Making New Year's Resolutions & Setting Goals

It's almost January again – and time to set new goals (or dust off the old ones) and show how we live lives of being intentional. We set our intentions mainly through clear goals, but how can we decide our direction while following God? How did Jesus manage this tension? The presence of God is vital. Moses had no intention of going anywhere unless God went too. Let’s not set foot into January, into that business deal, into the new relationship, the new business partnership, into that super program, without knowing that God goes with us and before us. Why? Because nothing else sets us apart like the presence of God. Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?” (Exodus 33:15-16) Ask for goals you can pray for. Nehemiah prayed for 3 months before asking the king for what he needed to rebuild Jerusalem. What if we asked God for goals that we will be comfortable asking Him to accomplish? I find that several outcomes I have worked for change when I ask God to fulfill them. What kind of fruit have you been cultivated to produce in 2013? Do you struggle with setting goals and achieving them? Perhaps your New Year's resolution needs to include getting some professional help in this area. Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com

Last Chance to Get a Great Deal on Coaching Services!

As previously announced, I must raise the fees for my coaching services at the end of the year. So this is the last chance to get in at the old rates which are about 40% below the competitive market rate before there is a substantial increase in the cost of my services. From a personal standpoint, if you suffer from any of the following I can help you: 1. Do you feel your talents are not well utilized and you’re not as productive as you would like to be? 2. Do you need more time in the day or do you need better work/life balance? 3. Do you lack well-documented long-term goals that you consistently achieve? 4. Is there room for improvement in your relationships with your spouse, children, supervisor, and/or co-workers? 5. Do you have difficulty influencing and motivating others to your way of thinking? 6. Does your life lack purpose and meaning; are you disappointed in the way it is turning out? 7. Would you like to see a change in any of the following aspects of your life: personal, family, vocation, faith, or community service? 8. Are you a young person needing assistance figuring out what career path to take that will be not only professional rewarding, but also personally fulfilling, and what decisions need to be made to pursue that career path? From a business standpoint, if any of the following describe your organization I can also help you: 1. Due to a growing or shrinking market are there changes required in your vision, strategies, initiatives, operating plans, processes and systems? Does the change require realignment of one of more of these with the others? 2. Do you have professionals in your organization that can manage but not lead? 3. Do you have employees that are great at executing tasks, but don’t relate well to others? 4. Do you have professionals that are great individual performers but need to improve as team players? 5. Do you have employees whose skills don’t seem to match the job they’re expected to perform? 6. Do you have professionals that need help managing their time well and/or setting the right priorities? 7. Do you have employees that seem to have most of the right skill sets, but still have trouble adapting to change or “getting the job done”? 8. Do you have professionals that unfortunately may need to leave your organization and move on? In general, I can be of significant assistance for any person or business, going through, or about to go through, a significant transition. Simply call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. But act fast before the rates increase!

Happy Thanksgiving & a Special Announcement

I want to wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving! God has truly blessed us in so many ways this year - we have much to be thankful for. I pray that each of you have a truly blessed and restful time with family and friends, as well as safe journeys if you are traveling. My business has grown much faster than expected, praise God! Lives are being transformed every day. I look forward to every single coaching session because I am witnessing God at work first-hand. God is indeed good. Do you know someone who is unhappy or unfulfilled with their present job? Someone who is feeling over-worked and stressed? Perhaps someone who is planning a vocational transition or who has been forced into unemployment? Maybe it’s someone going through a personal transition? Someone struggling with a relationship management issue at home or at work? Or maybe someone who needs to strengthen their leadership skills? I can provide many client success stories. In addition, my coaching services are provided at a very reasonable rate and are a month-to-month process (so there is no long-term commitment). And your satisfaction is guaranteed or you get your money refunded so there is absolutely no risk. I also provide a streamlined version of my coaching process for young people who are struggling with getting direction and traction in their life (e.g., identifying the best career path that is both professionally rewarding as well as personally fulfilling). My rates will be increasing on the first of the year and I have additional capacity right now to take on more clients. None of my new clients who start before the end of December, will be affected by the rate increase. So now is the time to make a change in your own life, the life of one you love, or to encourage a friend who needs help. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. Once again – Happy Thanksgiving! Your Brother In Christ, Curtis Life Planning & Leadership Development www.truthatlife.com 248-396-6255 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

What Should We Be Thankful For?

I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Phillipians 4:12-13) Many Christian families have a good tradition in their homes where they start counting their blessings as the holiday approaches: the things they are thankful to God for. It is a good tradition, and we do need to learn to be thankful to God. But unfortunately this tradition does not fully reflect the heart attitude that we need to nurture in our children. It is always good to be thankful to our God for our blessings, but we need to remember that the Scripture calls us to be thankful in everything (1 Thessalonians 5:18, Philippians 4:6), and this at times includes even difficult circumstances. Apostle Peter, for example, writing to the early Christians suffering from immense persecution, concluded his letter with exhortation and encouragement, saying that their circumstances should be viewed as an evidence of the true grace of God (1 Peter 5:12), and thus it was the reason for rejoicing! Sometimes we might not understand the reasons behind difficult trials that come upon us, but it does not mean that we can not be thankful in those times. So, how do we teach our children to be thankful for anything and everything? It is a long process, but it starts with helping your child to understand the sovereignty of God in our lives and teaching your child to be content in all circumstances trusting that God's will for those who love Him is always good. Teach your child godly contentment and you will raise a heart that overflows with thankfulness. Happy Thanksgiving! Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com

Three Keys to Surviving Difficult Times

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:11-12 How do you maintain the proper perspective when life is getting you down? When the storms of life are raging all around you and it seems like things are going progressively from bad to worse? When your dreams have all evaporated? There are three keys to survival. The first key: Be joyful in hope. Hope is the strong expectation of God’s deliberate action. It’s not wishing; it’s confident believing. And with that confidence, our hearts are lifted as we anticipate God’s divine work to accomplish His will in our lives. It has been said, “Most people who fail to accomplish their dreams fail not from ability but from a lack of commitment and belief.” The second key is patience in affliction. Difficulties are a part of life. We are fallen people living in a fallen world. Beyond that, God “prunes” fruitful believers so that we will bear even more fruit. Pruning hurts! When we experience problems, our natural reaction is to try to get out of them as quickly as possible, but that is not how God wants us to respond. Whether He takes us out of them or through them, God wants us to look to Him for wisdom and strength during difficulty so that our faith grows stronger. Unfulfilled expectations, unforeseen difficulties, and waiting for God’s answers can make us want to give up, but the third key is to continue praying with resolve. In difficult times, our prayers deepen and take on a new sense of urgency and earnestness. And if it gets worse, if the delay continues, we should stop asking and start listening, which may be the lesson God wanted to teach us all along. Which of these keys do you need to focus on right now? Which is a strength in your life? Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com

The Leadership Principle of Navigation (part 3 of 3)

Continued from October 25... Anyone can steer a ship, but it takes a real leader to chart the course. The secret to the Principle of Navigation is preparation. Preparation conveys confidence and trust to people. The following acrostic may be helpful: PLAN AHEAD. P = Predetermine a course of action. L = Lay out your goals. A = Adjust your priorities. N = Notify (communicate with) key personnel. A = Allow time for acceptance. H = Head into action. E = Expect problems (and plan for contingencies). A = Always point to the future vision (and the successes along the way). D = Daily review your plan. The major barriers to successful planning are fear of change, ignorance, uncertainty about the future, and lack of imagination. The secret to the Principle of Navigation is preparation. When leaders prepare well, they convey confidence and trust. Lack of preparation has the opposite effect. Leaders who are good navigators are capable of taking their people just about anywhere. It’s not the size of the project that determines its acceptance, support, and success. It’s the size of the leader. Anyone can steer the ship, but it takes a real leader to chart the course. How are you at thinking ahead and planning the course of action needed? Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com

