I need to make a confession. I am a recovering reluctant leader, and I'm doing everything I can to avoid a relapse. 

The problem started way back when. Probably when I was just old enough to notice classmates (maybe even my older brother and sister) discrediting my unique ideas or thoughts. You know, an idea that disrupted the norm. Like,  "What if we built a maze fort out of these cardboard boxes?” Or, “Want to help me build a wall of Legos to blockade mom and dad's room while they're sleeping?”

"No!"  My brother and sister didn’t like either one of those ideas from their little brother. Sometimes I struggled with my voice being heard. Being the youngest, you often feel overlooked and ignored. It's frustrating. I remember when I was six knowing exactly what to do to put the family door knocker on the door, but no one wanted to hear my suggestion.  I felt unheard and insignificant.

Eventually many of my imaginative...

Hope actually is a strategy.

• "There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off." - Prov 23:18
• "Know the hope to which He has called you..." - Ephesians 1:18
• "Hope does not put us to shame." - Romans 5:5
• "Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very BOLD." - 2 Cor 3:12
• "Let us hold unswervingly to the HOPE we profess, for He who promised is faithful." - Hebrews 10:23
• "Be Joyful in Hope. Patient in Affliction. Faithful in Prayer" - Romans 12:12
• "What matters in life? What will last? Faith, Hope, and Love." - 1 Cor 3:13

The proof of our HOPE is in the actions we take!

Hello there. I am Future.

I know we've only partially first met. But guess what -- I am here!

I usually don't share much about myself to folks.  What I offer. What I bring to the table.  Usually, I let people discover me for what I am -- over time. But on this occasion I thought I'd drop in and tell you just a little bit about me. 

You and I are going to be either fast friends -- or potential adversaries. I'd prefer the former. Know this, I am here for you.  That 's my mission.  I'm always around the corner.  Just in front. 

For this year, I want us to start off on the right foot. Here are some suggestions shared from my brother Past.  He gave me permission to share these.  Just so you know, he's a bloody mess.  Things didn't go well for him last year and right now he doesn't have very many friends.  He doesn't want to have the same experience this year, so he told me to jump in and talk candidly with you.

First off...

I am super excited to re-share a guest blog from my best friend in the world -- my wife Barbara, who published her first book this past year.  I know you'll enjoy this piece as much as I did.  It's especially appropriate for this time of year as you set plans for 2021.

A few years ago I traded my mile-long list of resolutions for one word. And from that one word, I created goals aligned with it. The key was that "word" had to inspire me and make me come alive by just thinking about it.

I went from feeling guilty for not keeping my resolutions to following through my goals while encouraging myself, even when I occasionally got off track.

I found by sharing and putting it 'out there', it created intention and almost instant movement. I lived into the feeling of it. I put it on my vision board, phone, mirror and in my car. I also found a local artist/potter that put my word on a coffee cup. (see pic below =)

Personalized mugs made by Amy Kovats...

I will never forget the day.  My freshmen year of college, one of my required classes was English Literature.  Honestly, I was less than thrilled.  English Lit was not on my bucket list.

It was a cold afternoon in Ohio and I hustled from my dorm to beat the train going through the campus.  I arrived early enough to find a good seat at the "back" of the room.  (Yes, that's right, in those days I was a back seater student. The last thing I wanted was to get stuck in the front :-) 

The professor walked in a few minutes late, cooly strolling in wearing a tweed jacket  looking a lot like Jack Black would today. 

In a passionate voice he introduced himself glancing at his new students in the room.  "Welcome everyone! I am your Professor, Dr. Davis. But rather than thinking of me as yet another teacher, think of me as a GUIDE on your journey." 

I looked around the room to see...

It wasn't that long ago when outhouses where the norm. For thousands of years, some variant of the outhouse was the status quo. No one in their right mind dared to build their living space with indoor plumbing, even though the toilet was invented hundreds of years earlier in 1596. To use the latrine indoors would be crazy. Imagine the stink.

No, if you had to “go,” then you were required to exit the building, go down the path, watch out for snakes, spiders or alligators, and use the plank wooden shack in the backyard. This was the way it was for hundreds of years.

Finally, smart people like Thomas Jefferson -- yes, one of our founding fathers -- got tired of going outside and broke the mold by choosing to not settle for average. They didn’t care what other people thought about their disruptive indoor plumbing idea. They just figured out a way to make it work. Because of that, eventually indoor plumbing became the norm, despite the initial resistance and...

Don't you want to make the most out of life? Well, I have discovered six key ways to make those goals count and embrace life. It's a simple list, but powerful:

1. State dreams
2. Examine motives
3. Consider options
4. Utilize resources
5. Remove nonessentials
6. Embrace challenges

Let's run through these.

State Dreams

A stated dream is more than a wish. It's a clear statement of what you want or desire. It's your internal image of your best possible future. The one you want. What's your desire?

Examine Motives

Once you state your dreams, then identify why? What is important about your dreams? Why does it matter to you? This is important step, if you don't identify your motives you won't be motivated to pursue your dreams.

Consider Options

We've got the "what", we've got the "why", so know we can star exploring the "how." Start by identifying different pathways to start the journey toward the dream.

Utilize Resources

The key to success is often finding the resources that can...

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith;
Be courageous; Be strong.

– 1 Corinthians 16:13

Life throws at us a lot of curve balls.  A single day can be overwhelming.  Even exhausting. Yet God reminds us to stay diligent in our faith and to take courage.   He wants you to know that you are resilient.  He wants you think of yourself as a warrior, prepared for battle. You are firm in your faith.  You are courageous.  You are strong.

Take a moment to think how you have endured to this point.  What are the trials and tribulations that you have overcome?  Now think about how adversity has made you stronger. What is the growth you’ve experienced? Finally, identify one thing will you do this year to stand firm in the faith. 

My Trials and Tribulations:

My Growth:

One Thing I Will Do Today:

I love the NASA story.  The aspiration we had as a nation in the 60's and early 70's to put man on the moon is an incredible example of perseverance!  What seemed impossible at first, was made possible.  But it wasn't without some challenges.

One of the most infamous statements in the midst of a challenge, which was used as motivation to help bring the crew of Apollo 13 safely back to earth, was a directive from Gene Kranz. In a moment of crisis, he coined the phrase "Failure is not an option."

Kranz, who's back is depicted in the picture above, was the flight controller for that mission, and many others.  Almost fifty-six hours into the Apollo 13 mission, an explosion occurs on board. One of the oxygen tanks blows up, threatening their survival. This not only keeps them from landing on the moon, but jeopardizes the lives of the astronauts.  The fear is that they might not come home.

A mix of contractors and NASA personnel representing various...

The art of winning is something almost everyone of us would love to know and understand. It doesn't matter your gender, your age, your culture, or your position.  We all want to know what it takes to win. Surprisingly the game of football can reveal some of these secrets, but you don't have to be a fan of football to benefit from the knowledge.

In this blog, I share with you 5 takeaways on the Art of Winning.  These are 5 Principles, while borrowed from a story related to the game of football, are precepts any one of us can learn to apply in our life going forward.  They are difference makers for teams, businesses, organizations, schools, and more.

Introduction

The 5 Principles come from my  takeaways from a documentary about a forgotten era when the NFL faced a real challenge.  The documentary is an ESPN 30 for 30 film on the 1987 NFL Replacement Players.  It chronicles the NFL strike ridden season, that challenged the league, fans,...