My Virtual Mentors

The Internet and Social Media give me the ability to learn at the feet of great mentors.

Most of the time they don’t even know they are mentoring me. There are some exceptions to this, like when after following and reading material from someone for many months, or even years, you begin interacting with them via social media, or you talk in person on the phone or at a conference.

Here are mine….Who are yours?

These are mentors I look to while on my current path from my Day Job to my Dream Job. Will these ever change? I’m 100% certain of it.

As my goals in life change, my mentors will change. Some mentors are long-term, and some short-term. Will I ever outgrow the incredible leadership wisdom offered by Andy Stanley? Probably not. But, I may transition to a different leadership mentor, or add one.

Jeff Goins, Ally Vesterfelt, and Jon Acuff are key mentors for my current growth as a writer.

Ally in particular has had a huge impact on me as a beginner or new writer. Her short book, “Writing to Find Yourself” (available through her writing course) has really pushed me to speak my mind, and to use my own words to express my thoughts and ideas.

Jeff’s writing, through his blog and books, helps me understand I need to continually work on the craft of writing.

Jon has been pivotal in pushing me to understand I don’t need to stay where I am as far as a career. Jon is so open about his career. He continues to share the guts and details of his changing life as a writer, entrepreneur, husband and dad. I think the only way I could learn more from Jon is if he let me live with him (pretty sure Jenny will say no to that idea).

Michele Cushatt is the epitome of courage and empathy to me. Even before her current battle with cancer, she showed to me through her writing what it means to be authentic and caring for the people around you. Whether those people are family members or blog followers like me, she shows a true understanding of the emotion of people.

Michael Hyatt has been a leadership guru for a number of years, and now he is vital to my growth in the area of setting and attaining goals in my career. I learn at least one thing from Michael every time I read or listen to him.

Finally, Mark Batterson has forever altered my prayer life. Over the last couple of years he has pushed me to pray boldly. He has shown me the truth of how big my God really is. Mark’s books, The Circle Maker, and The 40 Day Prayer Challenge, are life changing. I will continue to read them and use the principles he teaches through them, to expand and grow a rich prayer life.

I could go on forever writing about how these people impact my life. But, this is a blog, not a book. I encourage you to click on the links I provided for each of these folks. Follow them on Social Media. Subscribe to their blogs and websites. Use their materials (each of these people offer a HUGE LOAD of FREE materials).

Most importantly, find your own mentors. Find people who “speak your language”. Search out people currently in the space you hope to be someday. Learn from them. Find out who they learn from. And, share with your followers the great information you learn.

Who are your current mentors? Share with us in the comments.

Excuses

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“Excuses are doubts hiding in disguise.” – Bryan Hutchinson

Photo Credit: https://www.facebook.com/1Year1000Challenge

What excuses are you (am I) using to hide from your dream? Let’s make a list.

Not enough time.
I don’t have any ideas.
Not enough money.
My Day Job gets in the way of my Dream Job.
I have a family.
I’m too old.
I’m too young.
I don’t have any support from my family and/or friends.

Nice list. They all suck. You and I both know these excuses aren’t valid. You and I both know people who have used these excuses at one time or another, and at some point they overcame their excuse.

For me, excuses leave me on the couch. Usually they leave me on the couch watching TV. What a complete waste of time!! Please don’t get me wrong, TV can provide great entertainment. The problem I have with TV is the mindless hours spent simply watching whatever is on. As much as I love watching Jason Bourne in action, do I really need to see one of the Bourne movies for the 25^th time? Probably not.

Here’s how I typically justify TV watching in my own mind. I get home from work at 8:30 on a Monday night. I’ve worked an 11 hour day. I’ve earned myself 3 hours of TV time. Surely I’m too tired and worn out mentally to do anything productive.

Or, how about a Saturday afternoon? Instead of working on a home repair, or going for a bike ride, I justify an afternoon of watching sports by telling myself I need a break. A break? A break from what???

Excuses, excuses, excuses. They run rampant in our lives (at least mine anyway).

So, as I bemoan the lack of available time to write a blog post, write a book, read a book, exercise to lose 40 pounds, spend time reading the Bible and praying, working on my side-hustle to create my Dream Job, etc, I need to remind myself of the quote at the start of this post. I need to think about why I doubt myself and my ability.

I also need to figure out who would be willing to hold me accountable for my actions (or lack of action).

The easy solution for accountability would be to make sure my wife and I are on the same page. I should be sharing my dreams and plans with her. She’s a part of the plan. She should be aware of my progress.

She may get sick of hounding me though. As much as she wants me to succeed, I’m sure she doesn’t want to create more tension in our house.

My suggestion? Find a group of like-minded people who are willing to call you out when you don’t hit the mark on progress toward your goal. They won’t put up with your excuses.

(In a future post I’ll spend some time on how to find these people.)

Do you have a set batch of excuses you use when you don’t accomplish things you want to? What are they? Please share in the comments.

Step Out of The Boat

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From, The Circle Maker, by Mark Batterson

Page 117
“The key to getting out of the boat is hearing the voice of God. If you’re going to get out of the boat in the middle of a lake in the middle of the night, you better make sure that Jesus said, ‘Come.’ But if Jesus says, ‘Come,’ you better not stay in the boat.”

I often comment to people who are trying to make decisions with the phrase, “Step out of the boat.” As I read the way Batterson comments on stepping out of the boat, I wonder if I should ever say it again. I need to evaluate what it really means to step out of the boat.

The easy assumption is that the phrase is calling people to be bold in their decision to do something. It’s probably time to precede the statement with, “Is Jesus truly calling to you?” If the answer is yes, “Step out of the boat!”

I know the idea of being bold for God, and being bold in our actions is applauded and encouraged by our society. But, as I read, and re-read, Batterson’s words, I’m thinking more time should be spent on intently listening for the still, small voice of God. Listening isn’t something I’m really good at, yet. It is something I can practice. I can develop a strong listening muscle. So can you. It takes time. It takes practice. It means being intentional with our time with God.

Right now I don’t have a developed habit of listening to God. I don’t have a developed habit of spending time with God. There have been starts and stops over the years, and more recently I have started again. Similar to physical exercise, the habit needs to be formed over time. There will probably be pain. There will be days I don’t want to make the effort. But, I know I will benefit from developing the habit.

Is there a time you stepped out of the boat? Did you listen first, or did you just take a leap? Have you developed a habit of listening for his voice?