Embark: Embrace the Journey
“A ship is always safe at shore but that is not what it’s built for” Albert Einstein
Journeys…for some people they are exhilarating and for others they cause anxiety. All of us are on a journey in our lives, whether it was what we expected or is a different matter entirely. Elijah found that out when he had to run for his life. “Have you ever felt like Elijah…feeling like you are being chased and persecuted when you thought you were on the right path?” And, like Elijah, we can often miss the voice of God. We expect Him to speak to us in bold and shocking ways (earthquakes and fires) and yet it is in a gentle whisper He often guides us along our journey. God shows us that He works in a different way than we expected.
In my own life, I have seen how God has helped me “embrace the journey” when I didn’t want to go. It would have been easier to run than to push into the hard things of life. I am thankful for great mentors that God put into my life who inspired me and spoke into me the words of God when I doubted. I avoided a difficult conversation for over two years until I realized it was impacting me in negative ways-anxiety, fear, etc. When the conversation happened, I realized that most of what I feared was in my own head. How many times do we create situations that aren’t based in reality? (Note: Looking for an effective way to have a difficult conversation in your own life, checkout the Townsend Model.
What journey is God calling you on? What support do you need? How has isolation worked for you?
Here are a few skills that I have found through research and coaching others as you get ready to embark on what God has called you to do:
Relationships
What type of people are you surrounding yourself with? This isn’t new to most of you, my parents have always told me to be careful who I hang out with. The negative or positive impact of others is often more than we think. The research article:Sitting Near a High Performer Can Make You Better At Your Job found that a 25-foot radius of being near a high performer raised your performance by 15%. However, being near a low performer also impacted your performance negatively. So as you think about your journey, are there relationships that you need to put boundaries on or prune?
Adaptable
As you lean into the journey, finding ways to be adaptable is critical. Here is a wonderful article AdaptableLeader, that examines how curiosity and adaptability are essential as a leader post-pandemic. I have seen many clients and students who have struggled with jobs that cut out resources and didn’t find ways to embrace them as people. Jim works at Amazon and the team is remote but finding ways to get together face to face at least two times per year has been paramount to the team. He also has embraced the reality that some team members need to move on, for some people it was time to take on a different challenge. How do you handle that transition as a leader?
Vulnerability and Growth
Do you have a life team? A group of people that you can be honest and real with your fears and dreams? Many of you find that with your classmates, that is paramount to growth. You need a group that will give you the Relational Nutrients to move forward. That happened in my own life with the Townsend Leadership Program. I found a group that was interested in my growth and allowed me to be vulnerable. It wasn’t “too much” for them.
Every person has a different journey but God is in control and Christ has given us the ultimate victory over sin, death, and the devil. As Elijah learned that God is in control during the small and monumental moments. We too will see that He has given us a community in Christ to connect with as we know the victory has been won through the resurrection of Christ. He has already shown us where our journey will end and that is eternal life. As you embark, remember God may not show up in the way that you expect but that He is always there, you are never alone.
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