The Leadership Principle of Navigation (part 2 of 3)

Continued from October 23... Anyone can steer a ship, but it takes a real leader to chart the course. They draw on past experience: Every past success and failure can be a source of information and wisdom – if you allow it to be. Successes teach you about yourself and what you’re capable of doing with your particular gifts and talents. Failures show what kinds of wrong assumptions you’ve made and where your methods are flawed. If you fail to learn from your mistakes, you’re going to fail again and again. That’s why effective leaders start with experience. They listen to what others have to say: No matter how much you learn from the past, it will never tell you all your need to know for the present and the future. That’s why the best leaders gather information from many sources. They get ideas from members of their leadership team. They talk to the people in their organization to find out what’s happening on the grass-roots level. And they spend time with leaders from outside the organization who can mentor and advise them. They examine the conditions before making commitments: Despite their often excellent intuition, before effective leaders make commitments that are going to impact their people, they take stock and thoroughly think things through. They count the cost before making commitments for themselves and others. They make sure their conclusions represent both faith and fact: An effective leader must possess a positive attitude. They’ve got to have faith that they can take their people all the way to the destination. If they can’t confidently make the trip in their own mind, they’re not going to make it in real life. On the other hand, they also have to be able to see the facts realistically. They can’t minimize obstacles or rationalize their challenges. If they don’t go in with eyes wide open, they’re going to get blind-sided. Realistic leaders are objective enough to minimize illusions. They understand that self-deception can cost them their vision. Sometimes it’s difficult balancing optimism and realism, intuition and planning, faith and fact. But that’s what it takes to be an effective leader. How are you at thinking ahead and planning the course of action needed? Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com

The Leadership Principle of Navigation (part 1 of 3)

Anyone can steer a ship, but it takes a real leader to chart the course. Followers need leaders to effectively navigate for them. When facing life and death situations, the necessity is painfully obvious. But even when the consequences aren’t as serious, the need is just as great. The truth is that nearly anyone can steer the ship, but it takes a real leader to chart the course – to have vision of where the organization needs to go and to plan accordingly. Leaders who navigate well do even more than control the direction in which their people travel. They see the whole trip in their minds before they leave. They have a vision for their destination, they understand what it will take to get there, they know who’ll they’ll need on their team to be successful, and they recognize the obstacles long before they appear on the horizon. A leader is one who sees more than others see, who sees farther than others see, and who sees before others see. The larger the organization, the more clearly the leader has to see far ahead. That’s because sheer size makes midcourse corrections more difficult. And if there are errors, many more people are affected than when you are traveling alone or with only a few people. The Titanic is an excellent example. Before leaders take people on a journey, they must go through a process to give the trip the best chance of being a success: 1. They draw on past experience. 2. They listen to what others have to say (especially those who have traveled the journey before them). 3. They examine the conditions before making commitments. 4. They make sure their conclusions represent both faith and fact. How are you at thinking ahead and planning the course of action needed? Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com

Making Choices for Success & Significance

What is success? Only you can define it in your own life. In my own life, I have attempted to define both Success and Significance. To me, Success is secular. Significance is spiritual. It doesn't matter how you define your own spirituality. Spiritual matters are always finer, deeper, and longer lasting than secular matters. Success focuses on three Fs: • Fans. • Fame. • Fortune. Success is focused on tasks, even goals. Significance also focuses on three Fs: • Faith. • Family. • Friends. But, significance focuses on purpose. Why am I here? What do I do with the talents, experiences and skills that I have? How can I make the world a better place? How do I plant seeds of greatness in the lives of those around me? How do I make an impact in the circles of influence where I find or place myself? To choose success and significance, you must be a strategic thinker who: • Has a clear vision of what you want to accomplish. • Develops a solid strategy that answers three questions: - Who or what are we today? - Who do we want to become? - How do we get there? • Employs practical systems to achieve your goals. • Commits to consistent execution because in consistency, success emerges. When implementing your strategic plan for success, it really comes down to three "Ds": Decide what you want most to achieve. Determine the first step to getting what you want. Do the first thing that will start you moving toward your goal. Using these seven keys, you can choose success and significance. But keep this in mind: success is not a matter of luck, not an accident of birth, not a reward for virtue. The most successful people I know are the ones who have something to do, somewhere to be and someone to love. No one is responsible for your success or your joy. You must search for it and be in a continual state of earning it. To merely succeed is not an end in itself. You must use your success to impact other people...to impact the world...to Live Life from the Inside Out. It all starts with the choices you make—they determine the person you will become. Want to develop a plan for both success and significance in your own life? Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com

The Leadership Quality of Commitment (part 3 of 3)

Continued from yesterday... Here are 3 exercises you can do to start evaluating and improving your level of commitment. Consider the following... 1. Measure it: Sometimes we think we are committed to something, yet our actions indicate otherwise. Take out your calendar and your checkbook register. Sped a few hours tallying up how you spend your time and where you spend your money. Look at how much time you spend at work, in service, with family, in health and recreation activities, in your faith, and so forth. Figure out how much money you spent on living expenses, entertainment, personal development, giving, etc. All these things are true measures of your commitment. 2. Know what’s worth dying for: One of the questions every leader must ask himself is, “What am I willing to die for?” If it came down to it, what in life would you not be able to stop doing, no matter what the consequences were? Spend some time alone meditating on that thought. Write down what you discover. Then see if your actions match your ideals. 3. Use the Edison method: If taking the first step toward commitment is a problem, try doing what Thomas Edison did. When he had a good idea for an invention, he would call a press conference to announce it. Then he’d go into his lab and invent it. Make your goals, your plans, your commitments public. You will be more committed to following and achieving them. Want to get started on increasing your leadership commitment? Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com

The Leadership Quality of Commitment (part 2 of 3)

Continued from yesterday... The following three observations tell us a lot about the nature of commitment: 1. Commitment starts in the heart. Some people want everything to be perfect before they are willing to commit themselves to anything. But commitment always precedes achievement. It is said that in the Kentucky Derby, the winning horse effectively runs out of oxygen about half-way through the race and goes the remainder of the way on heart. All good athletes recognize the importance of commitment. NBA legend Michael Jordan says, “Heart is what separates the good from the great.” So if you want to make a difference in other people’s lives as a leader, look into your own heart to see if you’re really committed. 2. Commitment is tested by action. It’s one thing to talk about commitment. It’s another to do something about it. The only real measure of commitment is action. It has been said, “Nothing is easier than saying words. Nothing is harder than living them day after day.” 3. Commitment opens the door to achievement. As a leader, you will face plenty of obstacles and opposition – if you haven’t already. And there will be times when commitment is the only thing that carries you forward. It has been said, “Commitment is the enemy of resistance, for it is the serious promise to press on, to get up, no matter how many times you have been knocked down.” If you want to get anywhere worthwhile, you must be committed. When it comes to commitment, there are really only four types of people: 1. Cop-outs: People who have no goals and who do not commit. 2. Holdouts: People who don’t know if they can reach their goals, so they’re afraid to commit. 3. Dropouts: People who start toward a goal but quit when the going gets tough. 4. All-outs: People who set goals, commit to them, and pay the price to reach them. What kind of person are you? Have you been reaching your goals? Are you achieving all that you believe you can? Do people believe in you and follow you readily? If your answer to any of these questions is no, the problem may be your level of commitment. To be continued... Want to get started on increasing your leadership commitment? Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com

The Leadership Quality of Commitment (part 1 of 3)

