The Leading Edge: Living with Intentionality

By: Amy Modglin

May I take a moment and share with you my favorite John Maxwell book? It is Intentional Living, and I am sure he wrote this book just for me. It resonates with my life story and has upped the ante for me in my life journey of living a life that matters.

This book is about making something from your story. It is about using your story to inspire others to act. We all want to matter at some point in our lives, but we wait our whole lives, hoping that we will matter.

Intentional Living is all about that…being intentional. We need to live each day with intention. John Maxwell says, “When you intentionally use your everyday life to bring about positive change in the lives of others, you begin to live a life that matters.”

Growing up, I was treated like my life did not matter. I was a foster kid who everyone gave up on. I brought no value and was looked at as a failure before I even started anything. I believed everything I heard. I truly thought that my life would never amount to anything. I would never go to college, never have a good job, never be successful in anything…never, never, never.

But around the age of sixteen, my thinking changed. I realized that my life did matter. I was not going to accept the world’s view of a foster kid. My life mattered, and I was going to help other people who did not believe in themselves find a way to turn that around.  I just knew that it was in my heart to do so.

Figuring out my why was a big component of my intentional living journey. Once I set my eyes on my why, it made things more clear. I did not figure out my why until I endured some more adversity. I am certain now that I am here to inspire people to discover the person they were designed to be and then to help them become that person.

I was diagnosed with a rare disease that changed my life for the better. In 2011, I was told it would be a miracle if I lived five more years. Being face to face with my own mortality has helped me find my why. It helped me make sure I lived my life fully and intentionally until I am called home. Being sick has not only helped me appreciate the things I used to take for granted, but it has a helped me be laser-focused on my why and become intentional about everything I do.

To me, every day is a gift. I realize that each day of my life is a blessing from God. I am intentional about making every single minute of my day count. This is a daily discipline that has helped me to focus on opportunities to make an impact on other people. It has allowed me to serve others in my strength zones.

Chapter nine of Intentional Living is entitled “Live with a Sense of Anticipation.” John says having a strong sense of anticipation causes us to do five things:

• Value today
• Prepare
• Generate good ideas
• Look for ways to help others
• Possess an abundance mindset.

I value today because I realize that today is a blessing. If I had not had the adversity that I have, I would probably be coasting through life. Now, that sense of anticipation helps me prepare for every day and every opportunity that I encounter. It helps me to purposefully plan my life and recognize what matters the most to me.

The anticipation of today has helped me to think bigger than most people I know. I have seen that things are not always how they appear and that anything is possible. I am always looking for ideas of how I can serve others and make an impact in their lives. I am energized to help others live intentionally so, when they reach the end and look back on their life, they are proud of who they have become and the significance they have experienced.

I realize that my abundance mindset is fueled by experiencing more than I was supposed to. It gives me the confidence and the knowledge that there is so much more for us that we think.

What are you being intentional about in your life? Are you living your life with a sense of anticipation, or are you letting life happen around you? I challenge you to think about how you can make your life one that counts. What is your story, and how are you going to use it to make a difference in the lives of others?

 

Amy Modglin is an Executive Director on the John Maxwell Team as well as a certified coach, trainer and speaker. She is also the President of Modglin Leadership Solutions. Through both the John Maxwell Team and her own company, Amy invests in people and organizations through transformational leadership training and coaching, all of which are tailored to the needs of her customers.  Coming from a background in healthcare, Amy has always been passionate about serving people. Amy was a Chief Hospital Corpsman in the US Navy and has led teams all over the world. After the Navy, she returned to healthcare, leading complex teams and reaching organizational pursuits. Amy holds a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership and Coaching from Regent University. With over 20 years of leadership and training experience coupled with having some of the best mentors in the world, Amy is equipped to bring value to you or your organization. Her motto is, “Unleash your inner amazing!”  Learn more about her at http://www.johncmaxwellgroup.com/AmyModglin.