One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one's work is terribly important. ~Bertrand Russell
To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there. ~Barbara Bush
It's been an ironic paradox that the more I have been sought by my Friends, my clients, while continuing to maintain my Family balance and Faith as my core Principles, the less time I have devoted to writing. I jokingly remind myself that there will be time enough for writing when clients cease to engage me.
Reflecting back upon my last article nearly five months ago--and smiling at the mutually-profitable connections I have made with new Friends as a result--I find myself today once again applying those same timeless lessons to myself amidst a Family situation many of us have faced.
...Last evening, following a day focused upon a thoroughly-fulfilling Process Improvement engagement for a corporate client, I arrived home with just enough time to eat Supper and chat with my beautiful Bride before we were to depart for Mass. After Mass, I would have attended a Commission meeting before heading back home for the night.
God had a different plan for me and my Family the moment our six-year-old Daughter called us from upstairs following the sudden onset of a stomach bug. Details can be spared, but needless to say we embraced and comforted our tear-stricken Daughter, then set to sharing duties as my Bride attended to the bath and I to the carpet cleaning.
Without hesitation, I sent word soon after that I would not be in attendance at my meeting, and recognizing that the following day would not avail our daughter of school attendance, I cancelled my schedule for the following day to be exactly where I needed to be. My Bride made necessary phone calls to notify school, teacher, etc. of our Daughter's impending absence, and arranged to take the second day off if necessary.
Yes, we three were awakened several times throughout the overnight...changing bedding, washing up, comforting our Patient. Today I have laundered much bedding, bath linen, and clothing--not quite the project and meetings in which I had engaged the prior day. But today I have persevered and smiled as our Daughter, between uncharacteristic naps, has optimistically and whimsically declared war on the germs that have derailed her.
I am exactly where God, my Bride, and our Daughter need me to be today. We only have today, as there are no promises of tomorrow. In my business, I strive to always stay within the client's budget; to exceed expectations; to execute the deliverables ahead of schedule--BUT above all, I make no apologies for having built my Family's foundation upon the bedrock of our Faith. I am accountable to God today and at my final hour as I stand before Him at Judgment to faithfully recount my Stewardship of his Entrustment to me.
...Yes, I conduct my business with that very same level of Integrity. Tomorrow I will be serving my Friends again in one-on-one and group sessions to achieve their outcomes, but ever at my core will be my Principles of which I have been most fully reminded this day. Thank You, Lord, for a Life: Fully Lived!
TODAY'S QUESTION: Do we recognize God's Will for us in Life's "interruptions" and "inconveniences"?
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Thursday, October 14, 2010
PATHWAY TO VICTORY
"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." --Proverbs 3:5-6
"Happiness is that state of consciousness which proceeds from the achievement of one's values." --Ayn Rand
For me, my Faith in God eases my path daily. Inevitably each of us will face challenges en route to achieving our aims, but I have always believed that we are strengthened to overcome those challenges when we have named and embraced our Core Values. As we approach the November election, living our Values and our Faith in all of our daily actions remains imperative.
The courage to live our core values must eminate consistently from within, lest we habitually subsume our core values to society's expectations. The elected officials and corporate executives I admire most consistently live values-driven lives. Their power springs forth from genuine Faith and Knowledge, discerning right from wrong even when the simpler, more popular path might provide immediate gratification.
Leaders--of families, of businesses, of schools, of elected bodies--adhere to their values and remain aware of the guideposts provided by God in all matters. Parents provide discipline even when giving in to a child's demands might appear easier. Executives strategically plan for the future even when satisfying the public's appetite for glowing quarterly financial results might garner more favorable press.
True happiness lies not in today's perceived victory but in every day's genuine victory. Be not afraid to rely upon your Faith, to prayerfully go to your God for guidance, to act upon your core values, for at the end of the evening you will be able to lay your head upon the pillow for deep and peaceful rest. Your victory must also be God's victory for His people.
TODAY'S QUESTION: As YOU approach the November election, have YOU gone to the Lord in prayer regarding your strategy, your objectives, and your concerns?
