As different as we are, so are the traits and behaviors used to get what we want.  We also require certain words or behaviors to convince or persuade us in one way or the other.

What do you buy with?  Do you use character or dishonesty, friendliness or scare tactics, persistence or excuses, action or hope, faith or fear?  You determine not only where you go in life, but your growth in life.  In what condition will you be when you get to your goal?  Would you be stronger, exhausted or overwhelmed?  Would you be ashamed of the words and deeds employed to reach your goals?  Have you made valuable and even life-long connections or have you destroyed friendships?  Endeavor to use real and valuable currency instead of counterfeit, knowing you would be able to make the purchase you want and be proud of it (Gal 6:9).

In contrast, what sells you?  What would someone have to do to convince you that they are sorry for what they did to you?  Is it seeing them suffer in pain from your hostility or silence toward them?  Or is it a smile with a sincere apology?  A friendly conversation or an expensive gift, a hug or consistent friendly behavior for a certain period?  Do you find it difficult to forgive your neighbor even for misdeeds committed months or even years ago?  Unforgiveness is like a poison you take hoping for the other person to die.  When you forgive, it is primarily for your well-being.  Fortunately, it also does well for the offender.  Just as how you wish that someone would cut you some slack, or just forget about your offense, forgive (Matt 6:15).  Sure, you should speak up if you are wronged but forgive if an apology is offered (Luke 17:3).

 

Your Currency

 

With what do you shop?

Character, a smile, trickery or a mean stop?

Do you persevere when a new page feels like a rock?

Hard to turn and keeps vision in the present – in a lock?

Or do you wither in a famine of gains?

Revive your champion soul and again grab the reins!

 

What is it that sells you?

Is it paralyzing suffering by your maddening silence?

Or just a contrite spirit with solemn reverence?

Must their pain from your frigid actions endure for eternity?

Or is your forgiveness as swift as your whip of enmity?

 

You make the choice to debilitate or enrich your life

There is the path of anger, vengeance and strife

Or instead forgiveness and assuming the good

Make the choice you’d hope another would

Do you know that you have your own unique style of leadership?  One thing that makes one leader more effective than another is recognizing his or her strengths from weaknesses and operating in those strengths. Another thing is promoting the strengths of team members. 

According to Rath and Conchie in their book Strengths Based Leadership: Great Leaders, Teams, and Why People Followthere are four domains of Leadership Strengths and at least eight characteristics for each.  I have noted only three in each domain here.

Rath and Conchie also gave one example of a successful leader in each style.  Wendy Kopp, the Executing style,  founded Teach for America, an organization created to offer quality education to students in communities not able to afford it.  With an Influencing theme, Simon Cooper, president of Ritz-Carlton, improved the brand to “a new level of excellence.”  Mervyn Davies, Chairman of Standard Chartered Bank, used his deep seated concern for people, in his Relationship Building style, to foster a culture in which employees took ownership of the company.  Brad Anderson, CEO of Best Buy, exemplified Strategic Thinking.  He led the company to shift from commissioned sales which made customers not feel pressured to buy when they browsed.  Other stores eventually did the same.

You may not be leading an enterprise or group, yet, but you have the potential to. Focus on what is in your sphere of influence and it will expand – possibly to bigger than you imagine.  The bible tells of a master who on his way out of town shared his goods among his three servants according to their abilities.  Unfortunately one of them did not invest his talent and earned no interest on it.  When the master returned he took the talent away and gave it to another servant who multiplied his (Matt 25: 14-28).  Do you have a talent you are not developing?  Lead it to bring you the fulfillment you crave. 

 

You Can Lead

In all of us the leader stands or lays

Stands, symbolizing confidence and action

Or lays, for doubt and fear to pursue gifted ways

That grows you to lead in your sphere for rewarding reactions

 

Do not compare yourself to others who seem more successful

Hello, you do not possess their skills

You have your own talents and passion for actions willful

Actions great or small that move you closer to what indeed fulfills

 

Again, lead what you have into growth

Take if even little action, today, be bold

Later you may be further than you know

Then you can teach your triumph untold

One evening I went to a live comedy show where the main act was a hypnotist.  He warmed up the crowd with a few jokes and eventually asked for volunteers to join him on stage.  You could feel the hesitation in the room since nobody wanted to be made to look like a fool.  Certainly everyone had heard that under hypnosis you will be doing things you would not normally do.  He calmed fears by reiterating that although you may be hypnotized, you will still have the choice to act on his suggestions.   When he was finished establishing his credibility and even explaining that you will feel refreshed after the exercise he asked again for people to come up.  This time all seats filled up within seconds.  

He led volunteers into deep relaxation by having them slow down their breathing.  During this most crucial time of the performance, the audience was to remain quiet.  After this conditioning segment, the crowd was allowed to laugh audibly.  It was fascinating that during hypnosis, even after volunteers were asked to open their eyes, they responded to suggestions as if they were based on reality but were not.  For example, while their eyes were closed he told them they were stuck to their chairs, their friends and family in the audience left without them and they needed to devise a plan to get home.  Sure enough when instructed to open their eyes, they acted as if stuck to their chairs, and became annoyed when they peered into the audience and did not see anyone.  Then they frantically started planning an alternative way to get home.  They had a false sense of reality because they were hypnotized.

Are you hypnotized today?  Perhaps you may think that you are not smart enough, strong enough or courageous enough to undertake a certain challenge.  Maybe you feel that you are too old to pursue a certain dream or you have been defeated too many times to try again and be successful.  But who told you this and more importantly why do you believe it?  You have a choice!  You may need a guidance or someone to hold you accountable but do not give up on your goal.  Not only can we do all things through Jesus who gives us strength (Phil 4:13) but He wants us to act with boldness, power and intelligence (2 Tim 1:7) in our undertakings.  I prefer to be hypnotized in this way!

 

Hypnotized

When indeed under the spell of hypnosis

What you perceive as reality is truly amiss

To the world you may seem as if present

But your faulty reference makes you absent

 

It is then crucial to whom we listen and what we believe

For your very survival and destiny you may never perceive

Maintain focus on the positive, the good and the optimistic

Then your world will be somewhere that’s most realistic