Have you taken the time to sit down and write out your core responses to any and every situation?  If you have not, then you should certainly do so.  In living, just as in leading, we must have things settled in our minds in order to practice them.  Without firm commitment to our convictions, then we will fall into making choices out of convenience.  By continuing, you will see the things established in my heart and mind - a little something called the S.M.I.L.E. Rule.

A long-forgotten blog resurfaced in a strange turn of events, and this entry is just as applicable today as it was a decade ago when it was written...

It has been quite some time since I have shared my thoughts about my devotional readings. No, I have not been unfaithful in reading God's Word; however, I will concede that I do not spend enough time in studying His thoughts. It is amazing how that we, as Christians, stand upon His Word for our eternal destiny; yet, we are so quick to read a chapter and declare our relationship fine. Instead, we must get alone, dig, study, and apply everything that we read. Sometimes, we must read quite a bit in order to discover what God has for us in that setting. Anyway, I needed to remind myself of that fact before moving onward; so please excuse that digression.

If you happen to have XM Radio and listen to Prime Country, then you will have heard the Patty Loveless song "Hurt Me Bad (in a Real Good Way)."  She has an amazing voice that pierces the heart in so many of her songs.  If you have never heard it, well, just click on the song title above.

What does this have to do with leadership?  Everything!  The song speaks to perspective about "good" and "bad" events that happen.  I'm going to share a real world example for you to help you understand the role of leadership in balancing progress and perspective.

Proverbs 16:3 - "Commit your works unto the Lord and your thoughts will be established"

I was introduced to this verse thanks to my high school soccer coach.  Before EVERY game, he would quote this to us and remind us to make sure that we had the right mindset before stepping onto the field.  It took several years for me to unpack the true meaning, but what an influence he had on me by infusing truth from God's Word into our lives.