Former pro basketball player Bill Bradley attended a summer basketball camp at age 15 conducted by Ed Macauley. During that camp, Macauley made a statement that changed Bradley’s life: “Just remember that if you’re not working at your game to the utmost of your ability, there will be someone out there with equal ability. One day you’ll play each other, and he’ll have the advantage.” People do not follow uncommitted leaders. Commitment can be displayed in a full range of matters to include the work hours you choose to maintain, how you work to improve your abilities, or what you do for your fellow workers at personal sacrifice. The world has never seen a great leader who lacked commitment. Ed McElroy of USAir spoke of its importance: “Commitment gives us new power. No matter what comes to us – sickness, poverty, or disaster – we never turn our eye from the goal.” What is commitment? To each person, it means something different. To the boxer, it’s getting off the mat one more time than you’ve been knocked down. To the marathoner, it’s running another ten miles when your strength is gone. To the soldier, it’s going over the hill, not knowing what’s waiting on the other side. To the missionary, it’s saying good-bye to your own comfort to make life better for others. To the leader, it’s all about that and more because everyone you lead is depending on you. If you want to be an effective leader, you have to be committed. True commitment inspires and attracts people. It shows them that you have conviction. They will believe in you only if you believe in your cause. As the Leadership Principle of Buy-In states, people first buy into the leader, then they buy into the vision. To be continued... Want to get started on increasing your leadership commitment? Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com

The Leadership Principle of Process (part 3 of 3)

Continued from part 2... Leadership is developed daily, not in a day. That is a reality dictated by the Principle of Process. The secret for success in life is for a person to be ready for his time when it comes. What a person does on a disciplined, consistent basis gets him ready. The good news is that your leadership ability is not static. No matter where you are starting from, you can get better. There is an old saying: Champions don’t become champions in the ring (or on the field), they are merely recognized there. So true. If you want to see where someone develops into a champion, look at his daily routine. Former heavyweight champ Joe Frazier stated, You can map out a fight plan. Better yet is to map out a life plan. When the action starts, it boils down to reflexes. That’s where your road work shows. If you’ve cheated on that in the dark of the morning, you’re getting found out now under the bright lights.” Boxing is a great analogy for leadership development because it is all about preparation. Even if a person has natural talent, he has to prepare and train to be truly successful. President Theodore Roosevelt, a great leader and boxing enthusiast, once stated: “It’s not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and, who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” Roosevelt, a boxer himself, was the ultimate man of action. He began everyday by spending time building his body as well as his mind. He did that for his entire life. He did not become a great leader overnight. His road to the presidency was one of slow, continual growth. When they removed his dead body from his bed, they found a book under his pillow. Up to the very last, he was still striving to learn and improve himself. He was still practicing the Principle of Process. So if you want to be a great leader, the good news is that you can do it. But is will cost you. Everyone has the potential, but not everyone is willing to make the sacrifice. It isn’t accomplished overnight. It requires perseverance. You can’t ignore the Principle of Process. Leadership does not develop in a day – great leadership takes the better part of a lifetime. Want to get started on the process of improving your leadership? Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com

The Leadership Principle of Process (part 2 of 3)

Leadership develops daily, not in a day. Continued from yesterday - the four phases of The Leadership Principle of Process... Phase 1 - I don’t know what I don’t know: Most people fail to recognize the value of leadership. They believe that leadership is only for a few – for the people at the top of the corporate ladder. They have no idea of the opportunities they are passing up when they don’t learn to lead. In the course of each day most individuals try to influence at least four people. This substantiates the claim by sociologists that most people will influence – positively or negatively – over 10,000 people in their lifetime. Unfortunately, as long as a person doesn’t know what he doesn’t know, he doesn’t grow. Phase 2 - I know what I don’t know: Usually at some point in life, we are placed in a leadership position only to look around and discover that no one is following us. That’s when we realize that we need to learn how to lead. Benjamin Disraeli once said, “To be conscious that you are ignorant of the facts is a great step to knowledge.” Phase 3 - I grow and know and it starts to show: When you recognize your lack of skill and begin the daily discipline of personal growth in leadership, exciting things start to happen. Every one can become a great leader. Almost immediately, progress begins as your influence become greater, as you put newly learned leadership principles into practice. Read books, listen to tapes/CDs/DVDs, and attend regular seminars. Whenever you come across a golden nugget of truth or a significant quote, file it away for the future. Phase 4 - I know what I don’t know: When you’re in Phase 3, you can be pretty effective as a leader. However, when you get to Phase 4, your ability to lead becomes almost automatic. And that’s when the payoff becomes larger than life. But the only way to get there is to practice the Principle of Process and to pay the price. Think for a moment, which phase are you in? To be continued... Want to get started on the process of improving your leadership? Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com

The Leadership Principle of Process (part 1 of 3)

Leadership develops daily, not in a day. Leadership skills are like investing – they compound. It’s a lot like investing in the stock market. If you hope is to make a fortune in a day, you’re not going to be successful. What matters most is what you do day by day over the long haul. The secret of success is found in your daily and weekly agenda. If you continually invest in your leadership development, letting your “assets“ compound, the inevitable result is growth over time. Although it is true that some people are born with greater natural gifts in leadership than others, the ability to lead is really a collection of skills, nearly all of which can be learned and improved. But that process doesn’t happen overnight. Leadership is complicated. It has many facets: respect, experience, emotional strength, people skills, discipline, vision, momentum, timing – and the list goes on. Many factors that some into play are somewhat intangible. That’s why leaders improve with seasoning. In a study of 90 top leaders from a variety of fields, leadership experts Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus made a discovery about the relationship between growth and leadership: It is the capacity to develop and improve their skills that distinguishes leaders from their followers. Successful leaders are learners. The learning process is ongoing, a result of self-discipline and perseverance. The goal each day must be to get a little e bit better, to build on the previous day’s progress. So whether you do or don’t have great natural leadership ability, your development and progress will probably occur over the following four phases: 1. I don’t know what I don’t know. 2. I know what I don’t know. 3. I grow and know and it stars to show. 4. I simply go because of what I know. To be continued... Want to get started on the process of improving your leadership? Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com

The Leadership Quality of Charisma (part 2 of 2)

Continued from earlier... How would you rate yourself when it comes to charisma? Are other people naturally attracted to you? Are you well liked? If not you may possess one of the following roadblocks to charisma: Pride – No one want to follow a leader who thinks he is better than everyone else. Insecurity – If you are uncomfortable with who you are, others will be too. Moodiness – If people never know what to expect from you, they stop expecting anything. Perfectionism – People respect the desire for excellence, dread totally unrealistic expectations. Cynicism – People don’t want to be rained on by someone who sees a cloud around every silver lining. If you can stay away from these qualities, you can cultivate charisma. Pearle Mesta, the greatest Washington hostess since Dolly Madison, was asked the secret of her success in getting so many rich and famous people to attend her parties. “It’s all about the greetings and the good-byes, “ she replied. When a guest arrived, she met him, saying, “At last you’re here!” and as each left, she said, “I’m sorry you have to leave so soon!” Her agenda was to focus on others, not herself. That’s charisma. Here are some tips for getting started on the path for a more charismatic life: • Change your focus. Observe your interaction with people during the next few days. As you talk to others, determine who much of your conversation is concentrated on yourself. Determine to tip the balance in favor of focusing on others. • Play the first impressions game. Try an experiment. The next time you meet someone for the very first time, try your best to make a good first impression. Learn the person’s name. Focus on his interests. Be positive. And most important, treat him as a “10”. If you can do this for a day, you can do it every day. And that will increase your charisma overnight. • Share yourself. Make it your long-term goal to share your resources with others. Think about how you can add value to five people in your life this year. They can be family members, colleagues, employees, or friends. Provide resources to help them grow personally and professionally, and share your personal journey with them. Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com

The Leadership Quality of Charisma (part 1 of 2)

