4 Recent Blog Posts I Recommend
1) Don’t follow your passion – follow your effort by Mark Cuban
”Follow Your Passion” is easily the worst advice you could ever give or get. Why? Because everyone is passionate about something. Usually more than 1 thing. We are born with it. There are always going to be things we love to do. That we dream about doing. That we really really want to do with our lives. Those passions aren’t worth a nickel . . .
2) One hour a day will make a difference by Carrie Wilkerson
. . . The key for this is to focus on one or two priority tasks. Ideally, this is one to two income-producing tasks or things that have been slowing your progress. This is not a delivery time. This is not for coaching calls or ‘old business.’ What have you been putting off? What are you late on delivering? What is nagging at you? What are you scared of? . . .
3) Simple Leadership by Thom Rainer
. . . every organization needs leaders who can provide simplicity. The complex organizations of today are the dying organizations of tomorrow. Let’s look at some keys to simple thinking for leaders. My list is not exhaustive, but it may prove to be a worthy starting point. I think it applies to pastors, CEOs, managers, and almost anyone else in a leadership position . . .
4) Top 10 temptations that leaders face by Perry Noble
. . . #8 Believing that a particularly tough season is always going to last and allowing thoughts of negativity and the voice of critics to drive you to an unhealthy place where you find yourself always wanting to be alone and refuse to trust anyone . . .
What if there’s a job out there that pays more? What if there’s a job out there that’ll make you more happy?
Synthetic Happiness
Dan Gilbert’s book, Stumbling upon Happiness describes the human brain’s unique ability to create what he calls “synthetic happiness” even when things don’t go the way we want.
For example, Gilbert claims when Obama or Romney lose their presidential bid this November, he will claim years from now he is happier and better off because he lost. His brain will produce a “synthetic happiness” causing him to believe that unexpected opportunities or growth resulted from his loss which a win wouldn’t have produced.
The Exception
According to Gilbert, there is only one exception. The freedom to change your mind is the enemy of synthetic happiness. In other words, if you’re given a new job with all of the perks you think would make you happy, you’ll only enjoy it if your decision to take the new job is irreversible. However, if you’re allowed to “try the job” with the option of returning to your old job anytime, you’re less likely to be happy. Why? Because the freedom to change your mind is the enemy of synthetic happiness. Gilbert calls this, “the unanticipated joy of totally being stuck.”
The Grass Is Greener
As the world has become more connected, you have unprecedented freedom to consider more jobs options. Yet I would guess overall job satisfaction is lower.
The quickest way to become unhappy with your job is to continually search for another one. Even if you’re not in your “dream job”, you’ll likely enjoy it more if you’re committed to it. But when you constantly pursue something “better”, you’re on a fast track to unhappiness.
Where ever God has placed you, be fully present.
Top 3 Posts in April
5 Ways to Discern God’s Voice
We live in a noisy world. With all of these voices how do you identify God’s?
When you’re facing a critical decision, what is your process of making sure you’re hearing from God?
There are 5 identifiers that help you distinguish God’s voice, according to Charles Stanley:
1) The message must be consistent with Scripture.
2) The message will usually be in conflict with the mainstream of conventional human wisdom.
3) The message will clash with self gratification and basic human lusts.
4) The message will challenge one’s faith to rise to a new level.
5) The message will call for personal courage to do what God has said or to change what God has said to change.
You can read more of Stanley’s thoughts on this by getting his book Listening to God by clicking HERE.
3 Ways to Guard Your Heart When Criticized
Let’s be real. You’ve been criticized and you will be criticized again. I don’t like it and neither do you. But when you lead, criticism is a cruel reality.
Criticism attempts to attack your heart. It can be sneaky. When you’re criticized, you will be tempted to put all of your energy into responding to the critic. You may need to. However, dealing with the critic is the least important response. The most important response is deciding how you will guard your own heart.
Here are 3 ways I recommend guarding your heart from criticism:
1) Search for any truth
I don’t like being criticized. People who criticize are uncool.
Critics often say things that are completely untrue. Sometimes they say things that are 75% false and 25% true.
