…though I have often thought if you are gifted it must be. This last year has taught me so much more. First, I always knew that I did not like pain but this year I came to face how the many blessings in my life had left me spoiled. Therefore instead of being grateful and positioned for leadership, I lived with resentment. Releasing this has provided momentum to live a free life, with utter gratefulness for every moment whether easy or hard. Second, the world is much harder then I every imagined. I am an eternal optimist, hence why I can survive in sales. The truth is the world is fundamentally more broken then I feared to imagine, it is hard and not for the faint of heart. As an aside this may be one reason why so many people medicate themselves into a life of mediocrity through debt and comfort. Recognizing this for me has provided courage to move forward and joy when things do work out! It is no small thing when this happens…honestly just took it for granted that it would happen that way which is naive.
All these thoughts were sparked by a great article I read this week called The Risk of Leading with Character, by Daniel Newman . Daniel outlines both the traits of leading with character and the risks. Then he inspires me with the challenge that if we only live for the ‘now’ there is no way that we can actually Lead with Character because (and this is my thought) it is just too hard and risky.
Web Theologian 
Glad I left a mark!
That last sentence reminds me of what a Rabbi once said about living in the Wilderness, “it is a place that demands beng open to the flow of life around you. A place that demands being honest with yourself without regard to the cost in personal anxiety…Now you might say that the promise of such spiritual awareness could only keep one with the greatest determination in the wilderness but for a moment or so. That such a way of being would be like breathing pure oxygen. We would live our lives in but a few hours and die of old age.’It is better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.’ And indeed, that is your choice.” (Lawrence Kushner)
I love these last 2 posts Mike (I don’t have much more to say right now but comments are always nice to get)
Dan – Thank you!
Kendall – wow, so the second sentence is saying the cost of being honest with yourself is personal anxiety? That is very real, often I search for the Tao in living this way but the truth is it comes at a cost. Imagine though if we are creatures made to live on pure oxygen and our choice to not risk it contributes to war, destruction, slavery & Egypt. Imagine.
Garret – yes! especially from you!