"Happiness is that state of consciousness which proceeds from the achievement of one's values." --Ayn Rand
For me, my Faith in God eases my path daily. Inevitably each of us will face challenges en route to achieving our aims, but I have always believed that we are strengthened to overcome those challenges when we have named and embraced our Core Values. As we approach the November election, living our Values and our Faith in all of our daily actions remains imperative.
The courage to live our core values must eminate consistently from within, lest we habitually subsume our core values to society's expectations. The elected officials and corporate executives I admire most consistently live values-driven lives. Their power springs forth from genuine Faith and Knowledge, discerning right from wrong even when the simpler, more popular path might provide immediate gratification.
Leaders--of families, of businesses, of schools, of elected bodies--adhere to their values and remain aware of the guideposts provided by God in all matters. Parents provide discipline even when giving in to a child's demands might appear easier. Executives strategically plan for the future even when satisfying the public's appetite for glowing quarterly financial results might garner more favorable press.
True happiness lies not in today's perceived victory but in every day's genuine victory. Be not afraid to rely upon your Faith, to prayerfully go to your God for guidance, to act upon your core values, for at the end of the evening you will be able to lay your head upon the pillow for deep and peaceful rest. Your victory must also be God's victory for His people.
TODAY'S QUESTION: As YOU approach the November election, have YOU gone to the Lord in prayer regarding your strategy, your objectives, and your concerns?
Saturday, November 14, 2009
GENUINELY PRO-LIFE HEALTH CARE LEGISLATION
"Happy those concerned for the lowly and poor; when misfortune strikes, the Lord delivers them...
The Lord sustains them on their sickbed, allays the malady when they are ill." [Psalm 41:2,4]
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former." [Matthew 23:23]
If we are to engage in honest, Christ-focused debate amidst crafting truly comprehensive health care legislation and retake the lead in ensuring that a bill emerges that will reduce costs to businesses, protect human life at ALL stages, and encourage further medical technology innovation, we must restrain our urge to communicate solely via cable news soundbites and caustic blog postings.
Jesus valued LIFE...ALL life. We tend to focus so much upon the blight caused by abortion that we neglect to speak to the truths of those already born and suffering (children, seniors, etc.). Jesus cared for and encouraged others to care for the poor, the children, the sick, the widows.
He did not employ a partisan litmus test before administering healing. Jesus did not come only to heal one party, one gender, or one economic class to the exclusion of others, and the Lord's message as told to us through Scripture is no less poignant and clear today than it was thousands of years ago: "Do unto others as you would have done unto you." Be not a modern day Pharisee, but be a Light upon the Hill.
Instead of fighting AGAINST health care legislation, why don't we Conservatives retake the high ground in the debate and restore our principles to the legilation in a manner that will allow us to go back to our Districts and be able to share with our constituents our pro-active efforts on their behalf. Cancer doesn't evade conservatives' children, nor does dementia evade their elderly parents. Being uninsured after a job loss is not limited only to members of the liberal caste. Wouldn't we benefit more if we could stand before our constituents back home, men and women, young and old, Republican and Democrat, business owner and retiree, and tell them of our SUCCESS in fighting for ALL OF THEM.
Personally, I wish Ronald Reagan and Lee Atwater could have been with us longer...Why don't we retake the initiative on this legislation, build consensus around God-fearing, pro-life, fiscally responsible free market principles, and be heralded in history as the party that governed our citizenry with compassion and delivered REAL HEALTH CARE REFORM. Or, as I heard a pastor say once, "Be Jesus to others in all of your affairs, as you may be the ONLY Jesus that someone encounters today."
TODAY'S QUESTION: How can YOU embrace the Lord's Word in the health care debate so that YOUR principles are encompassed in the final legislation in a manner that benefits ALL of God's children?
The Lord sustains them on their sickbed, allays the malady when they are ill." [Psalm 41:2,4]
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former." [Matthew 23:23]
If we are to engage in honest, Christ-focused debate amidst crafting truly comprehensive health care legislation and retake the lead in ensuring that a bill emerges that will reduce costs to businesses, protect human life at ALL stages, and encourage further medical technology innovation, we must restrain our urge to communicate solely via cable news soundbites and caustic blog postings.
