Archive
Leadership and Laundry
Don't make leadership a reaction like doing laundry!
Today is laundry day! We have all been there at one time or another (especially the guys). You realize that you are down to only one or two pairs of clean underwear and it’s time to take action – otherwise you’ll be wearing your bathing suit as boxer shorts in a couple of days. As I was doing laundry today, I was thinking about how some times we lead like we do laundry.
For most of us, doing laundry is based on a reaction – “Oh no, I’m almost out of clean clothes!” As leaders we should always be aware of our relationships with those we lead as well as our influence on these individuals. They don’t need a leader right when their world is falling apart. Those you lead need to know from the start that you are in their corner and available for them at a moment’s notice. If you as a leader don’t communicate this to them verbally or through your actions, they are going to be less likely to come to you when tragedy does strike.
You can’t treat each load of laundry the same just as you can’t use the same leadership techniques on every individual you lead. If you put bleach in with dark clothes you will have a messed up load of laundry on your hands. Someone who is better equipped as an individual worker may need a little more encouragement when it comes to work in a team environment. When you accidentally leave a red sock in the dryer and put in a load of white clothes, you end up with a lot of pink. Individuals who may be a little more emotionally invested in their work are not going to take it well if you come at them full force telling them they have made a mistake – you have to handle the situation with a more tender touch.
In what ways have you discovered that you do your leadership like you do your laundry?
Photo Credit: By Celeste Lindell
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Overcoming The Typical
Photo Credit: By Amazon.com
Chances are we have all experienced what I like to call “Groundhog Day” syndrome. In the 1993 movie of the same name, a weatherman (played by Bill Murray) is forced to relive the same day over and over again. Does your daily routine sound like the following – wake up, go to work, come home from work, watch television, go to bed, and then repeat the next day? It can easily become monotonous.
Sunday morning at church, the worship band played the song “Typical” by MUTEMATH. (Make sure to check out the music video for the song as it is anything but “typical” – it was filmed backwards and the band learned the song backwards so they would appear to be singing it forward in the video.) Some of the lyrics speak to this very situation.
Cause I know there’s got to be another level
Somewhere closer to the other side
And I’m feeling like it’s now or never
Can I break the spell of the typical?
Because it’s dragging me down
I’d like to know about when
When does it all turn around?
Dictionary.com defines typical as “considered to be an example of some undesirable trait; conforming to a type.” In essence, typical is what we consider normal, average, or the usual. Some times we just do what society expects from us and nothing more. The typical can be what is robbing us from the phenomenal.
How do you avoid the typical in your life?
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6 Things I Learned In 365 Days
2011 - The Year of Learning
I am a big advocate of learning – if you’re not learning at least one new thing every day you need to reevaluate a few things. Learning enables growth mentally and it keeps you challenged. As I look back on 2011, to say I learned a lot would be a huge understatement. Here are just a few of the highlights of my lessons learned last year.
1) Saying “Goodbye” is never easy – Last year I had two influential people in my life pass away. My best friend Jennifer’s mom Jolene passed away in March and one of my former youth group volunteers, Paul Fife lost his life in December. Both Jolene and Paul had a huge impact on my life and their deaths were unexpected. It’s just a reminder to always let people in your life know you love and appreciate them, as you don’t know much longer they will be with you.
2) Visit things that remind you of your childhood often – In November, I went to see the movie The Muppets and was transported back to when I was a child. Hopefully the Muppets are back and here to stay.
3) How much I rely on my iPod – I had to replace my iPod in 2011 after three years of usage. The hard drive was corrupt and as a result it wouldn’t work. I was without a functional iPod for almost a month. I love my music and this was truly torture for me. I couldn’t go running or even relax at home with music.
4) Just because things don’t happen the way you think they should doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing – I learned this in several different situations last year. One of the main ways was in my job/career path. I lost my job at the end of June and I am still job hunting to this day. The cool thing is there were several things I would not have been able to do if I had a job at the time. I’ve been blessed with amazing friends, an awesome church, and a great small group that have all made what would have been a difficult time much more bearable.
