Finding My Wings
The sky is falling! If you don’t believe me just pull up the latest news on your phone; the world as we have known it is changing.
The 40/40 plan is dead — you know the 40/40 plan: go to school to get a good degree, work for 40 hours a week for 40 years in order to retire with a good pension and benefits — that plan is dead.
Change is accelerating. What we knew to be true is shifting, and we don’t have to go far to hear the bad news. What do we do?!?
I have spent years believing that my financial frustrations and my personal difficulties were largely the work of circumstances and other people. Sure, I understood that I had a part to play and if only others would take care of their stuff, then I could take care of my stuff. I was stuck — the sky was falling!
When the sky is falling, most of us feel some sense of panic and anxiety, I know I did; we don’t like uncertainty. Here’s what I’ve noticed: we either try to get others to panic with us or we find a group of people who are equally as worried and hang with them.
It’s “Lemming Therapy!” — We are rushing towards certain doom, but at least we’ll go together. (You’ve probably heard the folklore of how lemmings will run in large packs over cliffs to their doom.)
As much as I hate to admit it, I’ve exhibited this lemming-thinking. It was a sense of looming disaster, but I ran with the masses, taking sad comfort in our shared misery. In spite of this there remained a quiet, powerful inner witness that whispered, “You were born for more!”
A thought began to grow within me: “I’m not a lemming after all! In fact, I think I have wings!” However, when you’re running towards mundane misery with a large group of lemming-thinkers, it is hard to believe you have wings! This is precisely the time that you NEED others who know how to use their own wings to encourage you by setting the example for what you can be.
Enter the John Maxwell Team.
My first step was the online training, this was the beginning of change for me; it was the principle of investing money, time and struggle into discovering my identity, my potential and my dreams. I cannot describe the life-giving encouragement I receive from the faculty and the other team members. It is powerful to be surrounded by a group of recovering lemming-thinkers who are learning to fly; I owe you guys a huge debt of gratitude.
Next, I attended the live training event in August — wow! If I had to pick one word to describe that event it would be empowering, and life-changing, and motivating, and revolutionary (I just can’t pick one)!
The John Maxwell Team has been an awakening journey of self-discovery for me. It is a fusion of teaching, growth, like-minded community, accountability and the expectation that I will run towards my cliff, leap off of it and learn to fly on the way down!
I can hardly believe the changes inside of me in these past number of months’ and I’ve just begun! I am now using my passion to add value to others in ways I’ve never done before; I’m growing. My clients are growing and discovering great things and I love it!
What has been true for me is true for you — you were made to fly! The sky isn’t falling, it’s actually your great destiny (rapidly) rushing towards you!
About the Author
Todd MacPherson is a certified coach, trainer and speaker with the John Maxwell Team.
With over two decades of leadership experience within various businesses and non-profit organizations, Todd loves to develop leaders who in turn, develop leaders.
Born and raised in Canada, Todd and his wife have four amazing kids.
Contact Todd at : http://www.johncmaxwellgroup.com/toddmacpherson