LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"True rhythm is often elusive, but so worth the effort!" Russ Cline

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

I'm on a real-life journey to understand more about the "RHYTHM OF MY LIFE" and over the next number of weeks I want to drag you on this journey with me. To read past posts, visit my full site HERE.

Last week I talked about the rhythm I see around me, but that finding personal rhythm has felt elusive of late. John Hartford was a musician and songwriter and the thought, "The whole universe is based on rhythms..." just jumped out at me.

Maya Angelou said it this way:

"Everything in the universe has a rhythm, everything dances."

There's a rhythm to life, to our world that began with creation. God's rhythm.

Rhythm is real and it is a part of everything.

I think at times I focus on my "personal life rhythm" or my "work life rhythm" or my "family rhythm" and I treat them as individual aspects of my life, without addressing my life as a whole. All areas impact all of the areas of my life. I might be managing one aspect well, but I underestimate how that will affect the other areas.

Here's an example: Health

I've been struggling with just general health, diet, exercise and sleep for some time, and this year I set some lofty goals, however "I haven't found my rhythm" yet. Lot's of starts and stops, lot's of backwards motion and some frustration.

It would be easy for me to look at my general health and say that this one aspect of my life isn't optimized without admitting how my health actually affects EVERY area of my life. Other areas are doing OK, but they are still impacted by this one aspect that isn't working as it should be.

Being out of sync in one area impacts ALL areas.

This is why rhythm is a part of everything.

How does keeping rhythm in one area of your life affect the other areas? Or how does losing rhythm affect those other areas?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"True rhythm is often elusive, but so worth the effort!" Russ Cline

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

I officially became a drummer at the age of 9, taking a band class in elementary school, and then getting one of those practice pads to play on. The real thing was that I had always been a drummer... always tapping, pounding my foot, looking for a stick to hit. Drumming came natural to me, and once I joined the band, I found my spot.

Mr. King, my 6th grade band teacher at Sunflower Middle School said over and over: "The Drummers Set The Tempo and Keep The Rhythm".

He would then have the full drum core lay down the beat for whatever song the band was playing. It was the 70's, so we did a lot of the Beach Boys, Chicago, and Elton John. Pretty impressive for a middle school band!

"The Drummers Set The Tempo and Keep the Rhythm"

Last week, I celebrated 61 years of life while on a short vacation with my wife, and while reflecting on the year behind me and the year before me the word RHYTHM just kept "pounding on my soul". I couldn't shake it off.

I watched the sun as it rose and as it set. Perfect rhythm.

I watched the waves come crashing in, over and over again. Perfect rhythm.

I looked at my life.... NOT SO PERFECT RHYTHM!

It's been a season of starts & stops, running & crawling, winning & losing, celebrating & mourning... I could go on and on, but I just feel like I've lost my beat, my tempo, my RHYTHM.

I can blame it on all kinds of things...

• To much work and some unreal expectations

• To many people to communicate with and connect with

• Not enough time to do the things I need and want to do

• Not enough discipline to stay focused

There are all kinds of reasons, but it comes back to me.

I need to "Set the Tempo and Keep the Rhythm".

Over the coming weeks I'm going to talk about RHYTHM and share with you some things that I'm doing to help me find it again. This is an ongoing and real-time conversation.

Listen to these definitions of RHYTHM:

• a stong, regular, repeated pattern of movement or sound

• a regularly recurring sequence of events, actions, or processess

• a harmonious sequence or correlation of colors or elements

• the ability to perceive, create, and/or move in time with a regular patter of sounds or movements.

Join me in the conversation.

Have you ever lost your RHYTHM? How would you define that? What definition above do you resonate with?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Investing in your own growth and self-development isn't selfish it's self-care." Unknown

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

This idea of GROWTH is interesting to me. We're going to spend a few weeks talking about it, but personally I'm being challenged to not simply "be content" with where I'm at today. I want to always be growing and developing. What about you? To see past themes, visit my blog HERE.

This is the final quote on the topic of GROWTH, and while this specific quote isn't credited to anyone, there are many people who have said this in one way or another.

I've been in the non-profit sector for many years, and there's a mindset that I've both experienced and observed over the years, and it comes down to one simple word: GUILT.

• We feel GUILTY when we put our needs above others

• We feel GUILTY when we admit that we're struggling

• We feel GUILTY when we spend resources on ourselves

• We feel GUILTY when we have to say NO to someone

• We feel GUILTY when we take time for ourselves

• We feel GUILTY when we can't perform at our highest level

GUILT.

One of the definitions of guilt is simply: "You've done something wrong or you've committed an offense."

Guilt doesn't just happen in the non-profit sector, but it happens in EVERY sector. This is our human nature.

Here's the deal today:

STOP IT. (For those who know the Bob Newhart sketch, see below)

Just STOP IT.

You don't have to live in GUILT. Taking care of yourself is important, it's essential, it's Biblical and if you don't, you will crash and burn.

How has your fear or avoidance of guilt affected the way you take care of yourself? Body, Soul, Emotions?