15 Minutes...Go!

Today's post should have actually been yesterday's, but I let fear get in the way. Today I am feeling more bold.

“Books are the best of things, well used. What is the right use? What is the one end, which all means go to effect? They are for nothing but to inspire.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

As a writer, your only duty is to be original, to inspire, to put something new on paper. Don’t be reasonable – your job is to to fire up people’s imaginations, to give them permission to dream, and to lift their heads up to the incredible sight of the stars. They may forget what you wrote about – but they won’t forget how you made them feel.
It’s your turn now. Dream, be unreasonable and write what comes to you for 15 minutes.

This morning as I was driving into town my mind got to wandering about success. You see yesterday on the radio they were asking listener's to define what success meant to them. I had no interest, but today I was interested. As I was thinking about that very thought, I got to thinking about why I was interested in thinking that thought today and not yesterday when I was being prompted by the radio. This thought lead to the thought of rebellion.

I have never been much of a rebel. In my younger days I was far from a rebel. In recent days, I have found that I frequently want to do the exact opposite of what I am asked or expected to do. I am not sure why this is the case; as if I am trying to make some statement, because I am not. I just find that I want to do what everyone thinks I won't. Or is it that I want to do what I thought I couldn't do? From here I was lead down the path of leadership and what it meant to be a rebel and a leader. I got to thinking about people who hold leadership roles that do quirky things. I thought about the way that others respond to it. In my thoughts I found that when a person in a leadership role does something out of the ordinary, they are rarely criticized for this. In fact most of the time you will hear people say; "well that is just the way she is."

After that I thought about what kind of leader I wanted to be or whether I wanted to be a leader at all. Everyone wants to be a leader in some way. Leadership is fascinating. Some people are quiet leaders, while others are very charismatic. I have always enjoyed both types. There are things to appreciate about both and therefore I always find something I like in either one.

We were talking about this with the kids in church on Sunday. Be a leader! That is what we told them. Then as I was watching the video with the rest of the kids, the guy on the screen said something that hit me hard. He said a good leader follows God and listens well.

Not one time in this series did they say a good leader knows how to talk or acts well. No, that wasn't it at all. I was awe struck because for so many years I had put so much emphasis on making sure I was saying the right thing or acting in the right way in order to be a good leader. I never put much thought into listening well. We also learned that in order to be a good leader, you must be an even better follower...of Christ. I knew right then and there what I was missing if I ever wanted to be a good leader.

Now, I want to be a better follower and a better listener. I think there is a peace that exists in good leaders that are great followers. They aren't anxious, because they know their answers will come. They don't worry, they just trust.

In the end you can either worry or trust God. It is that simple. These were the words I received from God through a friend yesterday.

And this is what 15 minutes of writing looks like for me. Not revised, a bit scattered, and a lot of thought.

Try this exercise....Come back later for today's real post.