5) It’s okay to take a break when working to accomplish your goals – I have been 13 months without a Diet Dr Pepper, so I thought I would try to do the same with just drinking water. I went almost 3 weeks and got sick – the taste of water made me nauseated so I had to try something else while I was trying to get over my intense sinus infection. I didn’t go back to sodas, but I did go back to sweet tea. My goal is to get back on track within the next few weeks with just drinking water since I am finally starting to get over being sick.
6) It’s okay to be single for a little while – I intentionally decided not to date anyone in 2011. It was nice to just have some “me time” and not have to worry about anyone else. Last year was not a good year for celebrity marriages: Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries only lasted 72 days, Sinead O’Connor and Barry Herridge lasted only 18 days, and Katy Perry and Russell Brand lasted about a year. Relationships take work and you can’t just give up because it isn’t easy or convenient. Problems will occur that can’t be solved in 18-72 days. This time away from dating allowed me to refocus on how I could do my part in helping a relationship truly last.
What is one thing you learned in 2011?
Photo Credit: By Kathryn Greenhill
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Top 10 Blog Posts of 2011
It’s hard to believe we are in the final days of 2011. As we look back on the last 365 days, several different lists have either come out or will be coming out within the next few days. What were the best movies of the year? What were the best songs of the year?
Here are my top 10 read blog posts for 2011:
10) Strength
8) The Church of Facebook – Community or Connection?
7) What Have I Gotten Myself Into – The Peachtree Edition
6) Big Brother – A Dissection of (Not So) Good Community
3) “Every Single Man’s Battle” Has The Best of Intentions
May 2012 bring you blessings beyond your wildest imagination.
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Christmas with the Coueys
It’s hard to believe that Christmas is just two days away. I finished my Christmas shopping two days ago and just finished wrapping the gifts a few minutes ago. It’s so easy to focus on the present when it’s really the past that makes Christmas so significant. At a young age we learn that Christmas through the eyes of a child is something to truly experience.
Growing up, one of our family Christmas traditions was to wake up early on Christmas morning and crawl in bed with my parents. My dad would read the Christmas story straight from the Bible while my two younger brothers and I listened. At our young ages, we could in no way truly fathom how Mary and Joseph could travel by donkey to Bethlehem. We really couldn’t understand why Jesus was born in a stable and not in a hospital like each of the three of us.
As my brothers and I grew older and moved out on our own, the family traditions of our childhood were replaced with our own personal traditions. It has been exciting to see how my nieces and nephews have discovered the true meaning of Christmas. This year my youngest nephew is at the age where he is actually starting to understand who Santa Claus is and how presents will be under the Christmas tree. I am excited to one day have children of my own and to be able to start our own family Christmas traditions. It’s with genuine childlike faith (Mark 10:14-15) that we can truly experience the true meaning of Christmas.
What are some Christmas traditions that you and your family participate in every year?
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It’s Update Time…
Jingle Jog - Posing with Santa & Mrs Claus
Since Christmas is only 5 days away, I thought I’d give an update on the health goals I’ve set recently.
1) December 1, I started drinking nothing but water. My goal is to go an entire year only drinking water. It was a challenge the first few days but it has become much easier. The best part is I’ve already lost about five pounds so far. On my second day, I went to Chick-fil-A to use a coupon I had received in the mail for a free combo meal. The lady at the register asked me what I wanted to drink and I told her water. She tried several times to explain that I could choose any soft drink, tea, or lemonade I wanted and I told her several times that I understood, but I still wanted water to drink. I think she finally gave up and said “Okay, if that’s what you really want.”
2) I did the Jingle Jog 5K on Saturday, December 10. It turned out to be more of a fun run instead of an actual competitive race. My goal was not a specific time, but to just complete the race. I think my final time was around 48 minutes. It was very cold but it was a lot of fun.
