It's Tuesday at 2:00pm! (PST Time: I live and work from Southern California)
Greetings to you!
Each week I send out a short leadership blog that's called "Tuesday at 2:00pm". The purpose of this is simply to provide a brief thought on leadership that you can read and think about in just a few minutes. I send it out every week at 2:00pm (PST) and encourage you to make an appointment with yourself to pause and think about the thing I'm writing about.
Russ...
LEADERSHIP QUOTE:
"The need for connection and community is primal, as fundamental as the need for air, water, and food." Dean Ornish
What does this stir up? Either write me HERE or comment at the end of the blog post HERE.
A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:
This month I want to explore some quotes and ideas around the theme of COMMUNITY. This is a topic I've been thinking a lot about lately, and as I explored some thoughts on it I drove me deeper. To see past themes and blog posts, visit my website HERE.
This is a powerful quote from Dr. Dean Ornish. As we talk about the importance of Community, these words just resonate.
Ornish also said this:
"Group is about connection, not correction. We do not need to be fixed. We need to feel loved."
We all long to belong to something. A place where we feel safe. A place where we feel valued. A place where we're missed if we don't show up. A place where we're accepted for who we are.
This is a fundamental need in each of our lives.
However we've also seen the unhealthy side of Community: jealousy, bitterness, competition, fake flattery, posing, hiding out, disengaged connection and emotional restraint.
I don't have a need for that kind of Community, even though there is plenty of opportunity to be a part of that.
Do you have real Community? Is it meeting your fundamental needs?
DEEPER STILL:
This month I want to highlight 5 different values of a healthy Community, and challenge you to think about how that value is being lived out in your life, through your life, and into your Community!
The 5 we'll explore are:
1) A Trusting Community
2) An Honest Community
3) A Listening Community
4) An Encouraging Community
5) A Celebrating Community
This week let's look at An Honest Community
This is simply a place where people feel safe enough to be themselves, where people aren't judged immediately and where people aren't shocked by your perspective or your situation.
It's a place where honestly breeds grace, where trust lays a solid foundation and your community understand that you're not going to get it right all the time, you are allowed to struggle, to experience pain and to doubt.
Don't we all desperately want this?
Yet, we don't go after it because....
It's a lot of WORK
We might get HURT
We've tried before and we don't want to TRY AGAIN
We're AFRAID
We'd rather just rely on OURSELVES
But then, we would miss out on the incredible power of COMMUNITY... A place where we belong, a place that feeds us, that restores our soul, relationships that help us to be the best version of ourselves... a place of safety.
Are you desperate for this enough to work for it? Keep fighting for it!
Things I'm Reading, Listening To and Watching This Week:
This video was created to share some of the work the National Christian Foundation, Barnabas OC and a bunch of strategic partners are doing in the Alta Dena Fire Recovery in Los Angeles. Inspiring Stories!
This week I'll be teaching out of Keith E. Webbs book, The Coach Model. This is a great coaching model for leaders! I've enjoyed diving back into it over the past few weeks.
Visit the new website for The Orange County Barnabas Group
Gina and I watched the movie, A Complete Unknown this week, it's a portion of Bob Dylan's story. Really enjoyed the history and the music.
of course I'm listening to Bob Dylan's Essentials Album on Apple.