How can you have charisma? Be more concerned about making others feel good about themselves than you are making them feel good about you. Most people think of charisma as something mystical, almost undefinable. They think it’s a quality that comes at birth or not at all. But that’s not true. Charisma, plainly stated, is the ability to draw people to you. And like many other character traits, it can be developed. To make yourself the kind of person who attracts others, you need to personify the following: 1. People Enjoy Leaders who Enjoy Life: Think of the people you want to spend time with. How would you describe them? Grumpy? Bitter? Depressed? Of course not. They’re celebrators, not complainers. They’re passionate about life. If you want to attract people, you need to be like the people you enjoy being with. 2. Put a “10” on Every Person’s head: One of the best things you can do for people – which also attracts them to you – is to expect the best of them. It’s like putting a “10” on everybody’s head. It helps others think more highly of themselves, and at the same time, it also helps you. According to Jacques Wiesel, “A survey of 100 self-made millionaires showed only one common denominator. These highly successful men and women could only see the good in other people.” The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches, but to reveal him to his own. If you appreciate others, encourage them, and help them reach their potential – they will love you for it 3. Give People Hope: French General Napoleon Bonaparte characterized leaders as “dealers in hope”. Like all great leaders, he knew that hope is the greatest of all possessions. If you can be the person who bestows that gift on others, they will be attracted to you, and they will be forever grateful. 4. Share Yourself: People love leaders who share themselves and their life journeys. As you lead people, give of yourself. Share wisdom, resources, and even special occasions. When it comes to charisma, the bottom line is other-mindedness. Leaders who think about others and their concerns before thinking of themselves exhibit charisma. To be continued... Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com 

The Leadership Principle of Influence (part 2 of 2)

Continued from yesterday... Here are five common myths about leadership: 3. The Knowledge Myth: Sir Francis Bacon once said, “Knowledge is power.” Most people, believing that power is the essence of leadership, naturally assume that those who possess knowledge and intelligence are leaders. But that isn’t automatically true. IQ does not necessarily equate to leadership ability. 4. The Pioneer Myth: Another misconception is that anyone who is out in front of the crowd is a leader. But being first isn’t the same as leading. Example: Sir Edmund Hillary vs. John Hunt and the Trans-Antarctic Expedition. Leaders often go first and lead by example, but those who go first are not always good leaders – it takes more than that to be a good leader. 5. The Position Myth: As mentioned earlier, the greatest misconception about leadership is that people think it is based on position, but it’s not. As Stanley Huffy once affirmed, “It is not the position that makes the leader, but the leader who makes the position.” There are Five Levels of Leadership – each one an increasingly better leader. A Position based leader leads from the title that has been assigned to him/her. A Permission based leader leads because he has earned the respect of others who will follow him/her. A Production based leader not only has their respect, but also gets things done and produces results on a consistent basis. A People Development leaders is a Production leader who also realizes that they will be more successful in the long run if they invest in their followers to enhance their leadership abilities as well. A Pinnacle leader not only invests in his followers’ leadership ability, but he makes sure they are producing leaders as well – hence, he leaves behind a legacy of leadership development. Positional leadership doesn’t work with volunteer organizations. Because these leaders don’t have leverage – or influence – so they are ineffective. In volunteer organizations, such as churches, the only thing that works is leadership in its purest form. In other organizations, the person who has position may have incredible leverage. In the military for instance, leaders can use rank and, if all else fails, throw people into the brig. In business, bosses have tremendous leverage in the form of salary, benefits, and perks. Most followers are pretty cooperative when their livelihood is at stake. But his is still not true leadership. Here is my favorite leadership proverb, “He who thinks he leads, but has no followers, is only taking a walk.” If you can’t influence others, they won’t follow you. And if they won’t follow, you’re not a leader. That’s the Principle of Influence. No matter what anybody else tells you, remember that leadership is influence - nothing more, nothing less. Need help improving your ability to influence others in a positive way? Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com 

The Leadership Principle of Influence (part 1 or 2)

The true measure of leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less. If you don’t have influence, you will never be able to lead others. Great examples are Princess Diana and Mother Theresa – neither had any real authority, but both exercised an incredible amount of influence. Colin Powell once said, “You will have achieved excellence as a leader when people will follow you anywhere, even if only out of curiosity.” People have many misconceptions about leadership. When they hear that someone has an impressive title of an assigned leadership position, they assume that he is a leader. Sometimes that’s true. But titles don’t have much value when it comes to truly leading. True leadership cannot be awarded, appointed, or assigned. It comes only from influence, and that can’t be mandated – it must be earned. The only thing a title can buy is a little time – either to increase your level of influence with others or to erase it. Here are five common myths about leadership: 1. The Management Myth: A widespread misunderstanding is that leadership and management are one and the same. Up until a few years ago, books that claimed to be on leadership were often really about management. The main difference between the two is that leadership is about influencing people to follow, while management focuses on maintaining systems and processes. Consequently, a great way to test whether a person can lead rather than manage is to ask him to create positive change. Managers can maintain direction, but changing it is difficult for them. To move people in a new direction, you need influence. Michael Hammer, the father of Reengineering (the science of fast, radical business change) frequently said, “the hard stuff is the soft stuff”. He was referring to the fact that successful change is always accomplished by influencing people. 2. The Entrepreneur Myth: Frequently, people assume that all salespeople and entrepreneurs are leaders. But that’s often not the case. Just because someone is buying what they are selling, does not make them leaders – people are not really following them. At best, salespeople and entrepreneurs may be able to persuade someone for the moment, but they hold no long-term real influence over their customers. This is often evidenced by how many of these individuals go out of the business as soon as there is a shift in the market. To be continued... Need to improve your ability to positively influence others? Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com 

The Leadership Quality of Character (part 3 of 3)

The king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts, and he made him ruler over the whole province... Daniel 2:48 The private life of a leader impacts his public life as well. Daniel illustrates why character plays such a vital role. Daniel could have tried merely to survive his experience as a captive in a foreign land. Instead, he never left his disciplined life of character and personal commitment. Ponder the character he displayed during his times of testing under the kings of Babylon: 1. His Diet: He wouldn’t compromise on ritually unclean foods, but ate only vegetables. 2. His Motives: He didn’t take credit for interpreting dreams, but glorifies God instead. 3. His Honesty: He spoke the truth to authorities, regardless of its unpopularity. 4. His Disciplines: He continued praying daily, even though it might cost him his life. 5. His Integrity: He had no interest in bribes or payoffs. 6. His Convictions: He stayed committed to his friends and beliefs even as he rose through the ranks. Character is the foundation on which a leader builds his or her life. It all begins with character, because leadership operates on the basis of trust. People will follow a leader only so far as they trust him or her. Character communicates credibility, harnesses respect, creates consistency, and earns trust. Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com

Character: Be a Piece of the Rock (part 2 of 2)

Continued from yesterday… If you’ve found yourself being sucked in by one of the four A’s: arrogance, aloneness, (destructive) adventure-seeking, and/or adultery – call a timeout. Do whatever you must to step away from some of the stress in your life, and seek professional help. Don’t think that the valley you’re in will pass with time, more money, or increased prestige. Unaddressed cracks in character only get deeper and more destructive with time. If you’re not struggling with any of these four areas, you should still examine the condition of your character. Ask yourself whether your words and actions match – all the time. When you say you’ll finish an assignment, do you always follow through? If you tell your children you’ll make it to their recital or ball game, are you there for it? Can people trust your “handshake” as they would a legal contract? As you lead others at home, at work, and in the community, recognize that your character is your most important asset. The respect that leadership must have requires that one’s ethics be without question. A leader not only stays above the line between right and wrong, he also stays well clear of the “gray areas.” • Search for the cracks. Spend some time looking at the major areas of your life (personal, family, vocation, faith, community), and identify anywhere you might have cut corners, compromised, or let people down. Write down every instance you can recall from the past 3 months. • Look for patterns. Examine the response that you just wrote down. Is there any particular area where you have a weakness, or do you have a type of problem that keeps surfacing? Detectable patterns will help you diagnose character issues. • Face the music. The beginning of character repair comes when you face your flaws, apologize, and deal with the consequences of your actions. Create a list of people to whom you need to apologize to for your actions, then follow through with sincere apologies. • Rebuild. It’s one thing to face up to your past actions. It’s another to build a new future. Now that you’ve identified any areas of weakness, create action plans that will prevent you from making the same mistakes again. Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com

