of the science I have been exposed to has been devoid of any mention of God. Come to think of it, the bulk of the theology I have been exposed to has been devoid of science. In the words of Jim Collins in "Good to Great"; it's time to "confront the brutal reality". I need to apply that thinking in all areas.

God is faithful

From todays' sermon;

1 Corinthians 1:9

God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

Faithful. He keeps His promises. His love will never fail. He will never leave me, nor forsake me. I can count on Him.

God is bigger than my problems. It's time to dig the ditches, and act on my belief.

What will you do with that freedom?

This posting made me want to see Braveheart again. J and I just finished watching.

Orrin quoted this;

"I am William Wallace, and I see a whole army of my countrymen, here in defiance of tyranny. You've come to fight as free men, and free men you are. What will you do with that freedom? Will you fight?

Aye, fight and you may die, run and you'll live. At least a while. And dying in your beds many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance, just one chance to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take our freedom."

Our fight is against tyranny, but not a tyranny that threatens to kill us physically. Instead, and much worse; one that is after our very souls.

Attitude

I didn't watch the video yet, but I was impressed by these quotes;

Attitude is reframing the thinking about the events in your life to empower you towards victory, instead of disempowering you towards defeat. – Orrin Woodward

If you don't get everything you want, think of the things you don't get that you don't want. - Oscar Wilde
(reminds me of the Newsboys song - "real good thing")

Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same. - Francesca Reigler

Every thought is a seed. If you plant crab apples, don't count on harvesting Golden Delicious. - Bill Meyer

Whenever you fall, pick something up. - Oswald Avery