RU OK? The unspoken answer…

Today is “RU Ok? Day”. Whist I understand & agree with the intention of the day where it brings to the forefront the importance of checking in on one another, starting the conversation & also creating opportunities to support & encourage one another, I don’t think it should be an occurrence that happens once a year. In fact, I make it an active intention to ask this question to those around me & those I meet regularly.

On the flip side, this question is also easily answered most times. “Yes, I am ok”, “all good”, “going well/great/awesome” are some of the common responses who usually then brings an end to the conversation.

But let’s take a moment to stop & truly consider ourselves before responding to that question… “Are you/we REALLY ok?” in all areas & aspects of our lives? Is there anything that we are struggling with or bothering us? Are we really that happy & contented at all things?

I am not saying that we have to spill our guts out or share our inner most struggles with everyone who ask us that question… Opportunities may come up that we are prompted to share with a person who do ask that question & that is great…

What I discovered this year though is that on RU OK? Day, let us not just ask one another that question but let us also ask ourselves that question. Let us inspect all areas of our life to determine if we are indeed really ok.. let us answer for ourselves the true answer to that question.

Drip

Drip, drip, drip….

It has been raining pretty much non stop for the last 48 hours or so & there is a leak in my office where my window connection is. As there is more rain to come & it can’t be fixed until the rain stops, all we can do it to place a towel & bucket. But in the last day & half, it has taught me how a drip can affect my life!

A drip is not much. It is after all only just a single drip. But the noise that single drop makes, it can be heard. It grabs your attention & focus. It causes you to notice it.

A drop of water will still cause something to be wet – bucket, towel, carpet, even you. It has the power to change something.

Consistency of drips will actually cause a bigger impact, a bucket to fill up, a towel or carpet to drench.

This actually got me thinking… sometimes, there are things in life, decisions made, words said that may not be huge or for its impact to be immediate but like a constant drip, it is significant. It still changes, it has it’s value & purpose & its effect. Consistently going, its significance grows.

So if what you are doing may seem like a drop at the moment, don’t give up, don’t give in.. it already made a change.. to make a bigger change, make the drop into a consistent drip! A drip that eventually cannot be ignored!

Old ways, new doors

It is a new year & a new decade but are we stuck in our old ways of doing things? Old habits, old expectations, old manners, old approaches.. don’t get me wrong, there are some things of old which are of value, in fact, great value – those are the things that have stood the test of time, that worked & that are the foundation of things! There is value & worth in the priceless traditions, the basic morals of life which are timeless like politeness, kindness, generosity, love, care, respect. Those are the things of old that are set in stone that should not be departed from & should be passed & taught from one generation to another.

But then, there are still the other things, with a new generation of technology, kids & ideas, as the world change around us, should we not change too to adapt where there is a need to do so? When something isn’t working anymore because it has gone past it’s time or relevance, those are the things that need refreshing. Sometimes, it is not just the physical things but also the mindsets, being teachable, being open, looking outside the box so that things, businesses, ministries, relationships can be brought to a whole new level!

Change does not just happen because it is a new year

Just saying that it is a new year does not make things new 😅 we all wished it was that simple. I saw this post by Christine Caine & it helps put into words what had been on my mind for this new year & new decade.

There have been numerous things which we have accepted & allowed for the last year & decade which we know that change needs to occur but no action has been taken, this is the year to press stop & deal with it so that change can actually occur.

There are some things that are progressing like a bullet train towards a destination but have we paused to see what else is there around us that needs to be done or is everything going to just fly by like a blur & become missed opportunities?

Are there some things that need to be reset, rethought, refreshed, repaired, reanalysed, reassessed, reconsidered so that it functions better, that the foundations can be made stronger.. sometimes the base is set & is fine but the building that took place on top of it may have some weak points or some require some adjustment to ensure that it can support the further building on top of it, likewise, to pruning of a tree, to ensure that the growth happens in the right direction & the branch is strong enough to support it otherwise, the fruit eventually falls from the tree not due to ripeness but due to the weakness of the branch.

Lastly, the scariest one of all, is it time to press start… press start on those dreams that have been kept in the smallest & secret places, the ideas that we have pushed aside, the visions that God ha given us but we discounted not because of Him but of what we think our abilities are.. if not now, then when?

The ticking of the clock into a new hour/day/hour/week/month/year/decade does not mean that things will magically change. It is the intentions followed by the courage together with the actions & hard work that change occurs.

