Leaders live two dimensional lives. While we are very much connected to our professional world, we are equally, and more importantly, connected to our personal world. Probably every leader would love to become more effective in his or her professional world while becoming healthier and happier in his personal world. Sadly, we often fail to see how this can even be a possibility. In our normal paradigm of leadership, we sacrifice one of these areas to service the other. And, if we're being honest, it's usually the personal that we sacrifice for the sake of the professional. So, we end up succeeding professionally, while failing our families and failing ourselves as our bodies, minds, emotions, and relationships with God and others pay the price.
Surely there is a balance. Surely there is a way to be healthy and happy personally while being effective professionally. No doubt there are many dynamics that can contribute to such a balance, but I stumbled onto one dynamic recently that has made a difference for me, and it might be beneficial for you as well. It involves a hound dog.
You're wondering how a hound dog fits into the spiritual and professional vision for this blog. It's not as much of a stretch as you might think.
We have been promising my 5 year old daughter, for months and months now, that we would allow her to have a dog. (She love animals more than anything.) The day of reckoning finally came and we found a dog we were all happy with...a blue tick beagle. So, now, my wife is happy because it's a small dog, I am happy because it's a hound, and my daughter is happy because it wags it's tail and licks her face.
I was reluctant to bring a dog into our newly constructed home that, heretofore, had been free of any animal presence. Before we even got the dog home, however, I was attached. Of course we have experienced all the inconveniences of a 5 week old puppy, and there have been a great many adjustments to our routine...but it's good. It is very good. I've now realized that we (I) needed a pet.
This got me to thinking...sometimes we need to be willing to add healthy dimensions to our lives. I know, I know...you're schedule is busy, the valuable real-estate of your mind is already overbooked, and you can't imagine adding one more piece to your puzzle. I know that's what you're thinking because I thought the same thing. However, there are things that are not yet part of our lives that may hold a key to our personal health and happiness, or our professional effectiveness. If we're not willing to add healthy dimensions to our world, we may continue to fall short of the life God has planned for us.
I needed a dog. I needed the daily diversion, the distraction from the ultra-deep responsibilities of ministry. I needed a cold nose and a warm tongue to press up against my face every time I walked in the room. Our family needed something in common that we all loved and felt connected to.
You may need to make some additions to your life, as well. It may be a pet, it may be a hobby, it may be a relationship, it may even be a new professional venture. I know that beginning this blog has opened a new door of effectiveness to my life and ministry because over the past few months it has connected me to professional people, particularly outside of ministry, who have been blessed by my perspective. I needed to add a blog to my professional world to increase my effectiveness.
So, an appropriate addition can benefit your personal health and happiness, as well as your professional effectiveness.
I've learned something else: subtractions are just as important as additions.
It's amazing how that when something becomes part of our lives, it's hard for us to ever detach from it. I won't reference any annoying Disney movie songs here, but there are unhealthy things in your life, and you need to learn to let them go. I have subtracted many things over the years. Maybe the very first thing I learned to subtract in the ministry was worry. Leaders can be worriers. Choose not to be one. Worry accomplishes absolutely nothing except draining you of your energy, optimism, and faith.
There are other subtractions that can be made from your life. One of those is organizational involvement. If you're like me, you're a part of numerous organizations, and lead some of them. No doubt these things are good...but are they good for you? You need to reevaluate whether the investment of time, energy, and stress you're putting into that organization is worth it. A word of advice...you aren't the best judge of this. Ask your spouse, ask a friend, ask a colleague, and most importantly, ask the Lord. Jesus was presented with several opportunities that He simply didn't take. Remember what Paul said in 1 Cor. 10:23: "...everything is lawful for me, but not everything is beneficial..." (paraphrase).
When you've detected the 'boat anchors' in your life, the required action is clear, explained in Heb. 12:1 (KJV), "...let us lay aside every weight...". That makes it plain...putting our lives on a diet is our responsibility. No one else can lay aside your weight.
So subtraction is a command of scripture. It's almost as if God understands how detrimental it is for us to carry unnecessary weight in our lives, so He commands us to lose it.
It makes sense...when I make the appropriate additions and subtractions to my life, I end up living in balance. Balanced leaders...the world needs a few more of those.
Happy leading!
Such wisdom! Thank you!
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