Meet Amy.

Amy is a manager of a remote team within a large organization.  While her team is small, they are responsible for producing a substantial number of deliverables on strict deadlines.

How has this team navigated the disruptions of a global pandemic, a change in leadership, and significant turnover among staff, and still managed to form a cohesive team that meets deadlines and produces with excellence?

They play to their strengths.  And that begins with their manager.

I’ve had the privilege of coaching Amy a few times along her journey, particularly as she moved into a larger managerial role with this team.  She was familiar with the CliftonStrengths assessment, so that seemed a natural jumping off point for our coaching work together.  

We all have talents: Natural patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that we can productively apply.

But having talent isn’t enough.

First, we need to clearly identify those talents – to define what they are and what they mean to us. We need to name them.

We need to understand those talents – to recognize how they show up in our lives and work and to appreciate the power they bring us. We need to claim them.

Then we need to apply those talents – to intentionally use them in specific situations so that we can build real strengths. We need to aim them.

Name, claim, aim. This is the process of developing our talents into strengths.

I love a good hike.  Moving my body, creating a bit of exertion, hopefully seeing some good vistas or interesting things along the way, maybe having good conversations with hiking companions.

Yes, I love hiking.  Except when I don’t.  When the weather gets cold or rainy.  When we’ve hiked a looooong time and I’m tired and I can feel blisters starting.  When it seems the whole hike has been uphill and I don’t want to “feel the burn” anymore.  Or worst, when we don’t end up where we thought we would and we realize that we’re no longer “hiking,” we’re lost.

All of these dynamics can be true about change.  It can be fun, exciting, and bring us new experiences.  And it can be exhausting, painful, and even create a sense of disorientation.

Luckily, there are maps to help us along the hike of change.

When I tell people that I have a crazy dog, they laugh and say, “Mine too!”  Then they ask me what breed, and I say “Mostly border collie.”  And they say, “oooh.”  

They know I win in the crazy dog contest.

Dewey came to us 5 ½ years ago.  His breed had been listed as a “Retriever mix” on the rescue’s website.  Maybe a little.  But that’s a generous characterization of my pup.  His ears may be “floppy retriever” but his energy and vigilance is alllll border collie.

Dewey’s origin story:  He was found as a stray in Cobb County, GA.  That’s really all we know.  He was saved from the high-kill shelters in the south by a rescue based in Niagara Falls, Canada that arranges dog adoptions throughout western New York and southern Ontario.  

We made the adoption arrangements before we met him.  (Lucky for him.)

I love a good mystery. Most of my favorite books, movies and TV shows are steeped in mystery.

And this theme is true in my faith life as well. One of my favorite aspects of Christian faith is our understanding of the Paschal mystery.

What is the Paschal mystery? Unlike books and movies, it’s not a classic whodunnit. It’s God’s plan of salvation as fulfilled in the Passion (suffering and crucifixion), death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ.

I could say more to address questions about what the words “Paschal” and mystery mean in this context, but that’s best left to the theologians and catechists. Or a Google search.

The question I’d rather explore is “What does the Paschal mystery mean for us?” Specifically. You and me. In 2024.

Have you ever washed someone’s feet?

Have you ever had someone wash your feet?

What was that like for you?

I know this is probably not the norm in the general population, but as someone who grew up in Catholic ministry programs, learning about servant leadership in a Christian context, teaching others about Christian, servant leadership, and worshipping regularly in a faith community, I’ve experienced my fair share of foot-washings.

They never get easy, or comfortable.

And they’re probably not supposed to.

A few weeks ago, in the Facebook group for Gallup-Certified Strengths Coaches, someone posted an interesting question:

“Does anyone know what the 35th CliftonStrength was?”

That question sparked one of the most entertaining threads that group has seen in a while.

A sampling of the responses: Sarcasm, Anti-WOO, Humor, Cynicism, Hope.

I took the conversation in a different direction.

For Christians, I think the 35th strength is the cross of Christ.

Have you ever taken Gallup’s CliftonStrengths® assessment?

If not, skim the first part of this blog until you see the section called “Why Strengths?”

If you HAVE taken the assessment already, have you downloaded your new “Top 5” report yet?

In January, Gallup released its new “Top 5” report for the CliftonStrengths assessment. As your friendly neighborhood Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, I thought I should let you know about it!