It would be easy to focus on the critic’s lie and ignore a morsel of truth. However, your desire is to please God. So if you discover anything about you that doesn’t please Him, work to fix it regardless of who revealed it.
Your emotions will limit your ability to do this. Find a wise person who loves you enough to be honest with you. Then ask them to evaluate the critic’s claim and search for truth.
2) Trust that God sees all
“You’ll be tempted to respond. Don’t! Trust that the Righteous Judge sees all.”
Those were the words of a wise pastor who counseled a young pastor being wrongly criticized. I was that young pastor. I obeyed his advise and several years later I’m so grateful I did.
3) Stay focused on God’s purposes
If you’re focused on you, you won’t deal with critics well.
David had been king but later left the throne to run for his life because the people had turned against him. While he was down he was cursed, taunted, and criticized. In fact, one man traveled along with David and his army just to criticize him! (2 Samuel 16) Can you imagine that?! Not cool.
David eventually became king again and immediately the same criticizing man begged for forgiveness. Imagine the temptation David must have felt to repay this constant critic in his life! However, immediately David forgave him. Why? Because David was laser-focused on God’s purpose – becoming the kind of king that honored God. (2 Sam. 19)
God’s purpose for your life burns deep in your heart. Don’t let critics steal your focus.
When you’re criticized, above all else guard your heart!
HERE’S a good article offering tips on dealing with online criticism.
How to Create Resonance When You Speak
Almost every leader will have to speak publicly at some point. Are you prepared to speak effectively? When you speak do you touch people deeply so they’ll make something beautiful?
At one of the labs at Catalyst West last week, I heard Nancy Duarte share some practical insight on effective public speaking.
According to Duarte, the overarching speaking goal is to create resonance!
What is resonance? We’ll get to that.
After studying effective speeches throughout history, Nancy noticed there is a visual pattern that effective speeches follow.
Pattern = What is, what could be, what is, what could be, what is, what could be, then new bliss (new norm/utopian/beautiful).
Here’s the visual pattern: (I took pic w/iPhone so it’s a bit grainy)
Speaker develops pattern by first establishing the “Big idea”. Big idea = your point of view plus the stakes (POV + stakes).
Ask this question: What’s at stake? If there’s nothing to persuade – why preach? Establish what’s at stake!
After establishing what’s at skate, cast the vision for “what could be” and continue to contrast “what is” and “what could be”. That creates resonance in the heart of the audience. Resonance is what allows you to touch people deeply so they’ll make something beautiful.
Nancy Duarte just published her new book: Resonate which you can order HERE. You can check out her website HERE or follow her on twitter HERE.
Are you trying to build a platform (social media, write a book, build a business, etc.)? Don’t be discouraged but there are currently more than 164 million blogs. It’s noisy out here. BTW, thanks for dropping by in the middle of your noisy day. 
If you want to build a platform Michael Hyatt suggests 5 planks (these are my notes from Michael Hyatt’s lab at Catalyst West):
Plank 1: Start with WOW
Under-promise and over-deliver. “Great marketing only makes a bad product fail faster.” You have to build a compelling product. WOW is the positive gap between expectation and the end product. Strive for WOW!
Plank 2: Prepare to Launch
Think bigger! If it’s not compelling enough for your own imagination why should anyone else be captivated?
Plank 3: Build Your Home Base
HOME BASE = your Blog
EMBASSY = FB, twitter, and pinterest
OUTPOSTS = Google alert & RSS feeds where you’re listening and talking occasionally.
Plank 4: Expand Your Reach
Modern-day marketing is sharing. Focus on adding value. Social media rewards generosity. We pay attention to “givers” not “takers”.
Plank 5: Engage Your Tribe
It’s not a monologue. Lead a conversation. This generation believes they have something to contribute and want to be invited in. Obey the “20:1 RULE”. For every ask make 20 deposits.
You can follow Michael Hyatt’s blog HERE or on twitter HERE. If you’d like to further explore how you can build your platform, you can sign-up to order Michael Hyatt’s new book HERE.
