Moments
These past couple weeks have been odd times, combining busyness at work, trying to catch up on reading for classes and illness. Mixed in there was time with friends, hosting a Super Bowl party and a great evening of food, conversation and basketball spent with my cousin, Bradd.
Overall, though, it’s easy to summarize these past couple weeks as chaotic. Symbolized by the fact that I skipped posting last week, at some level I’ve just been keeping my head above water. Basic survival at its finest!
I don’t offer this as an excuse or to earn your pity. First, it’s my blog — so I don’t need a great excuse for skipping a week! 🙂 And, instead of pity, I hope you’ll join me in finding the special moments within your life that is undoubtedly busy as well.
Let’s explore this a bit further. A couple weeks ago I wrote about finding beauty in the struggle and this post will follow closely in it’s footsteps, because these “moments” that I speak of are the places in my life where I’ve recently found great joy (and even a bit of rest) in the midst of the chaos.
I won’t get into the ugly details, but suffice it to say that these past couple weeks have had me jumping from one urgent task to the next. Nothing like attending to whatever is on fire at the moment! (But, this type of approach to life led me to spend the last several nights sleeping in the guest bed simply because I didn’t want to take the time to put sheets on the master bed. I hope you can see the humor in this as I do; especially, as today I recognized all this led to was having to change the sheets on TWO beds!).
In all of this, though, there have been special moments where I’ve escaped from the hamster wheel to appreciate this life I’m living. Here are a few examples from this past weekend:
– This afternoon I ran two errands, both in preparation for my upcoming client meetings this week. Instead of rushing through them, though, I was surprised by the sun and I enjoyed my time driving and cleaning out my car in the spring-like Seattle weather.
– Tonight I took a study break to make a quick meal. In granting myself a break without the imminent pressure to get back to reading, I made a great salad and leisurely enjoyed a glass of wine with my meal.
– Throughout the weekend I took time to connect with friends and family, even if just through phone calls and texts. A call from my 3-year old niece was easily the most surprising and enjoyable connection of the weekend!
– I’ve always been a multi-tasker, so I’ve had the Olympics on the TV over the past couple of days as I’ve studied, worked and done chores around the house. The stories and events have been a nice means of escape, even if only for a few seconds at a time.
These are the moments that I speak of. The special times where I pause to appreciate the details within the mundane and necessary tasks that fill my day. This is my life’s struggle — to find happiness in the day-to-day tasks. And, this weekend I did well!
I hope you, too, can pause and appreciate those times and places where you can smell the precious scent of life and taste the sweetness of being human,.
Published
During a week where we pause to remember all that we are thankful for, I’m excited to share an exciting development in my life.
I’ve been published!
Okay, so it’s just a grad school essay on leadership, but it’s a great first step. For any of you who are aspiring writers or who have one in your life, you know that being published is an accomplishment. I imagine that it’s much like an artist selling her first painting or a baseball player getting his first hit in the majors. So, as much as I want to downplay this accomplishment, I’m choosing to celebrate it with you!
Here is the description from the back cover of the book —
How do I prepare tomorrow’s leaders for the challenges of leadership? Everywhere you turn, the “leadership” question is being asked with ever-greater manic energy: Where will they come from? How do we reach this generation? I’m out of ideas on how to develop them any faster…what should I do? Here’s an approach you might consider… Listen to them. Leadership Stories from Tomorrow offers you a rare, one-of-a-kind glimpse into the minds and hearts of emerging leaders that have long eluded you. Their ideas, frustrations, beliefs, desires, resentments, and aspirations fills the pages of this book, and you’re given the raw, unfiltered perspectives of tomorrow’s leaders. In this foray into the inner sanctums of where emerging leaders reside, you will have a direct encounter with the provocative, edgy, and beautiful leadership postures of the generation of leaders waiting in the wings to take their place in the world. They will tell you most of what you need to know in order to gain their trust, train their minds, mentor their experience, challenge their assumptions, shape their viewpoints, and honor their hopes and anxieties, their theologies and desires. Once you read this book, your views on leadership will never be the same. And you will realize that the question “Are they ready?” isn’t nearly as vital as the more fundamental question… Are you ready?
It can be found at Amazon and other booksellers.
My portion covers five pages (pages 124-130), in a chapter called Stories of Truth-Telling: From Deception to Honesty.
As you know, this past Spring I decided to begin writing more frequently and posting some thoughts here on my blog. Although I hope and trust you’ve enjoyed some of my musings, the main thing I’m thankful for is how life-giving of a process this has been for me. I look forward to what the future holds and hoping that some day writing and speaking will become a career.
Thank you for continuing to join me on this journey!
Why do I do all this?
Why do I do all this?
Double-digit hours at work, followed by seemingly endless studies.
Factor in errands and relationships and my schedule feels like Escher’s staircase.
No reprieve and little rest.
Certainly very little space to simply be.
Be the image of God. Be playful. Be present. Be me.
Who am I trying to impress?
Myself? Not impressed, just tired and worn out.
God? He’d be more impressed if I just rested in faith.
You? Maybe. So, how am I doing so far?
Oh, how I enjoy the pat on the back or the kudos of a job well done.
I thrive on that, it seems.
Work becomes a place for me to prove that “I can.”
If only through working more hours or saying the right thing.
“You’ll see,” I say. “My disability can’t stop me.”
So, why grad school?
Yes, I thought God was calling me.
Either he changed his mind or I missed his call the first time.
Either way, what compels me to study and write after most folks have retired for the night?
Will you be impressed if I stay up reading after midnight and, then, am in the office at 8 a.m.?
Does a high GPA entice you to like me more?
Once again, I’ve got something to prove.
Nothing is going to stop me – even if my sanity and soul are at risk in the pursuance.
But, very little do I pursue life.
Friend, you know when I’m pursuing life.
I make time for you – to enjoy a meal together, to drink a bottle of wine, to laugh.
But, it feels that those times are too few and too rushed.
I must get back to impressing you.
Sorry to check out, but I need to be productive.
What am I producing, though?
Memos, papers, arrogance.
There is very little time for things like intimacy, conversation, play and the like.
If you’ve experienced that with me, then welcome.
Welcome to the real Greg.
Welcome to the guy that’s stepped out of the hamster wheel, if only temporarily.
Welcome to me being. And, thank you for allowing for that.
Well, it’s late and I must get back to reading.
I must, or else you might not be impressed.
Sighs & Hallelujahs 