Good morning, Team!  It’s Friday!

{Prepare yourself for a little ramble this morning…it’ll be worth it}

The biggest question that rattles around in my/our/most people’s subconscious after

•“What do I eat?”

and

•“Where will I sleep?”

is

•“Why am I here?” / “Where am I going?”

Maybe this will help…

Each of us are blessed with gifts.  If you don’t know what yours are yet, I suggest you sit down and do a quick inventory.  You might want to calibrate it with a few people who know you best.  My list would start with:

Complex problem solving

Perceptiveness

Candor

What do you do with your gifts?

How do I maximize my contribution to society with my gifts and…(here’s the tricky part)…maintain a quality of life I aspire to (or have grown accustom to)?

Let’s start by what not to do:

•Don’t worry about your carcass

Seems counter intuitive but selflessness and humility are a good foundation for any temple.

•Don’t take everything on your shoulders

Another hard thing to get past … but this ain’t “your show” (despite what every single social pressure would suggest).   Think about it.  You’re a product of divine selection.  Did you have anything to do with getting here?  Nope.  Did you decide what country, color, language, economic status, brains, looks, health you currently enjoy?  Nope.   So why do you all of a sudden think you’re in control of the next step?

The only thing you CAN do once you discover your independence is take an inventory of your gifts.

After inventory, list what you’ve done with the gifts and what you want to do.   Gaining clarity on this will require reflection.  (See last weeks blog for tips).

At 54, I’ve been:

a son, brother, husband, father and grandfather

a giver, taker, fighter and lover

a follower, leader, (lifelong) learner, and teacher

Before I pass, I hope to:

Leverage my experiences combined with my gifts to

•Create genuine value

•Influence positive and lasting change (one relationship at a time)

•Demonstrate that even the most hardened soul can repent, rejoice and reimagine

Beginning with the end in mind (sometimes provoked by “What will your eulogy sound like?” or “What will be etched on your headstone?”) gives me pause.

Am I a good person?  Debatable

What did I do with my gifts so far?  The only answer I can come up with is, “Not enough.”

Scott Hunter, in his book Unshackled Leadership retells an old Cherokee Indian story that demonstrates the choice of how people focus on the fruits of their spirit:

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, “My son, the battle is between two ‘wolves’ inside each of us. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego. The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf wins?”
The old Cherokee replied, “The one you feed.”

Have a blessed weekend!