Things I Learned from Job_Suffering

 

Most people look for simple/quick answers to just about every life event. In the Book of Job, God presents the basic argument that life is too complicated for the simple answers we all seek. When we try to analyze our situations by looking to God for simple answers, we are most often asking Him for information, that if He gave it to us, we would never be able to understand. 

 

God is telling Job, and us, that He (God) is the only one who can deal with the trials that often come into our lives. Our role, at this point in any situation, is to trust God and continue to bring Him glory by our responses to the good and the bad. 

 

Although Job's life was filled with tragedy, he continued to "worship" God in those times. The Book of Job gives us a great picture of God's response to Job's faithfulness, "and Job died, and old man, and full of days" (Job 42:17, RSV). 

Human suffering continues to be a result of Satan's original challenge to the hierarchy God established in the beginning. Job, as far as we know while alive, was never given an answer for his suffering. Likewise, we will more than likely never have exhaustive answers to suffering we face in life. 

 

The lesson from Job is that there will be times of suffering and hardship in life and we will never have the total picture. Most of the time God will not reveal the "reason(s)" for the struggle, but our role is to trust His plan and to bring Him glory through our actions in those times of struggle. 

 

Our witness before a lost world often depends more on how we behave (actions) than what we say. 

Bottom Line:
We need to trust God's plan, because life is too complicated to handle alone.

Verba docent, exempla trahunt
"Words instruct, illustrations lead"

 

 

TJ

Create a Climate for Change

 

To create a climate for change a leader needs to do several things, but the first thing they must do is to inspire the organization through the sharing of his vision (Kaplan & Norton, 2001).

 

 I believe that people are much more inclined to follow an idea much more quickly than a set of objectives. However, I have found that when a leader shares a compelling vision, it is amazing how those who follow buy into the processes that make up the strategy to carry out the vision.

Following my own method of empowering people to carry out the organizational strategy, the decentralization of power (Kaplan & Norton, 2001), with the right process measurements, can create a climate conducive to change. 

 

A big key to creating and maintaining change is when the leadership paints a vivid picture of a preferable future, and does so respecting the value systems of those within the organization.

The setting of goals that almost seem unreachable tends to help keep people focused on the “Big Picture” to maintain the change climate (Kaplan & Norton, 2001). 

 

Refusal to buy into strategies that are meant to align organizations could be the primary obstacle to actually achieving alignment. The refusal to buy in is often a symptom of poor communication between executive level people and those they lead. Even if the communication is good, not employing an adequate implementation strategy of measurement system can create road-blocks to successful alignment (Kaplan & Norton, 2006) and (Kaplan & Norton, 2001).  Measurements used when trying to implement change should focus on the process (how things are progressing) and not so much on outcomes (Kaplan & Norton, 2006) because in order to change there can be a need to make changes to the change strategy. Other obstacles could include poor leadership, uninspiring leadership, untrustworthy leadership, and many other negative aspects the leader might exhibit.

If a leader is suspect (not trustworthy, not likable, not whatever), but their vision is compelling, would you follow them?

 

Do you accept good ideas from people you really do not like?

 

Have you ever followed someone blindly and were pleased with the outcome?

 

Kaplan, R., & Norton, D. (2006). Alignment. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

Kaplan, R., & Norton, D. (2001). The Strategy-Focused Organization. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

 

TJ

Rules for Life 08/18/17

TJ

Who Are You???

We all have a need for a sense of identity, of who we are and our place in the world. This is not always easy and we may be challenged in many ways. There are also inner conflicts that make settling on who we really are a difficult process.

Boundaries?

For anything to exist, it must be separate somehow from its environment. It needs a boundary that lets us know what is a part of it and what is not a part of it. Likewise, to know our own selves we need to pull away from the world to find our boundaries.

Problem?

A conflict here is that we need the world around us and other people to create this separation. I need to know what denotes a tree so I know I am not a tree. And I need you to know I am not you. Yet knowing you creates a connection with you, so I am not separate.

Another point of tension occurs where we are unsure of who we are and cannot isolate a single, separate self, the 'real me', from the many 'me's of multiple identity. It is common to feel you have more than one personality, in particular ones which are tied to different contexts and feelings, hence the work self, the home self, the stressed self, the angry self and so on. The question 'Who am I?' is often asked and often not fully answered.

