J.R. Lee

In honor of National Signing Day…

The University of Miami has had some great coaches over the years.   Brand new coach, Al Golden, is quickly gaining momentum and should do a fantastic job at The U.  Since he hasn’t even taken the field yet in his new role, my favorite is still Jimmy Johnson.  I loved the swagger.  The toughness.  Playing Miami during his regime was a daunting task.

His coaching philosophy explains why:

My role as a head coach was to do three things: One, bring in people who are committed to being the very best; two, eliminate people who are not committed to being the very best; and three, the most important of my responsibilities, create an atmosphere where they could achieve their goals and the goals we set for our team.  I wanted to put them in the right environment and delegate the responsibility so they could be the best they could be.

Coach Johnson got it!  So can you!  Let’s Go Canes!

Never apologize for empowering people!  I have met very few individuals (there will always be that occasional 43 year old man who lives at his parents house and plays XBox 360 all day), who do not want to be part of something bigger than them.

George Bernard Shaw wrote about his desire to be empowered to live life when he wrote:

This is true joy in life:  being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one…Being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy…”

Make it your goal to call out the potential that exists in those you influence.  God didn’t make a mistake when He created them and He didn’t make a mistake when He created you!

I loved this post from Seth Godin!  I think you will as well.

Just about all sabotage is self-sabotage.

We don’t get forced to eat that cookie, we choose to. And so the diet is ended.

Marketing self-sabotage is fascinating to watch and understand. Consider the college application: it’s primarily an opportunity for teenagers who aren’t sure of where they want to go to undercut their chances by exposing their uncertainty. The lizard brain, the voice in the back of the head that wants security and safety–it’s not eager to go to a college that might be ‘too hard’ or ‘too good’. The easy thing to do is to scale back the effort, not do what works, but do what feels right instead.

Or consider the way we resist opportunities to lead, to connect, to do work that matters. We don’t resist because we’re not capable of it… we resist because if our marketing fails, if we don’t get the job or earn the trust, then we’re off the hook. No promises made, which means no promises to keep.

We know more than enough about marketing now. We know how to craft a story that will spread, we know how to find and lead tribes. The thing we have trouble with is making the commitment to do it even when it’s frightening and difficult.

Here is a great quote from a book I am reading entitled Uncommon: Finding Your Path to Significance by Tony Dungy..

The above sentence is a little misleading as the quote is actually from Mark Twain but nonetheless:

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.  So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore. Dream. Discover.

I know so many people that are contemplating their next move in life.  Don’t sit back and see what life throws you.  God created you for so much more than that!  Follow hard after the heart of God and He will lead you on the greatest and most exciting journey of your life!

Contrary to what some would teach – there are several things in life worth fighting for.  Wayne Cordeiro had some good things to say on that very subject…

One day after years of ministry with a wonderful congregation, I will say my good-byes, pack my bags and, with many tears, walk out of the church.  But when I walk out of the church, there’s only one place I can walk into.  Family.  While everyone in our great church loved our family, I have come to realize that nobody is fighting for my family.

That’s great insight for a guy like me.  I was called to be a follower of Christ, husband, and father long before I was ever called to be a Pastor.  As much as I love Freedom Church, loving my family is a higher priority.

This isn’t even close to an exhaustive list, but I fight for my family through prayer,  by dating my wife and daughters as well as spending significant time with my son.  If need be, I’ll chop someone up with a machete as well

I hope you would do the same.