The Leadership Quality of Character: Be a Piece of the Rock

A man took his young daughter to a carnival and she immediately ran over to a booth and asked for cotton candy. As the attendant handed her a huge ball of it, the father asked, “Sweetheart, are you sure you can eat all that?” “Don’t worry, dad, “ she answered, “I’m a lot bigger on the inside than on the outside.” That’s part of what real character is – being bigger on the inside than on the outside. How a leader deals with the circumstances of life tells you many things about his character. Crisis doesn’t necessarily mold character, but is certainly does reveal it. Adversity is a crossroads that makes a person choose one of two paths: character or compromise. Every time he chooses character, he becomes stronger, even if that choice brings negative consequences. And the development of character is at the heart of our development as leaders. 1. Character is More Than Talk – Anyone can say he has integrity, but action is the real indicator of character. Your character determines who you are. Who you are determines how you see and think about things. How you see things determines what you do. That’s why you can never separate a leader’s character from his actions. If a leaders actions and intentions are continually working against each other, then look to his character to find out why. 2. Talent is a Gift, Character is a Choice – We have no control over a lot of things in life. We don’t get to choose our parents. We don’t select the location or circumstances of our birth and upbringing. We don’t get to pick our natural talents or IQ. But we do choose our character. In fact, we create it every time we make choices – to cop out or dig out of a tough situation, to bend the truth or stand under the weight of it, to take the easy money or pay the price. As you live your life and make your choices, you are continuing to create your character. 3. Character Brings Lasting Success with People - True leadership involves other people. Followers do not trust leaders whose character they know to be flawed, and they will not continue following them. And if you think you’re leading and no one is following, then you’re only taking a walk. 4. Leaders Cannot Rise Above their Limitations - Have you ever seen highly talented people suddenly fall apart when they achieved a certain level of success? The key to that phenomenon is character. Steve Berlas, a psychologist at Harvard Medical School and author of The Success Syndrome, says that people who achieve great heights but lack the bedrock character to sustain them through the stress are headed for disaster. He believes they are destined for one or more of the four A’s: arrogance, aloneness, (destructive) adventure-seeking, and/or adultery. Each is a terrible price to pay for weak character. To be continued… Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com

The Leadership Principle of Potential

Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less. And everyone is a leader – from the stay-at-home mom, to the elected government official, to the big brother/sister, to the CEO. Leadership ability determines a person’s level of effectiveness. The stronger the leadership, the greater the effectiveness. Your leadership ability – for better or worse – always determines your effectiveness and the potential impact you can have on those around you and your organization. A great example of this is the story of the McDonald’s Corporation. Success is within the reach of anyone. But personal success without leadership ability brings only limited effectiveness. A person’s impact is only a fraction of what it could be with good leadership. The higher you want to climb, the more you are going to need good leadership skills. The greater the impact you want to make, the greater your influence needs to be. Whatever you will accomplish in life is restricted by your ability to lead others. Wherever you look, you can find smart, talented, successful people who are able to go only so far because of the limitations of their leadership skills. Leadership ability is always the limit on personal and organizational effectiveness. If leadership is strong, the limit is high. That’s why in times of trouble, many organizations look for new leadership. When a country is experiencing hard times, it elects a new president. When a company is losing money, it hires a new CEO. When a church is floundering, it searches for a new senior pastor. When a sports team keeps losing, it looks for a new coach. The good news is that getting rid of the leader isn’t the only way. You can break through the limitations on yourself by improving your leadership skills. The laws of leadership are immutable, they never change. They have existed for thousands of years. They can be studied and learned. They can be mastered through application. Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com

“7” Questions That Will Change Your Life:

The following “7” Questions can change your life. Consider each one carefully... 1. Are you as productive as you would like to be? Do you achieve the results you desire on a daily basis? Do you feel your talents are being fully utilized? 2. Do you need more time in the day? Are you fully satisfied with your work/life balance? 3. Are you able to plan effectively and execute your plans? Do you have documented goals and do you consistently achieve your goals? 4. Would you describe your relationship with your spouse, children, and those close to you as healthy? Do your supervisor and co-workers not only respect you, but also like and admire you? 5. Are you able to influence and motivate others in a positively impactful way? 6. Are you living a life full of purpose and meaning? Is your life turning out the way you hoped it would? If it ended today, who would remember you and for what would you be remembered? 7. Are you fully satisfied in all aspects of your life (personal, family, vocation, faith, community)? Or are there improvements you would like to see? If you have answered “yes” to any of these questions, you are not living the life you could be. You have the opportunity to move from good to great, from success to significance, and/or from consumer to transformer. Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com

Core Values & Roadblocks

Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. Proverbs 27:6 Core Values: What are the “must” rules of your life? Core Values are the rules by which you will only play the game of life. They are the Rules of the Road, your Bedrock beliefs. It is not only what you say you believe in, but also what you must practice. You must walk the talk for it to be a core value. These need to be the baseline for all the decisions you make. Any decision not made within the boundaries of these values will cause you anxiety and distress. Decisions made within these boundaries will give you a sense of peace, fulfillment, contentment, and joy. Facing Roadblocks: Roadblocks are the obstacles you see that are keeping you from living out your core values and achieving your goals to the best of your ability. Some examples include: • Not being willing to totally surrender. • Not willing to be content with what you have / can become. • Blaming others – feeling sorry for yourself – feeling victimized. • A deep-set need for affirmation. • Not trusting enough to be intimate. • Not having mentors. • Not being in a favorable situation for growth. • Having one life domain that overwhelms all others preventing growth (e.g., vocation over family). • Not willing to face the truth about yourself or your circumstances. • Being paralyzed by fear. What’s holding you back from living out your life plan and accomplishing your goals, while being true to your core values? Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com

Helpful Relationships

Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. Proverbs 27:6 We all need to develop certain relationships that are for growth, development, and blessing. Surround yourself with people that have complementary gifts, different driver/comfort zones, different thinking wavelengths, and listen to their wise counsel. Keep in mind the need for complimentary gifting in this “inner circle”. There are many different kinds of mentors. Identify your historical mentors (those who have gone before you, died, documented their learning’s) and study them. Identify your living mentors (those who are still alive) and spend time with them – share with them and listen. Identify your spiritual mentors (those who are concerned primarily about your spiritual life and transformation). Be transparent with them and be held accountable. Have a Life Plan mentor (who is not your spouse – see the book for many reasons why). They will help you to: Be accountable and to keep your promises to yourself. Think things through. Encourage you when you need encouragement. Keep your deepest secrets in confidence. Help you review your Life Plan periodically and offer suggestions/counsel. Qualifications for a good Life Plan partner: Practicing Christian. Close friend of the same sex. Someone who is loved and appreciated by your other family members. A secure, confident, person of wisdom. Someone who will tell you what you need to be told. Someone who can be a prayer partner. Someone who will always be there for you. You should never feel as if you are “imposing” on him by calling him. Someone who can physically get together with you at least once or twice a year. Keep in mind the need for complimentary gifting in this “inner circle”. Do you have an inner circle of friends? Friends who will speak the truth to you in love, even if it hurts? Friends who will encourage you? Friends who are mentors and will invest in your life? Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com

Burnout, Burros, & Horses (part 2 of 2)

Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Galatians 6:9 Continued from yesterday… What happens in a true burnout? A metamorphosis – a change in character, substance, and appearance. Top executives are often guilty of pushing their employees to the point of burnout. Their answer to the problem is usually to give the individual time off – perhaps even several months - to refresh him. But it doesn’t work. The fire cannot be re-lit. All people have a natural propensity as to how much work they will take on. It’s kind of like the difference between a burro and a horse. A horse loves to run. S/he will accept every assignment, take on incredible amounts of work and say no to nothing. Burros are much smarter than horses. Don’t be offended – I, myself, am a horse! Burros refuse to go into overload. Put too much on the back of a burro and it will sit down. It will refuse to move – a burro knows when enough is enough! Burros can be very frustrating to their senior management. They know when to say no to excessive responsibilities and overtime. However, they are a much more stable part of the workforce. As a senior manager, the trick is twofold: keep the burros motivated at their maximum level and don’t let the horses take on too much. On the personal side, you must know who you are. Most people do. If you are a horse, you must pace yourself and give yourself permission to say no to some projects, promotions, and commitments. If you are a burro, recognize that you will likely need to prod yourself to test your limits and to maintain your maximum healthy level of productivity. Horses must learn to restrain themselves and take a vacation. Burros need to learn to keep themselves motivated. God never forces us to take on responsibilities that will drain us of all our energy or destroy one of our life domains. God made both burros and horses, neither is bad. God gave us all a capacity for work – find yours, fill it, but don’t exceed it. To avoid burnout, ask yourself the following questions: • What action do I need to take regarding my thinking wavelength and the work that I do? • In what ways may need to adjust my expectations regarding others? • In what ways do I need to adjust my communi8cation with others? • Do I have a tendency to take on too much work and put myself in overload? If so, what changes do I need to make? • Do I have a tendency to say “no” when an opportunity seems overwhelming? If so, what do I need to do to make sure that I don’t miss an appropriate opportunity? Suffering from burnout? Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com

Burnout, Burros, & Horses (part 1 of 2)

Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Galatians 6:9 What happens in a true burnout? A metamorphosis – a change in character, substance, and appearance. People who complain of burnout usually haven’t. They may have approached burnout, but they are not there yet. The person who has undergone true burnout has experienced an irreversible change. If a surgical nurse burns out, she will never go into the operating room again. She may do pediatric intensive care, or nursing in some other specialty, but she will not go into the operating room. She will have changed to the point that she, along with all those who work around her, will recognize that she is no longer capable of peak performance in the surgical suite. Top executives are often guilty of pushing their employees to the point of burnout. Their answer to the problem is usually to give the individual time off – perhaps even several months - to refresh him. But it doesn’t work. That light will not be lit again,. The person must be repositioned in another area. The person’s same talents remain, but he has lost ALL motivation for the old job and will not be able to regain it – it is an irreversible condition. Burnout is exactly what it sounds like – the ground has been leveled and scorched. All the fuel is gone. The fire cannot be re-lit. All people have a natural propensity as to how much work they will take on. It’s kind of like the difference between a burro and a horse. A horse loves to run. S/he will accept every assignment, take on incredible amounts of work and say no to nothing. A horse may work until s/he becomes ill, burns out, and possibly even loses its life. These people assume more and more duties well past the point of overload. To their credit, horses tend to be the 5% of the workforce that produces 50% of the work (and profits). In the end, however, they have much shorter tenures with a company and shorter lifespans! They cost the company in excess recruiting costs, training and personnel development, and severance pay. To be continued tomorrow… Suffering from burnout? Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com

What Kind of Thinker Are You? (part 4 of 4)

Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You. Psalms 143:8 There are several concepts important to keep in mind related to the thinking wavelength. If you follow this advice, you will be more productive, as well as avoid 2 types of stress: stress from boredom and stress from burnout. People don’t change their thinking wavelength. There is very little potential for movement. So don’t burden others with discussions that are outside their thinking wavelength by more than one category (see the previous blogs on the categories). They will not be able to relate to the problem or to the solution you are proposing. If the boss is a finder, he may understand a problem exists, but he won’t know the specifics on how to fix the problem. In like fashion, the theorist has little capacity to understand why he must cut his budget on his pet research project. Abstract thinkers may be able to do a concrete thinking job for a brief period of time, but they quickly will become bored with such a position and become very frustrated with the details. Finders are quick to move from company to company and from challenge to challenge. They often leave in their wake a pile of unfilled forms. Those who are their minders or keepers often feel as if they are going to go crazy in trying to tie down all the loose ends and keep their finders on track. Finders can’t be nailed to schedules, protocols, or paperwork. A finder or a theorist will become more and more frustrated – with increasingly negative results – if he is required to do the administrative work of a keeper of a minder. Illness can even result. The child who is an abstract thinker may be able to concentrate for a few minutes on picking up her room and doing mundane chores, but the chores probably need to be segmented into brief time periods. Concrete thinkers are not able to engage in abstract thinking and will be overwhelmed if asked to do so. Keepers often become frustrated when they ask minders or grinders for suggested improvements to the company or department. Their suggestions often seem to be petty and minute. Grinders are only being true to their calling. They cannot think of corporate image, new products, or new ways of enhancing product appeal to customers. But they may be expert in improving their own work or work unit. Children who are concrete thinkers need very specific instructions, usually given verbally (as well as written). They need to be shown how to do tasks, as well as told how to do them. People who are asked to perform a job outside their thinking wavelength will experience stress and internal discomfort. Those who are operating to the right of their thinking wavelength are likely to feel a frustration with not being able to do the job. Those who are operating to the left of their thinking wavelength are likely to feel a frustration at having to do the job. Both kinds of stress lead to burnout. Your job responsibilities may span a range of the thinking wavelength, but it has a point of critical mass. If this critical mass is outside your thinking wavelength, you had better switch jobs. If it is within your thinking wavelength, talk to your supervisor to see if you can trim the duties that are furthest outside your wavelength. This job may have needed to be reengineered and re-packaged for some time. Your thinking wavelength defines the type of roles that will make you most fulfilled, least stressed, and most successful. What is your thinking wavelength and what actions do you need to take as a result? Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com

What Kind of Thinker Are You? (part 3 of 4)

Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You. Psalms 143:8 The result of trying to function in a role for which you aren’t mentally wired is going to be distress and dysfunction. Each one of us is born with a built in thinking wavelength, a way of organizing the world, tolerating change, and juggling variables. We must recognize that we may have a thinking wavelength that may or may not be the same as the person we married, our supervisor, those we manage, or others we regularly interact with. The thinking wavelength is directly related to the work you are going to do successfully. The continuum, is from left (administrative/operational) to right (development/strategic), the categories are grinders, minders, keepers, finders, and theorists. Today we will explore the work of the “Finders” and “Theorists”… Finders open up new territory, close important new accounts, reclaim lost accounts, and/or transfer new applications into a territory. They are entrepreneurs. Finders are abstract thinkers, so they often don’t complete the paperwork that most concrete thinkers require. They can appear to be loose cannons within a group structure. They are innovators and creators. Follow-through is not their strength. They need grinders, minders, and keepers (see prior blog) to follow in the wake of their creativity. Finders have these characteristics: they sense and seize opportunities, spot voids and fill them, are bored by the steady state, are good site locators, love a new challenge, must be thrown “raw meat” regularly. Sample positions best occupied by finders include CEO, chief visionary, product or market manager, joint venture leader, founding pastor, advanced development engineer, and entrepreneur. Theorists are bright, articulate, and persuasive. But in working with them, don’t expect things to come to closure. Theorists can lead a company down a primrose path. They have a role best suited for universities, seminars, and pure research laboratories. They don’t belong in business. They cannot manage others well, and their ideas rarely become commercialized. Translation is not their thing. There is a world in which the idea is the whole of it. In the proper environment, however, they can make highly significant contributions. Theorists have the following traits: they embrace risk, draw/sketch/diagram, can make quantum leaps, welcome change, are strategic, produce seminal concepts, enjoy many variables, are opportunity oriented, have a high tolerance for ambiguity, postulate the new, don’t execute, and love the 40,000 foot macro-view. Sample positions best occupied by theorists include scientists, researchers, and professors dealing with theoretically-oriented topics. Your thinking wavelength defines the type of roles that will make you most fulfilled, least stressed, and most successful. What is your thinking wavelength? Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com

