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Defying Expectations
A number of years ago, my husband and I were out for a walk when the subject of expectations came up. We were frustrated about two things. One — what seemed like unrealistic expectations that people were putting on us. And — two — the failure of co-workers to meet our expectations on a job they had committed to. I remember throwing up my arms and saying, “Maybe if we don’t have expectations we won’t be disappointed.” The reality is that if we don’t have expectations, we won’t go anywhere. We’ll be stuck just where we are and we won’t see others move forward either. What about our expectations? Are...
Read MoreBe Doing What Makes a Difference
Off and on, I ask myself whether or not the “doing” and “being” sides of my life are balanced. On the one hand, I like to be involved in planning, strategizing and juggling different activities. I also enjoy helping others think through where they’re going and help them work out how to accomplish their vision and goals and manage their time. But sometimes I think I get so wrapped up in the “doing” — where I want to go, what I want to accomplish, and how I’ll do it — that the “being” side of me suffers. If we’re honest, most of us would say that it’s easier to get up and do, than...
Read MoreLiving Intentionally in 2011
Check out a planning tool that really works. I’ve used it for a number of years, and many others that I’ve coached have said that it has made a difference in their lives. Even my son-in-law Sherman Hu says, “Without my mom-in-law working with me to determine my values and helping me through this yearly review and planning document, I’d still be unfocused.” http://fingerprintministries.com/media/pdf/AnnualPlanningTool.pdf
Read MoreMentoring through the shadow
Each breath was a gift as Donna’s husband lay in the Cardiac Care Unit of the hospital, connected by tubes and wires to machines that beeped and churned. It had been less that 24 hours since the ambulance rushed Max to the ER while Donna and I raced home from Seattle. As we stood with their family around Max’s hospital bed, the heart specialist and two nurses entered the darkened room and described the severity of Max’s massive heart attack. After a short pause, the doctor then told us that, given his condition, there was nothing more they could do. It was shattering news, yet there was peace and calm in the room as Max gave his response to the...
Read MoreMentoring is more than a program but…
We’ve recently received requests from various groups asking for advice about formal mentoring programs. This has prompted us to look at how we might be able to support those of you who manage a formal program or would like to start one. While the premise of our book, A Mentor’s Fingerprint, is that we all mentor everyday – whether we realize it or not, we also recognize that mentoring can take place within a program. And that mentoring programs play a major role in many churches, businesses, and community organizations. It’s widespread. One article I received in my email in-box recently stressed that “Teacher Mentoring…is a ...
Read MoreWhat are you thankful for?
Happy Thanksgiving weekend to our Canadian friends and family. Here’s a short video to remind us of all the things we have to be thankful for. It was created by Ann’s son-in-law, Sherman. If you want to forward the video to a friend, send them the url to this site because the url in the video doesn’t work. We also invite you to click on “Leave a Reply” at the end of this post to tell us what you’re thankful...
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