I spent the last few days at the Path for Growth Leadership Experience. The content was amazing, and the people attending were even better. My hope for every person reading this blog is that they find a conference or group where they can be encouraged and replenished as I was at this event.
I was there to learn about leadership and gain insights about our business.
My goodness, did I ever! In fact, there are too many lessons to list. I am sure I will sprinkle them into this blog in the coming months.
The conference reinforced several vital ideas that are worth revisiting. In fact, I’m intentionally emphasizing three points I discussed in my previous post. This repetition serves two purposes: firstly, these concepts are crucial and deserve additional attention; secondly, one of the leadership lessons I learned at the conference was the importance of consistent reinforcement. Leaders must continually remind their teams of essential principles. So, consider this your reminder of these vital concepts:
Put God first
First, I need to put God first in my life. Let me cut to the chase: I have struggled with inner peace this summer. Nothing profoundly bad has happened, but there have been a bunch of little things that have been frustrating. Isn’t this how life works?
The problem is that I’ve been centering my prayers on external circumstances — like some hip pain I have experienced playing golf or other physical symptoms. There is nothing wrong with praying about minor health ailments. In fact, if you are going through one right now, there is no better place to turn.
But God is not a genie in the bottle.
I have discovered that peace is found only after turning to the off-ramp of your circumstances and onto the country road of God’s sovereignty. It is born from the prayer “Let your will be done,” which isn’t to say that you should not ask for the things that are on your mind, but that you should ask from a place of trust that whatever happens is God’s will and therefore better.
I need to seek him first, my needs second.
I confess that I have lacked peace this summer because I drifted. If you have similarly drifted, maybe this is your reminder to seek God first.
Home life with Sarah
I spent a lot of time this week reflecting on my home life with Sarah. As I said in my last post, I want to be a better husband. But what does “better” even mean? I am considering writing success statements for my marriage, starting with I want to adore my wife and make her feel adored.
She would have to chime in and evaluate how I have done this year. What I can say is that I know there have been times when I allowed stress to eat at my joy. Often, she and the kids have gotten the leftovers of me, not my best. This is not how I define success.
This was another area of drift for me. With the peace of God, I am rejuvenated to be the best version of myself for Sarah.
My opportunity to make a lasting impact on the world
Third, the conference reminded me that my relationship with my kids is my best opportunity to make a lasting impact on the world. The people they become, the relationship we mutually create, and how they glorify God in their lives — this is primary.
I need to enhance my attention, focus, and energy here. The years are flying by — as I knew they would — so I need to be intentional about how I am investing my time with them. Furthermore, I need to come home knowing that my purpose is only beginning that particular day. Therefore, I need to be at my best for the three kids God has blessed me with.
This was another area of drifting for me. Again, with renewed focus on what matters most: God and Sarah, I can be recharged to be the best version of myself for my three kids.
A time to reprioritize
I went to a leadership conference — and quite frankly it was a reprioritization conference for me.
I love the work we do at Hoffer Plastics. I hope I convey that in these posts.
But life is an all-inclusive adventure, which means that leadership is too, because leadership is about humans doing things with humans.
Therefore, I implore you, and myself, to get these things right.
As Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Seeking this first has been the only way I have found the fullness of life.