What Kind of Thinker Are You? (part 2 of 4)

Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You. Psalms 143:8 The result of trying to function in a role for which you aren’t mentally wired is going to be distress and dysfunction. Each one of us is born with a built in thinking wavelength, a way of organizing the world, tolerating change, and juggling variables. We must recognize that we may have a thinking wavelength that may or may not be the same as the person we married, our supervisor, those we manage, or others we regularly interact with. The thinking wavelength is directly related to the work you are going to do successfully. The continuum, is from left administrative/operational) to development/strategic), the categories are grinders, minders, keepers, finders, and theorists. Today we will explore the work of the “Minders” and “Keepers”… Minders can manage a unit team, having both the people skills and the organizational abilities to do so. T/hey can supervise the performance of work. They are basically concrete thinkers and are likely to function best in front line supervision. They Havre the ability to conduct diagnoses and to problem solve. They will “mind the store” well and put out brush fires when they flare up. Minders have the following abilities: can run a department, have diagnostic tendencies, are usually not innovative but perceive no reason to be, and can manage people in their area of expertise. Positions often best occupied by minders are supervisors, teachers, chief engineers, software programmers, section leaders, and department foremen/managers. Keepers, on the other hand, are capable of managing the whole store. They possess an appreciation for the administrative and the strategic. They may have both concrete and abstract thinking skills, but will be biased to administrative/operational work. They make great mediators because they can relate to both ends of the thinking wavelength spectrum. Keepers have these tendencies and basic traits: handle details and see the broader vision, handle variables well, are operationally biased, have a sense of the strategic and appreciate the strategic, are organized, and are good with people. Keepers make good personnel managers, directors of departments, plant managers, general/operations managers, division managers, chief operating officers, school principal, executive pastor, academic dean, and executive assistants. Your thinking wavelength defines the type of roles that will make you most fulfilled, least stressed, and most successful. What is your thinking wavelength? Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com

What Kind of Thinker Are You? (part 1 of 4)

Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You. Psalms 143:8 The result of trying to function in a role for which you aren’t mentally wired is going to be distress and dysfunction. Each one of us is born with a built in thinking wavelength, a way of organizing the world, tolerating change, and juggling variables. We must recognize that we may have a thinking wavelength that may or may not be the same as the person we married, our supervisor, those we manage, or others we regularly interact with. The thinking wavelength is directly related to the work you are going to do successfully. The continuum, is from left administrative/operational) to development/strategic), the categories are grinders, minders, keepers, finders, and theorists. Today we will explore the work of the “Grinders”… Grinders get the work done. They are detailed minded doers. The world cannot operate without grinders. They provide the basic labor force for the entire world and all it operations. A company is likely to be successful only in direct proportion to the productivity, quality, efficiency , and morale of its grinders. They are the ultimate concrete thinkers. Grinders have the following tendencies: document things, get the work done, are risk-adverse, like few variables, take one step at a time, have a low tolerance for ambiguity, understand tasks and the need to solve problems, handle administrative details well, and deliver working drawings. Positions usually best occupied by grinders include: corporate meeting planner, mechanic, administrative assistant, bookkeeper, and factory worker. Your thinking wavelength defines the type of roles that will make you most fulfilled, least stressed, and most successful. What is your thinking wavelength? Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com

Combining Your Driver & Your Comfort Zone (summary)

Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You. Psalms 143:8 If you have been following these blogs over the last couple weeks, you now know there are nine combinations of drivers and comfort zones. A driving force and a comfort zone are linked within you. They do not exist independently. Today we will summarize the nine combinations. Power - People: The person driven by power but with a comfort zone of people is going to be very concerned about how to marshal the masses. Such a person may very well gravitate toward politics. Power – Ideas: The person driven by power but with an affinity for ideas is going to want to make sure that the ideas are widely circulated and that they have maximum impact on the culture or group. Such a person may find an outlet in publishing(?), consulting/coaching/counseling, or the academic world. Power – Things: The person who is driven by power but has a heart for things is going to seek to use machinery in the exercise of power. Such a person may be drawn to the military, or to the use of heavy machinery, or to the use of computers or broadcast technology to wield power. Image – People: The image driven person with a heart for people is going to be very gifted in organizing large events for maximum circumstance. A royal wedding or a state funeral or a state dinner will be their desired challenge. Image – Ideas: The image driven person with an affinity for ideas may be a fashion designer of an innovator of new packaging for an established product. Image – Things: The image driven person with a comfort zone for things is likely to be an excellent landscape architect or window dresser. Contribution – People: The contribution driven person with a heart for people is likely to be drawn to group activities and efforts, perhaps working on medical teams rather than in solo clinical settings, or perhaps teaching groups of people (children) or organizing the masses into demonstrations and rallies. Contribution – Ideas: The contribution driven person that has a comfort zone of ideas is going to write the editorials that incite the masses to take on an important social concern. Contribution – Things: The contribution person with an affinity for things is going to man the soup kitchen or volunteer to build the Habitat for Humanity house. In the corporate world, that person is likely to be an administrative assistant; in the church world that person is likely to be a trustee or the church secretary. These nine combinations are randomly distributed among family members and organizational members. Each can be a significant force for good. Which are you? Your driver/comfort zone defines who you are and how you interact with your world around you. What is your comfort zone and how is it affecting your life? Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com

Reflecting on Your Comfort Zone (part 4 of 4)

Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You. Psalms 143:8 Today and tomorrow we will summarize drivers and comfort zones. Most people find it fairly easy to locate their comfort zone. If you are unsure, ask yourself what your perfect Saturday would look like. As in the case of drivers, no one heart focus is right or more noble than the others. All have usefulness in building God’s kingdom. Those with a people comfort zone always make others feel welcome in the group. Those with an affinity for ideas have breakthrough insights into the Scriptures. Those with a comfort zone involving things can help set up for programs and keep the physical operations of the church in order. Review the last couple week’s blogs on these topics and take time to reflect on your driver-comfort zone identity. Ask yourself the following questions: In what ways are you likely to express yourself? In what fields are you going to be the most comfortable? What settings are you likely to arrange for yourself (including home and office)? How are you likely to interact with other people? For what are you most likely to spend money? In what roles are you going to find the greatest fulfillment and satisfaction (ask yourself this for each of your life domains)? Understanding the driver/comfort zone construct of those close to you will help you to understand their behaviors (e.g., you enjoy going to a party to socialize, but you still always find your spouse in the library of the party home reading a book!). It will also help you understand your own behaviors and why people react to you in certain ways. Learn to embrace who you are and leverage your driver – comfort zone combination. Your driver/comfort zone defines who you are and how you interact with your world around you. What is your comfort zone and how is it affecting your life? Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com

Your Comfort Zone (part 3 of 4)

Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You. Psalms 143:8 We all have met people who are more comfortable tinkering with things in the kitchen than mingling with guests in the living room. We all know people who can get very excited about ideas and books, but who seem to have few social skills and even fewer abilities to deal with tools and gadgets. Some people care very little about people or ideas but are quite at home experimenting in their labs, sketching at a drawing table, or concocting new creations at the kitchen stove. This affinity is called the comfort zone. In what setting do you feel the greatest sense of pleasure, satisfaction, and ease. The 3 primary comfort zones are people, ideas, and things. Today we will explore the world of people whose comfort zone is “things”. The person who has a comfort zone of things is likely to feel emotionally at home tinkering in the workshop, sitting at the sewing machine, or working on the family car. A person with an affinity for things is often restless or uncomfortable unless he is doing something, generally involving the sense of touch or the use of hands. Such a person loves the feel of metal, wood, fabric, soil, or objects. S/he finds satisfaction in seeing something take shape, produce a physical or materials result, or be fixed and put into good working order. Those with the affinity for things enjoy being with other people only if the group is actively engaged in a task that has a strong tangible component, such as building a house. Ideas are only important to this type of person if they are directly related to something that is practical or tangible. “Things” also include animals; those with this affinity enjoy grooming, riding, working with, and handling animals. “Things” can also include plants. Individuals with this comfort zone often work as product designers, craftsmen, construction workers, engineers, tailors, chefs, or model builders. They also make excellent landscape architects, farmers, naturalists, florists, and veterinarians. Your comfort zone defines who you are and how you interact with your world around you. What is your comfort zone and how is it affecting your life? Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com