Integrated selves?

We are social and spiritual creatures. We like to have friends, live in society and feel a part of something greater than ourselves. We define ourselves through our connections, even seeing ourselves as others see us.

Conflict?

This creates a conflict where the more we connect, the more we place our identity outside, the more our boundaries erode and the less distinct our identities become. To equally be like other people and to be different

Heart of The Issue?

A dilemma of identity is that it is reflexive, that we need an 'I' to define the 'I', which makes 'I' impossible to fully identify.

We also have an infant history of early warm bonding and unity out of which the sense of separation emerged. This leaves a sustaining tension to re-unite with others and the world, while the sense of self (and the control this gives) is too important to give up.

The most important issue is how to sustain a separate, autonomous self while connecting with others and immersing ourselves in the world.

'Letting go' can be immensely joyful yet we need our self to know that pleasure.

Separation and unity are ultimately related to the sense of control and create another tension here, as being separate allows personal choice, yet together we can achieve so much more.

Why Does It Matter?

We need to help people discover themselves by exploring their boundaries, of who they are and who they are not. This includes looking at basic drivers such as beliefs, models, values, goals and so on.

Talk about what is important for them and how they relate to others.

Help them let go of past things so they can look forward to the 'new me'.

You can also challenge people who do bad things by asking 'Is that the real you?'

Few people want to be thought of as bad and so may change their selves (and in consequence their actions).

TJ

Do You Have A Purpose in Life

Take time to ponder the questions,

“What really matters in life; what do I want to have achieved when I look back over my life?”

Make time for solitude and silence.

Filling every minute makes it hard to clear your head, and free yourself of internal and external distractions.

Seek out people who inspire you – and then learn from them.

There are many people who live inspiring lives. Learn from their experience, and what they have to share.

Keep a close eye on your progress.

It is easy to slip back into unproductive habits. So, we need to be committed to sticking to our plan.

Accept that struggles and setbacks will be part of your experience.

There will be times when you are tempted to give up and stop trying … but choosing to keep going is the only way for  you to reach your dreams.

TJ

My #1 Songwriting Influence

Saw Kris Kristofferson live 08-04-2017!

A living legend!
Best birthday gift ever!
He killed it!

Thank you family!

TJ

BACK HOME (Kevin Jackson @ Heritage Hall)

Risk? Yep!

One thing I could never be accused of is being afraid to take risks. Risk has been so interwoven in my life it is akin to an old comfortable pair of shoes.

Watching those around me, I am constantly amazed at the fear of risk most people exhibit. Now I am not talking about stupid risks like walking on the edge of a tall building. I am talking about the fear of failure that causes life-paralysis in so many people. They stop truly living and surrender their dreams to the reality of an ordinary run of the mill life.

Not trying to realize your dreams, in order to remain comfortable, seems almost criminal. Someone once said, and it is my life-quote, “it is never too late to be what you might have been.”

Thinking about this subject has resulted in some interesting revelations about why some people try to avoid risk.

1. Embarrassment – Nobody wants to look bad. And if you take a risk and fall flat on your face, you might embarrass yourself. So what? Get over it. The only way to get better at anything is to take steps forward. That includes missteps that can cause you to fall down. Making small steps is even better than standing still. Success is not one step; it is a series of steps. If you stumble once in a while, shake it off, and let it go.

2. Rationalization – This is the “second guessing” trap. Second guessing everything they do to the point of procrastination. A great quote goes something like this, “Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable.” If you take risks and fail, you will have fewer regrets than if you do nothing and fail.

"Timendi causa est nescire"
The cause of fear is ignorance


TJ

A Grief Observed

There is nothing better to read than a C.S. Lewis book.
If you want a serious look at reality pick up any of his writings.

I like to pick one out every 3-4 months and re-read it. 

I have read this book many times, and my favorite line is this:

"You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death."

C. S. Lewis, A Grief Observed

TJ

Change part 2

These words describe perfectly my current location along the road of my life:

I will not be forgotten
This is my time to shine
I've got the scars to prove it
Only the strong survive
I'm not afraid of dying
Everyone has their time
I've never favored weakness
Welcome to my life

TJ