The Reader For Leaders Seminars, articles, and musings by Paul D. Casey

“Persistence is having the same goal over and over.” –Seth Godin

I suppose we could be regularly lazy or regularly a pest or exhibit some other negative recurring habit in our lives. But true persistence, as a virtue, comes from setting a goal of self- or organizational-improvement, and pursuing that goal day-in and day-out until it is accomplished.  Which makes Goal-setting so important. Picking the right goal, one that’s specific, measurable, achieveable, time-sensitive, and relevant (SMART). Then committing to its achievement–otherwise, what’s the point of setting one? It would just be time-spent setting one’s self up for failure.  Goals should be written down and shared with safe people who can hold us accountable because there is power in the written word and in accountability.

“It’s not the outlook, but the uplook that counts.”

This quote speaks to perspective and where to look for purpose in life. Simply looking around at circumstances and reacting to them like everyone else does, does not impact the world around us for good and for God. Only keeping a heavenly perspective, which takes extra effort and Spirit-filling that we can pray for daily, helps us to respond with wisdom and understanding. “Uplook” can also refer to being an optimist, looking for the best in situations, looking for the blessings around us, looking for God at work around every corner. It colors life with new eyeglasses.

“You’ll never be successful if you’re not excited about what you’re doing; we’re not put here to grind our teeth.” –Ken Blanchard

Boy, do I believe this one!  God did not wire us a certain way to live in drudgery and unfulfillment. He promises abundant life. That abundant life comes from living a vocation and other life-pursuits that are in your strength and passion zone. It’s hard to have a positive impact on others when your daily life isn’t even impacting yourself positively. And I believe living for something higher than one’s self is the greatest pursuit and drives a satisfying life-purpose. Got passionate purpose?

“A stony heart cannot receive an impression.”

We think of being rock-hard as a good thing: stable, unmoveable.  But that doesn’t apply to our hearts, that need to stay fertile ground for God to press into them seeds that can produce some good fruit (words/behaviors). Picture a squishy, fresh marshmallow vs. a stale, hard one. Or picture wet concrete vs. dry concrete. It’s one of the few choices no one else can control in our lives but us.  Do you need a heart transplant today?

“You’ve got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down.” –Ray Bradbury

I read the first part of the quote and think the author must be crazy, but then I finish the quote and it makes sense. Without taking risky leaps out of my comfort zone, I can never truly experience some of life’s greatest adventures. Adventures come in the form of new friendships/relationships, new job opportunities, new speaking engagements, new hobbies or experiences, new words to learn…. It adds to a well-lived life, building strength that has the potential to be shared with others.

“Don’t let someone else create your world, for when they do, they will always create it too small.” –Edwin Louis Cole

We’ve all heard that we are in charge of our own destinies. While I believe God is the ultimate Controller of my destiny, I do believe I play a role in that life-plan. Putting the plan in the hands of another human usually limits the potential of what God can do through me because most people are short-sighted and tend to play it safe, lending negative vibes to dreams and opportunities. There comes a time when a man/woman must take the bulls by the horn and go for it, running through the open doors God swings wide.

“One of the grand ironies of our faith is that we can come to know God more intimately by recklessly pursuing Him in the dark night of our pain.”  –C.S. Lewis

It’s usually a time to lose trust in God, to think He’s abandoned us–when we are going through deep painful circumstances. Maybe it’s also the irony of when I was spanked as a child by my dad: I wanted to run to his arms to reconnect to His love, even though he had just dished out painful discipline to me. It’s somehow knowing that He’s got it all ultimately designed to work out for our good, though I can’t explain it–I just know it enriches my faith each time I “recklessly” pursue Him and He comes through in His timing.

“It’s a good thing to have all the props pulled out from under us occasionally. It gives us some sense of what is rock under our feet, and what is sand.” –Madeleine L’Engle

Just like tribulation reveals people’s character, it also reveals their faith. I don’t like that feeling of rocking back in a chair and then almost falling backwards, but then catching myself; the adrenaline shoots through my body, and I recover, on terra firma. Yea for gravity if used for one’s advantage.  Deeper than that, when off-balance due to a troubling life experience, only God is our Gravity, the only One Who will not let us down, Who knows exactly what needs to be done to ground us. Crises are crucibles that show what to rid our faith of, and what to anchor our faith in.

“Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson

Isn’t this leadership at its basest form? Anyone can follow. Anyone can respond. But leadership is visionary, it’s going-first, it’s sticking your neck out–for the benefit of those walking tentatively behind. I’m always grateful when I’m hiking a trail that has been blazed by someone who cared enough about bringing beauty to others that they sacrificed their time and energy to make it passable for me! So, the choice is ours: either we stay impacted by the culture, or we make the impact, and by doing so, make a difference in others’ quality of life.

“It’s easy to make a buck. It’s a lot tougher to make a difference.” –Tom Brokaw

I find myself going here and there to make some extra money off to the side, in order to live with more of a cushion financially by paying off debt to get out of that bondage.  While God opens those doors and I am very grateful, what I like more is when those opportunities involved helping people grow forward toward what God wants for them.  I want that to be my legacy: that I made a positive difference in as many people’s lives as possible.