Knowing Your Unique Purpose

We are created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, so that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 I was recently at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville. It is an incredible place. They give you a map to find your room - and believe me, you need it! It’s several buildings actually, surrounding massive indoor gardens with small streams and waterfalls. The place is so big that the glass ceiling in the atrium is the size of six football fields. The hotel's exotic plant collection, which takes 20 full-time gardeners to maintain, includes an Asian banana tree . . . right in the heart of Tennessee! This unusual tree grows only one crop of bananas its entire life. Then the team of gardeners cuts it down and plants another. How interesting that God in His wisdom would create a tree designed to serve just one short-term purpose. Unlike trees that bear fruit annually, the Asian banana tree has a unique calling. Your family also has a unique calling. You have been set apart by God to fulfill your own purpose. There are certain values and priorities that define who you are - certain goals you've been created to achieve. These guide the way you spend your time, money and energy. Can you articulate God's purpose for your marriage and family? One of His purposes for Martha and I has been to equip marriages and families with God's blueprints. In addition, we have found that some of His purposes change as we move through the different seasons of a family. Clearly, one of our purposes is to train our children to know God and to equip them to obey Him in life. God does have a unique purpose for each of you as individuals and for the two of you as a couple. Do you know your purposes? Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com

Your Comfort Zone (part 2 of 4)

Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You. Psalms 143:8 We all have met people who are more comfortable tinkering with things in the kitchen than mingling with guests in the living room. We all know people who can get very excited about ideas and books, but who seem to have few social skills and even fewer abilities to deal with tools and gadgets. Some people care very little about people or ideas but are quite at home experimenting in their labs, sketching at a drawing table, or concocting new creations at the kitchen stove. This affinity is called the comfort zone. In what setting do you feel the greatest sense of pleasure, satisfaction, and ease. The 3 primary comfort zones are people, ideas, and things. Today we will explore the world of people whose comfort zone is in the world of ideas. They love strategy and enjoy making paradigms and sketches. They are often very creative, expressing their ideas in the forms of music, painting, drawing, sculpting, choreographing, or writing. They include the theorists of the world – especially drawn to formulas and patterns and the ideas that prompt scientific experimentation. In a group setting, they often appear to be daydreaming, out of touch, or to have poor social and communication skills. The fact is, their minds really are elsewhere. They are content in their inner world of thought and imagination. They see a world that is possible but perhaps not presently in existence. All of their ideas need not be original. Some people who are most comfortable in the world of ideas are those who are able to polish, edit, or build upon the ideas of others. They give form and substance to the ideas of the pure theorists through strategies, plans, sequences, of procedures. Individuals with an affinity for ideas often are writers, artists, scholars, inventors, strategists, or those who are involved in corporate development. Your comfort zone defines who you are and how you interact with your world around you. What is your comfort zone and how is it affecting your life? Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com

Your Comfort Zone (part 1 of 3)

Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You. Psalms 143:8 We all have met people who are more comfortable tinkering with things in the kitchen than mingling with guests in the living room. We all know people who can get very excited about ideas and books, but who seem to have few social skills and even fewer abilities to deal with tools and gadgets. Some people care very little about people or ideas but are quite at home experimenting in their labs, sketching at a drawing table, or concocting new creations at the kitchen stove. This affinity is called the comfort zone. In what setting do you feel the greatest sense of pleasure, satisfaction, and ease. The 3 primary comfort zones are people, ideas, and things. Today we will explore the nature of people whose comfort zone is people. The person who has a comfort zone with people feels that relationships are far more important than either things or ideas. Such individuals tend to have strong emotions that they are keen to express; they rarely allow logic to override their emotions. Bonding with others is vital to them. The person with a comfort zone for people loves to be with people and seemingly can’t get enough of people. Such a person tends to be a very good conversationalist, although shy and retiring people-affinity persons are content to sit quietly as long as they are in a room filled with people. Those who are most comfortable with people take time to listen, are genuinely concerned for the pains and hurts experienced by others, and have an ability to rejoice with the joyous. They enjoy parties and social gatherings and are quick to show hospitality. Those with a heart for people crave association and are very uncomfortable being alone. They are often troubled by a lack of people skills in others and may be very critical of a spouse, child, associate or peer who doesn’t seem to communicate with others or who doesn’t seem to have the same desire to relate. Individuals with this comfort zone make excellent managers, counselors, and pastors. Your comfort zone defines who you are and how you interact with your world around you. What is your comfort zone and how is it affecting your life? Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com

What Drives You? (part 4 of 4)

Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You. Psalms 143:8 The 3 types of drivers are: Power, Image, & Contribution. Due to a need to understand their incredible importance, today we will summarize and compare the 3 types of drivers. People driven by power wear easily the mantle of leadership. They can be controlling and manipulative in their exercise of power, but they need not be. Those driven by power include those who seek to empower others. In some cases they are the power behind the throne – people who do not seek the limelight or the title, but who do seek to influence the choice about what is done, when, how, and with whom. In a positive light, people driven by power desire change and see themselves as change agents. They are not satisfied with the status quo in their own lives, neither are they satisfied with the status quo around them. The degree to which they love, influences heavily the use of power in their lives – they can be tyrants and dictators, or benevolent leaders who bring help and growth to others. To some people, driven by image, what counts the most is the way things are done, especially the appearance associated with the way things are done. People driven by image are good presenters of a message, although they may not have been the originators of the message. They enjoy packaging people ideas, and things. They turn their creative abilities toward the visual and the readily apparent. People driven by image are generally very conscious of protocol, manners, appearance, and social acceptability. They often want everybody to be happy or everybody to be positive about the things, people, or ideas they present. They desire to please. People driven by a desire to serve or to make a contribution do not want to be in charge. They may have very little concern about how something looks or is perceived by others. They are driven instead by a desire to see goals reached and people helped. Those who are driven by a goal of making a contribution may have a rumpled appearance because their focus is not on themselves, but on others. They often deserve a hero’s badge, but if are given one, they would quickly pin it on someone else. Their heartfelt goal is to help others succeed. Final thoughts on drivers: Some people think they are driven by more than one thing, but that is rarely the case. Choose one. Your turning points profile and your talent search will confirm your choice. Pride is not the property of any one driver. The power-driven person who is loving in his execution of power and who uses power to bring about good on this earth is a wonderful person to know, to follow, and to seek out as an employer. The image-driven person who is loving to others and who seeks to do all things in a way that is beautiful, pleasing, and positive is a person who makes life more lovely and enjoyable. The contribution-driven person who works in love and humility is a person who displays servanthood that is compelling and life-changing. You must be aware that others are driven by forces that do not drive you. Their driving force is valid and natural for them, and if used in a loving, helpful, and positive way, their driving force is just as effective as your driving force. Are you driven by power, image, or contribution? What is the most important decision you can make right now related to the proper use of your foremost driver? Truth@Life can help you, regardless of your location. Call 248-396-6255 or email me at curtis.songer@gmail.com for a free consultation. If you receive value from these blogs, please consider donating to keep this blog site up and running. This ministry cannot continue without the generous donations of its readers. Just click on the "Donate" button in the upper right. For more info on help I can provide check out http://truthatlife.com/ or email me directly at curtis.songer@gmail.com