New year new bag

Received a new handbag & wallet for Christmas so tonight, before I start back at work for the new year, I emptied my old handbag & sorted through all the crap I had in there. My new handbag was a little smaller than my old one & initially, I wondered if I was going to fit everything in…. but as I emptied it, I realised as to how much crap I was carrying around in my bag everywhere & everyday for the last year! So many things that were not necessary, not useful, things that had expired, that I no longer had use for, broken, missing items that did not belong to me! As I sorted through them & tossed out what was unnecessary, my new bag was rather light & full of space for new things. It also made me realise that life can be a bit like that too.. we we travel through the year, we take things on board, where with ease, we place stuff that was given to us, picked up, held, shared, used into our “bag”, our mind, our heart, our spirit & we knowingly or unknowingly carry those stuff around with us. So as we begin the new year, let’s sort through our physical, emotional, mental & spiritual bag. Toss out the unnecessary, the things that are not important or of use or beneficial. Start the year light, with space for new things.

What are you setting up for?

This last few weeks, we have been preparing our team for the year ahead. Together, we have done some leadership devotionals, we have met, we have socialised, we have bonded, we have team built (unintentionally sometimes but we have).

I am not saying that we have the perfect team but I know that as team leaders, my husband & I get to know our team so we know their strengths & weaknesses. In the strength & giftings, we launch them towards that area to see them succeed. In the areas of their weaknesses, we come alongside them to help them grow. Not to turn it into their strength because that is not necessarily what they are called or designed to do, but to assist them in growing in that area & support them so that they can challenge themselves & grow further.

As I look around, sometimes there are people who have been placed in wrong areas or wrong positions, a simple example is people who can’t sing are on stage singing or people who struggle with cooking being placed in a hospitality role to cook.

I then had a realisation that there are 2 things or 2 sides to consider – firstly from the viewpoint of the person itself & secondly, from the viewpoint of their leader.

From the person itself, there may be desires that they have in their heart to see or to do certain things. Those desires may be there for a reason but it may not be for this time. We grow into our calling & we grow into our giftings. If things were immediate, every little kid who walked around with a hairbrush singing would then be given a microphone to hold a concert. That child may eventually do so one day in the future but the time from now till then, is where the hard work & the growth goes into. This is where the leader’s role comes in.

As a leader, we are given discernment & wisdom. If you are a leader & you don’t think you have those, seek them. If you are a leader who has been in leadership for a long time, let me challenge you by asking “do you still use wisdom & discernment when you choose what position to place the people in your team in?”.

I know for me personally, in the past, I have sometimes allowed personal feelings or friendship or even guilt sway my choices, like that person is where they are because of a decision that I had made so since I have already made that mistake by putting them in that role, let me keep encouraging them & try to get people to cheer them on so they can get better – yes, if that is their area of gifting & no, if that isn’t! If you keep doing so & those people are not in their area of gifting or calling, you are firstly setting them up for failure & secondly, you are not being a good steward of the people within your team!

Sometimes as a leader, it is not just about the support but it also about the courage to acknowledge that a mistake was made in your decisions & removing that person from those positions & placing them into a role that they can actually grow! Otherwise, one day will come & they will be burnt in that position & they will also be burnt personally.

If as a leader, you want to know if the people in your teams are in the right positions, look at the reactions of people around. A leader has to sit back & assess every so often. Do so & you will see the true reaction of people around which would be an indication of whether your team is in the right or wrong spot. Do not be afraid to do so for this is a very important aspect of leadership, especially if you want to see growth in your team or your area.

So, what are you setting up for? Are you setting up for growth or are you choosing to set up for failure because of your stubbornness or fear as a leader to make the hard decisions?

What if…?

I was reading an article this morning & it asked the question “What if?” It started to get me thinking & it has been playing around in my mind all day… How do you view your “What if?”‘s? 

More often than not, when we think of or ask “What if?”, it is of a thing that has happened in the past.. However our “What If?” does not always have to be a negative reflection of our regret but it can also be the positive motivation of our future. 

Power is given to a “What if?” depending on the how & when the question is asked. So rather than letting it have a negative impact that holds us back & cause us to be depressed (& you know more often than not, that is the case), let’s decide to use our “What if?” as a positive point in time to propel us further forward & to open doors & consider ideas that we have never thought of.