- A. Smith Blog - Leadership in Life
This is a different kind of post for me, as I typically jot down all my thoughts in Evernote. But this time I wanted to jot down what I am currently thinking about here for you to see. These ideas may or may not become posts later, but I do find them all to be interesting.
Here are the eight thoughts running through my head right now: [Read more…] about My 8 Thoughts
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I feel that after giving you content every single day for the past five years and having conversations with you on social media, I have a strong enough relationship with you to give you the truth, so here it goes. I’m genuinely exhausted with talking to people who hate their job and their life. (I’m coming out with the punches at the beginning of this episode.) I feel a passion and even an anger around this subject that comes from a good place, and it’s growing larger with the more life I live. This is because I am finding that people who hate something about their life isn’t an isolated problem, but rather, a problem that keeps coming up over and over again, with nothing being done about it. That last part is the main problem I have with it. When someone gives up, disregarding any need for change, it’s frustrating to see. These lives that are plagued by regret, the fear of making decisions, the fear of change, and unrealistic expectations that can’t be reached. But of course, someone must want help to actually change their life’s trajectory. In most cases, it took choices to get people where thay are at today, and it will take other choices to get them to love what they do again.
Someone must want help to actually change. Share on XIf this is you, then it’s time to get over what has happened in the past. It’s time to remove yourself from seeing each day as a pity party, and instead, begin seeing it as a daily opportunity to learn something remarkable about yourself and the world around you. Don’t think you can see anything positive in your life? Think again. There’s something in there to be thankful for — I can promise that. Maybe this all sounds harsh, and you may even be angry at what I’m saying here, but it’s the truth.
So, are you going through a rough time, but are ready to make some changes? Great, I’m so excited about that. Even when everything is falling apart and all seems lost, there’s hope. If you’re ready to love what you do, here are three ways to get there:
We all want good relationships. Even those people that are extremely bad at relationships. You know the ones you want to run away from when they come around. I have learned that the people you avoid, that avoid you, or get on your last nerve, turn out to be the greatest asset to your personal growth.
We all have had those moments where we have wanted to run away from people. When I was in seminary, I met a person I truly didn’t care for. I can’t tell you today why I didn’t like her, but I just didn’t. Our dislike of one another ran deep. Our professor asked us to write three names on a paper, two people you wanted to be in a group with and one you did not want to be in group with. Months later we both discovered that we wrote each other’s name down as the person we did not want to be in a group with.
Needless to say, I did not like her and she didn’t like me. We both had a fatal flaw. We judged the book by its cover. Our dislike of one another was purely based on personality. The problem was that neither of us understood how divinely connected we were. God was intentionlly using our location, professor and calling to set us up for a divine connection. This sister that I did not like ended up being the connection to the local church that I have been at for the last seven years. She was the sister that exposed my character issues. She was the sister that planned my wedding. She is also the sister who I now am able to confide in.
Often, we miss what God is doing due to our outward senses. If we would have allowed our personality differences to keep us from learning more about one another, we would have robbed ourselves of a great and growing relationship. The most important relationships are worth working on. I am sure you have someone in your life that you don’t quite care for at this moment, whether it’s a spouse, roommmate, friend, co-worker, client or sibling. I am here to suggest that those relationships that cause you the most pain and suffering are often the relationships that show you where you need help from God.
I was prideful, arrogant, agressive, conceided, and I needed help. I am sure that not all the people who rub you the wrong way will become your friend, but I am sure that God will use every ounce of the relationship to work the fruits of the Spirit in you. The Bible doesn’t say, “If you like a person be kind to them”. Jesus modeled for us our need to love our enemies and love others as ourselves.
We are called to lead with our lives by being light. We can’t be light while allowing our likes and dislikes to be our motivation for developing healthy relationships with others. Today, I encourage you to turn the mirror around from the other person to you. If you are struggling with caring for another, think of all the reasons that you can care for them instead of all the reasons that you dislike them. I promise you it will be well worth it.