3) I’ve been reading the book “Body for Life” by Bill Phillips and Michael D’Orso with two other guys in my small group at church. One of the other guys in our group (the one who suggested the book to us) asked me last night how I was doing with it. Unfortunately, the answer was “not so good.” For some reason I have developed this mental block about it – I don’t know if it’s because of the holidays or if it’s something else. I haven’t given up completely but I’m just really struggling with it right now for some reason. I hope that it’s just because of the holidays and that it will eventually get better.
Do you have any advice to help me out with achieving better results while I’m attempting to read “Body for Life?”
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Remembering Paul Fife
Paul Lee Fife (1961 - 2011)
When you look back at the life you’ve lived so far, do certain people come to your mind? Do you remember the people who had a meaningful impact on your life? On Thursday, December 1, 2011 the world lost such a Godly, amazing man who was a great encouragement to me over the years. Paul Fife volunteered with the youth group when I was growing up at First Baptist Church Smyrna.
One thing I will miss greatly about Paul is his sense of humor. He helped make the awkward teen years more bearable. I remember one year we had a talent show and they asked Paul to be a part of it. They asked him what he was going to do and he told them to put him down as “miscellaneous.” When it was his turn, he got up on stage and recited (off the top of his head) a poem about a mysterious woman named “Ms. Allaneous” – all of this he created right there on the spot. We were all laughing to the point of tears.
Another example of Paul’s sense of humor involved a guy I knew named Chris. Chris was new to the church and being the new guy, everyone wanted to introduce him to the people at the church. Chris was “introduced” to Paul at least 10-20 times by various church members and each time Paul played it off like they had never met. They would say “Paul, have you met Chris?” and his response would always be “No, I’m sorry…Chris was it? So nice to meet you!” Those of us that knew they had met were biting our lips trying not to laugh and make the person introducing them (for the umpteenth time) feel uncomfortable.
What I loved so much about Paul was that he was funny, but he knew when to be serious. He would ask you the tough questions you needed to hear. I remember hanging out with him and a few other youth, just sitting in the church parking lot on the hood of his car talking about life. Paul was so easy to talk to and made you feel loved. You knew you had his undivided attention. You also knew where he stood on his beliefs – he loved Jesus and he wanted you to love Jesus as much as he did, but not in an in your face, beat you over the head with a Bible kind of way. He genuinely loved people and making a difference in their lives.
Paul, you will be missed but I know you have all the angels laughing right now.
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Jingle Jog – Playlist Time
What is your Christmas running motivation?
The Atlanta weather has been so dreary lately, so I decided to be a little more proactive on my goals that I recently set. On Saturday, December 10, I will be running the Jingle Jog and to help motivate myself, I created a Christmas playlist for the race. I am the type of person who is encouraged by music. You must have the right kind of music for whatever it is you are trying to accomplish. If you are trying to run a race, you don’t listen to Celine Dion, Kenny G., or Michael Bolton unless you want to fall asleep at the starting line.
Here is what will be motivating me to cross the Jingle Jog finish line:
- “Mad Russian’s Christmas (Instrumental)” by Trans-Siberian Orchestra
- “We Three Kings” by Pentatonix
- “Christmas In Hollis” by Run-DMC
- “The Nutcracker Suite (Baz Kuts Breaks Mix)” by Berlin Symphony Orchestra
- “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” by Viva Voce
- “Toy Jackpot” by Blackalicious
- “Electronic Santa” by Blazer Force
- “The First Noel” by Scott Blackwell
- “Wonderful Christmas Time” by Family Force 5
- “O Holy Night” by Code Of Ethics
- “Winter Wonderland” by Joy Electric
- “Baby, It’s Cold Outside (Mulato Beat Remix)” by Louis Armstrong
- “Jolly Old Saint Nicholas” by Viva Voce
- “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day” by All Star United
- “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” by Band Aid
- “Jingle Bells” by The Brian Setzer Orchestra
- “The Little Drummer Boy” by Candi Pearson Shelton
- “O Come Emmanuel” by Chasing Furies
- “(It Must Have Been Ol’) Santa Claus” by Harry Connick, Jr.
