Do the work.....

I'm sitting here at my desk and thought I might write a short article about personal growth in an effort to something for others. The real joy in life is found in giving, not taking. I'm just thinking about how we live in this broken world with so many broken people. Now, I think it's wonderful if you don't need any personal growth or if you don't have any broken pieces. I also know the world is full of people who are under the illusion all is well when often, that may not really be the case. I spent much of my own life in the self-help section of my local bookstore only to learn what I really needed was God's help. I go to a marketing position most days and do my best to win friends and influence people. In short I make sales and I do that by building real relationships with others always rooted in win/win and truth and integrity. I've earned far more money doing other things. I took this position because I am honored to work with a real brother in Christ who owns the business and we are building something more important than a bank account. I was thinking about my own life and the many mistakes I made and how I had to learn to forgive myself. I was thinking about the many years of work and effort I put in toward personal growth and how I still do that today. You know I have something I believe everyone should have, a life mission statement. Funny, how we write mission statements for our businesses and we rarely write them for our personal lives. I had a police officer friend who told me, "There are two ways people change, inspiration and desperation." I am grateful to have been the recipient of both of these gifts. It was both the pain, joy and catapult to my success and the reason I decided to do the work. Personal change sometimes takes great personal courage. It takes humility to accept our need for change. I want to share that whatever your personal struggle or need for change, I support you. Do the work, you're worth it. Human beings never act outside their own self-image. Change your self-image, change your life. That's when our God can really use you too. It seems everyone has a secret or two, sometimes we have to come clean to stay clean I guess. The funny thing is that after we do that work we can learn what wonderful people we all are. Heck, we could probably even stop being Democrats and Republicans and learn to be sisters and brothers again. Today, let's encourage one another to just go look in the mirror, find the places that man or woman, can get better. Because if we want to get better, we need to do better. When you look at that man or woman in the mirror, remember he or she is so much more than a professional, a business owner, and employee or team member. Remember today that you really are a child of the most high God and he loves you more than you can possibly imagine. Live like you're loved today. You are and you are worth doing the work. Show me all of your broken pieces so I know where to start loving you....