Where Do You Find Your Strength?

     As leaders our role can consume a large amount of our time and energy.  Most days can be very rewarding but there are some moments, events, or even people who can exhaust a leader.  I call these little moments, "Life Suckers"  I know it's not a real creative title but it sure is accurate because these moments can suck the life out of your day.  There isn't any avoiding them.  Life sucking moments are just part of life.  They happen.  Majority of time in leadership they happen as a result of what someone else has done.  Sure it can happen because of bad practice, bad policy, or a mistake by the leader, but it's been my experience it happens most of the time because someone has made a mistake.  Maybe it's an honest mistake or maybe someone is just being plain stupid.  Either way it happens and as leaders we just have to get over it and deal with the "Life Sucking" moment.

     As leaders we have to look past these moments and find our strength.  No matter what has happened or how stupid someone is we are always called by our profession to treat them professionally.  To do this we have to look past the circumstances and find our strength.  Where do you find your strength?   I think it's important to ask yourself what my strength is based on?  Is it your circumstances?  What if it changes then where is your strength?  What if your bank account goes in the negative does your strength quickly follow?  Your stress level goes up but what about desire to take care of the problem?  If you want to keep the bank off of your back you work quickly to take care of the problem.  In this situation your reputation might be your strength.  Find something stable for your strength.  Your family, friends, or your faith.  Families have their ups and downs but for the most part they are pretty stable and you can rely on them.  Your friends, the good ones that will tell you the truth and still accept you, are generally pretty stable. 

     Your faith, and I'm talking about God, will never change.  Why?  Because God is always faithful.  Don't get faith and circumstances confused.  Circumstances change, almost like a roller coaster ride.  Your faith is always there because God is always there.  Don't put faith in your circumstances because they will change and then you will think God is on vacation or just ignoring you.  He doesn't, because God never changes.  He is always their because God is always faithful.   When the "Life Suckers" walk into your presence think to yourself, this to shall pass, and start working on resolving the issue.  I have learned more in leadership through each of these life sucking moments than I have in a week of things going well.  These life sucking moments will make you stronger by just going through the experience.  Just remember your strength and not your circumstances.

Here is some more good information on finding your strength!