“There’s not enough time.” That was the response from half of last week’s Leadership Development class when I asked them what one thought or excuse keeps them from doing what they want or should be doing. I look around our company and the world around us, and it's crazy busy. There’s never enough time it seems to get it all done. There’s too much to do. Balancing work, family and rest seems daunting - if not impossible. What if we stepped out of the crazy cycle for just a minute? Instead of continuing to repeat what isn’t working - what if there was another approach?
Read MoreDo you ever leap before you look? It is one of the many symptoms of Control Freak flu. And remember, Control Freak is not intended as a derogatory term, but a descriptive term. Control freaks can be in such a hurry to get and keep everything in our world under control that we make mistakes in the process. Why? Because we feel out of control. That’s the heart of the matter. Either we are trying to “feel not out of control,” or we are trying to avoid losing what little control we have left, that we run on a high-octane human fuel called anxiety. Anxiety is the germ that causes Control Freak flu. And once it spreads, anxiety manifests itself in innumerable ways.
Read MoreHow do you wrestle the reins out of the hands of the Control Freak in your life? That depends more on your relationship to the Control Freak than what they are doing to control your life. Dr. Parrott, in his book “The Control Freak,” lists six different varieties of Control Freaks and gives suggestions on how to cope with each.
Read MoreMost people would agree that a sense of control is necessary for good emotional and physical health. But when people use control to dominate everything around them they have crossed the boundary into over-control. The key is being smart enough to know when to use your control and when not to, or how much control to tolerate from others. Your over-controlling creates stress in me and makes me feel that I have no control at all.
Read MoreLet me start with a disclaimer. No, I am not talking about you…nor your boss! No, your wife didn’t call and suggest that you might need to read this. No, I don’t consider myself a control freak…except maybe in things that really matter to me…things like the garden and the lawn.
We probably fall into two different categories, the control freaks and those who have to deal with the control freaks…at least that was my opinion until I read the book, “THE CONTROL FREAK …COPING WITH THOSE AROUND YOU. TAMING THE ONE WITHIN.” By Les Parrott III, PHD. Wow, that last part about taming the one within kind of hurts.
Read MoreResearching the stories behind the Christian hymns of our faith for this month’s blogs has been a particular joy for me. Learning about the experiences that others came through that brought them to a closer walk with God is very uplifting. It is amazing how the Lord inspired them to put their experiences into musical form to inspire and encourage so many. The one that lifts me more than any other when I feel depressed, discouraged, or pondering some unwanted news is “Because He Lives,” by Bill and Gloria Gaither.
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