I sat for my morning prayer time a few days ago, feeling grateful for the sunlight… until I turned my head to look out the window and realized how hard it was to see out of the window because of all the grime that’s accumulated. (Actual photo accompanies this blog. Yes, it’s embarrassing, but at least you know I’m telling the truth.)

Yesterday, the sunlight streaming in through the windows in our house was so lovely… until I realized that I could now see all the cobwebs that were dangling from light fixtures and in corners of the rooms.

At any time in our lives, we may be living through a seasonal transition: a significant, transformative period in life characterized by distinct changes or shifts in various priorities in our lives. These may bring about substantial shifts in our thoughts, feelings, actions, and reactions, leading to uncertainty or instability.

Living through seasonal transitions impacts how we navigate our day-to-day lives, and also has implications for larger questions in our lives. We’ll touch on both here.

Imagine that you are having some knee pain. Well, not “pain” really. Just some discomfort, some of the time. It’s not a big problem, you just start avoiding the stairs unless necessary, and you cut back on how far or how long you walk or stand. You resign yourself to limping a little.

Now imagine that your other knee flares up one day: intense pain, swollen, hot to the touch, can’t bear much weight.

Which knee would you see your doctor about?

Yep, the one that’s in acute pain. Why? It’s urgent.

But what if the diagnosis is fairly benign, and that with rest and some ibuprofen, you’ll be right as rain in a week or two? And what if the knee that you didn’t see the doctor about is slowly wearing down its cartilage?

Which one’s more important to address?

What one thing could you do in your life that, if you did it regularly, would make a tremendous positive difference in your life?

Yes, I do want you to come up with an answer.

And just one answer. Resist the urge to name 5 things. Resist the urge to start action planning.

Let’s just do this one step at a time.

Assuming that you have an answer to the question above, the next question is:

We live in a world that has an urgency addiction. Every app has constant notifications and every news channel keep a scrolling feed of “breaking news.”

You might work in an organization that has an urgency addiction. Yes, even if (especially if?) you’re an entrepreneur, or work in a non-profit, or serve in a church. I’ve yet to find an industry that’s immune from this.

Sometimes, certain families and people even have an urgency addiction. Always in crisis, always rushing, always busy.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could find more time by cleaning under the couch cushions? Or if “extra time” was stored in the “junk drawer” with all the other random necessities of life? But it’s not. I know. I looked already. We really only “find” time if we look VERY carefully… at ourselves. So if you’re looking for a little more time in your days, here are four suggestions for where to look.

Everyone’s life is different. And each person’s circumstances are different. There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to developing a life of meaning. So the content, form, and shape of meaning-making will vary. But I think there is a pretty reliable process and framework for crafting a meaningful life, a life with “more.” Because I’ve seen it work, I’m happy to share it with you.

I’ve gone ‘round the sun enough times to know that most of us need to hear this sometimes. I don’t care if you’re a CEO or a cleaning person, a life coach or a basketball coach, an AARP member or a kindergartener. Self-doubt starts early, and it journeys right along with us through life. It can come in varying degrees, and its volume can be turned up or down based on the circumstances in our lives, but it’s there.

When we think about our time and the way we use it, we often get trapped in some pervasive myths that do not help us actually get into a healthier mindset about how we spend our time.

Let’s take a look at some of these myths, and also examine the real truth that can invite us to a different way of thinking and behaving.

I don’t know about you, but I have a tendency to make things harder for myself than they need to be. Like my “word of the year” process.

Last year, my word came to me pretty easily. It was a word that surprised me, but it came out of a very simple process. And I really appreciated having that word to guide me and ground me last year.

2023 is nearly over. 2024 has nearly begun. Both are “almost,” “not yet” and “not quite.” At this inflection point, what do you need to do to transition from one year to the next?

Do you need to end 2023 well?

Do you need to begin 2024 with positive intention?

Do you need to hit the ground running in 2024 with a solid, focused plan?

No matter what your need is, I’ve got you covered.

If you find yourself in some darkness right now, I invite you to “look on the bright side.” Not as a distraction or avoidance, not from denial or blind optimism. But from a place of hope, remembering that “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” (John 1: 5)

The darkness will not overcome you either, friend.