Jesus valued LIFE...ALL life. We tend to focus so much upon the blight caused by abortion that we neglect to speak to the truths of those already born and suffering (children, seniors, etc.). Jesus cared for and encouraged others to care for the poor, the children, the sick, the widows.
He did not employ a partisan litmus test before administering healing. Jesus did not come only to heal one party, one gender, or one economic class to the exclusion of others, and the Lord's message as told to us through Scripture is no less poignant and clear today than it was thousands of years ago: "Do unto others as you would have done unto you." Be not a modern day Pharisee, but be a Light upon the Hill.
Instead of fighting AGAINST health care legislation, why don't we Conservatives retake the high ground in the debate and restore our principles to the legilation in a manner that will allow us to go back to our Districts and be able to share with our constituents our pro-active efforts on their behalf. Cancer doesn't evade conservatives' children, nor does dementia evade their elderly parents. Being uninsured after a job loss is not limited only to members of the liberal caste. Wouldn't we benefit more if we could stand before our constituents back home, men and women, young and old, Republican and Democrat, business owner and retiree, and tell them of our SUCCESS in fighting for ALL OF THEM.
Personally, I wish Ronald Reagan and Lee Atwater could have been with us longer...Why don't we retake the initiative on this legislation, build consensus around God-fearing, pro-life, fiscally responsible free market principles, and be heralded in history as the party that governed our citizenry with compassion and delivered REAL HEALTH CARE REFORM. Or, as I heard a pastor say once, "Be Jesus to others in all of your affairs, as you may be the ONLY Jesus that someone encounters today."
TODAY'S QUESTION: How can YOU embrace the Lord's Word in the health care debate so that YOUR principles are encompassed in the final legislation in a manner that benefits ALL of God's children?
Thursday, May 21, 2009
COMPROMISING POSITIONS
We may hear phrases like, "Go with the flow"..."Don't be so stubborn"..."Why do you always have to stick to your principles?"...and the like. What do YOU do when faced with that cajoling, thinly veiling the underlying implication that your position is too rigid and should be cast aside?
I do not pretend to say that which is a principle for you, a truth for you is absolutely a principle or a truth for me. Certainty, except in foundational matters, is in the eye of the beholder. But YOUR principles are your principles.
Trust your instincts. You can recognize the difference between a preference for which you will yield on occasion versus a bedrock principle for which you would lay down your life. Throughout life we are faced with tension from others (and occasionally from ourselves, our "inner demons") when the temptation to set aside that which is right for us appears to be getting in the way of what other options beckon.
He who pushes you to abandon that which you hold dear may simply mean well and want company on his journey. But beware the alternative, the insidious invitation designed to separate you from your principles. One might think of matters of faith, honor, chastity perhaps. Each of us knows in our hearts how we define those positions for which compromise is not an option we would choose.
Compromise should always remain an option for matters of mere preference. But do not fall victim to the urgings of the misguided or the miscreant, but instead hold true to your own uncompromising positions.
TODAY'S QUESTION: What ideals or truths are you unwilling to compromise?
I do not pretend to say that which is a principle for you, a truth for you is absolutely a principle or a truth for me. Certainty, except in foundational matters, is in the eye of the beholder. But YOUR principles are your principles.
Trust your instincts. You can recognize the difference between a preference for which you will yield on occasion versus a bedrock principle for which you would lay down your life. Throughout life we are faced with tension from others (and occasionally from ourselves, our "inner demons") when the temptation to set aside that which is right for us appears to be getting in the way of what other options beckon.
He who pushes you to abandon that which you hold dear may simply mean well and want company on his journey. But beware the alternative, the insidious invitation designed to separate you from your principles. One might think of matters of faith, honor, chastity perhaps. Each of us knows in our hearts how we define those positions for which compromise is not an option we would choose.
Compromise should always remain an option for matters of mere preference. But do not fall victim to the urgings of the misguided or the miscreant, but instead hold true to your own uncompromising positions.
TODAY'S QUESTION: What ideals or truths are you unwilling to compromise?
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