The PF Women Team at our Annual Team Retreat ~ 2018 Today on Seth Godin's blog, he said: It's tempting to decide to make a profit first, then invest in training, people, facilities, promotion, customer service and most of all, doing important work. In general, though, it goes the other way. Yes, it does. If you are waiting to make a profit before you do these things, in my experience you're not going to make a profit. So many organizations, ministries and churches are struggling with financial issues. I know your pain. As anyone who follows our story knows, our ministry was in a ton of debt four years ago when I came on as director. Since that time, we've gotten out of debt and turned a profit every year. God has done amazing things through out team, for which we give Him the glory! I find that what Seth is saying here is absolutely true, with one disclaimer. For Christian leaders, spiritual disciplines must always be first. Before we started i...
Yesterday was my day off but with the way my schedule shook out this week I ended up pushing two articles that were on deadline off until the last minute as well as three job seeker coaching sessions. That doesn't make for the best day of rest, but it couldn't be avoided this time. I worked on the articles late Thursday night after getting home from a district women's leadership meeting that I went to in Orlando early that morning. I kept nodding off as I was writing, I was so tired. This doesn't lend itself to creative writing. I was upset with myself because my self-imposed deadline to get it done was Thursday night before bed. It just wasn't happening. I vowed to give the first moments of the day Friday to finish the articles before I did anything else.
I woke up and immediately began writing and was in perfect rhythm. Writers understand this -- it's the place of being where your fingers try to keep up with your thoughts and the words feel as if they are tumbling out effortlessly. I was on track to finish up before my coaching calls were scheduled to begin and then the interruption came that changed up everything. Normally I would verbalize my frustration to my family. But I'm trying many new things lately, and I know that often in life if we want a different outcome it's going to require doing something different. So I thought, why not respond to this irritation with something new? Maybe even something a little crazy. I said nothing and instead chose to do a wild dance in my nightgown, through the house.
So after this wild nightgown dance, the dogs were all charged up as well so I took them out to the back yard to go potty. While we were out there had a chat with both of them about being glad that they are neither mice nor men. ("The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry." ~ Steinbeck) The plans of women often go awry too. Dogs seem to do okay and come through relatively unscathed. No wonder people use the term "lucky dog." After the mice and men speech with the dogs out in the yard, (You thought that was a joke? No, I really do have conversations with them like this) I took them back inside, and made a cup of Newman's bold coffee, settling back in to finish the two articles. After the coaching calls were done and I could finally take a few moments "off" Dustin came in and talked to me.
Dustin: "So Mom, are you all done with your little insane dance or whatever that was this morning?"
Me: "Yep. Did you like that? I was trying new things in life. Shaking up the routine. Would you prefer for me to verbalize my frustrations, or dance them out?"
Dustin: "Um...neither one, quite honestly. And if you're going to dance like that again you might want to at least consider adding some music."
Me: "Oh this dance needs no music, it's so revolutionary."
Dustin: "Mom................ you're crazy." [Shakes head and walks away.]
"Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must live." ~ Charles Bukowski
Comments
I'm surprised Dustin didn't say, "Don't break a hip!", which is what my kids tell me! haha