- “I Pray On Christmas” by Harry Connick, Jr.
- “Happy Christmas” by John Lennon & Yoko Ono
- “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing” by Weezer
- “Christmas At Ground Zero” by Weird Al Yankovic
What motivates you to get out and run during the holidays?
Photo Credit: By Alba Palacios
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A Change Will Do Me Good…
My life is "under construction"
With all that has been going on in my life over the past few months, I have decided to make some changes. I have specifically decided to do three things and they all have the common theme of dealing with my health. It’s going to be a challenge but I’m ready for a change.
1) Beginning December 1, 2011 I will only be drinking water. On December 1, 2010 I decided to stop drinking sodas and as a result sweet tea became my vice. This decision was also based on my last visit to the dentist when I was informed that I would need a good bit of dental work done as a result of my “8-9 Diet Dr Peppers a day” habit. Since I have accomplished my goal of not drinking sodas for almost a year now, I wanted to take it to the next level and decided to just try drinking water starting this December 1. Most people ask me why I don’t wait until January 1 and make it a New Year’s Resolution. I don’t believe in New Year’s Resolutions because by January 15 (or in some cases sooner) they have already been broken. If I start this on a day that is not January 1 then there is no “New Year’s Resolution” pressure and I am more prone to stick to my goal.
2) Saturday, December 10 I will be participating in Jingle Jog. I have not participated in a race since The Peachtree Road Race on July 4 of this year. The Peachtree was a 10K, so I thought I would give myself a little bit of a break and do a 5K this time around. What is so cool is one of the guys in my new small group has been looking for a 5K to run, so he and I are planning to do the race together.
3) I have been wanting to find a way to improve my over all health – encompassing eating right and exercising (two things at which I am horrible at maintaining). At the encouragement of another one of the guys in my new small group, I have decided to go through a book that he recommend that changed his life. The week after Thanksgiving (for obvious reasons – don’t want to set myself up for immediate failure with all of that tasty food) I will be starting the book Body for Life by Bill Phillips and Michael D’Orso. The guy in my small group who is running the Jingle Jog has decided to do it as well so we are going to hold one another accountable in this endeavor. Don’t worry, I won’t be forcing you to look at any before or after pictures of me (the thought of that kind of creeps me out any way). I weigh more now than I have ever weighed (my waist size is also the biggest its ever been as well) and that was one of the major determining factors for me to make these changes.
Do you have any words of wisdom or encouragement that could help me through these changes?
Photo Credit: By Kevin Dooley
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Forbidden – A Great Start to The Books of Mortals
Dekker + Lee = Forbidden
To say that Ted Dekker is one of my favorite authors would be an extreme understatement. When I heard he would be co-writing another book I was a little worried. I loved the book House that he wrote with Frank Peretti, but I did not like either of the books he wrote with Erin Healey (Burn and Kiss). I had never heard of Tosca Lee, so I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading Dekker’s latest book Forbidden. This is the Ted Dekker I remember and fell in love with when I first started reading his works with the book Thr3e.
Forbidden is book one in a new trilogy called The Books of Mortals. Imagine if you will, a time in the future where human beings are removed of all emotions except fear – this is the concept of Forbidden. Rom, the main character of the story, is given a vial of blood and discovers that when he consumes the blood he is able to feel all of his emotions once again. With such a precious commodity as this life-giving blood, you could imagine the number of people who want to get their hands on it. The book tells of Rom and those in his inner circle as they try to find the source of this magical blood, while trying to keep it out of the hands of those who have the desire to use for evil.
There is a lot of Biblical imagery like the mysterious blood (providing life, just as the blood of Christ) and several other items, which are very involved in the plot so I will not reveal them and ruin the book for you. Forbidden is an easy read that you won’t be able to put down, as it will keep you on the edge of your seat. The down side of reading Forbidden is that you have to wait until June 5, 2012 to continue reading the trilogy when Mortal (book #2) comes out in stores.
Photo Credit: By Christianbook.com
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Scott Couey 