Tag Archive for: insights

Letters to President

Are you excited when you receive a letter?
Every week, I receive letters from many of the missionaries serving throughout Belgium and the Netherlands.
In my time as a young missionary 40 years ago, serving in London, they arrived by post. Now, they arrive by email every P-Day (Preparation Day) – a Tuesday.
I am always excited to read their letters and hear about all that is going on in the mission field.
They share personal stories, challenges, spiritual insights and respond to several questions such as the following:

Questions

• Please share a few successes and/or challenges from your efforts to fulfil your missionary purpose this past week.
• During the past week, did you feel joy and satisfaction in your work?
• How united did you feel with your companion(s) this past week?
• What is one area you can focus on this coming week to more closely follow the principles in Missionary Standards for Disciples of Jesus Christ?
• Did you participate in any companion exchanges this past week?
• Are there any physical or emotional health, safety, or security challenges that you would like to share?
• Is there anything happening at home or with your family that you would like to share?
• Is there anything else you would like to share?
• During the past month, how have you seen the hand of the Lord in your work?

Responding

Yesterday, I spent most of my day, reading and responding to many letters.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time understanding all that is happening throughout the mission.
After 2 years of reading letters, I am constantly thrilled to learn about the many divine experiences that happen week in, week out through the ministering efforts of these young missionaries.
Their sincerity, their faith in Jesus Christ, their spiritual insights, their drive and determination is real.
The Lords’ hand is in the details of their work, every single day.
If you haven’t spoken with one of our young missionaries, then now is the time to reach out and listen.
Many of the messages in their letters to me are filled with miraculous experiences and wonders galore.
Yes – miracles happen in our day, every day.
If you allow them to, missionaries can help you slow down and see His hand in your life too.
You may not receive a weekly letter from them as I do, but the message they’ll share with you is equally as potent and powerful.
Go on, reach out to a missionary today and ask them to share a message with you… I know you won’t regret it! 🙂

Self-reflection

Daily, I consciously make time for self-reflection.
It has been a life long practice.
Life is much more fruitful when I take some time to check in with myself!
Paradoxically, looking inwards, helps me to look outwards.
It brings perspective to your life.
Reflection requires courage.
As you look in the mirror of self-reflection, consider these questions:
Am I using my time wisely?
Am I living true to myself?
What surprised me today?
What am I doing about the things that matter most in my life? What do I need to change about myself?
What mistakes did I make today and what did I learn?
Have I made someone smile today?
It is so easy to get caught up in the daily vicissitudes of life.
Self-reflection is the key to help you understand what you stand for, what your values are, and in essence what matters most.
A time to consider your behaviour, your goals and whether you are on track.
The practice is all about learning, looking back on the day in order to contemplate your behaviour and its consequences.
It requires time to sit with yourself and take an honest moment to think about what emerged, what worked, what didn’t, what can be done, and what can’t.
Daily journaling is a great tool to enable you to capture your reflections.
I believe that the more self-reflective you are the easier it becomes to make choices in line with your values.
Self-reflection has been shown to significantly improve learning and performance.
The more aware you of your choices and their impact, then the better the decisions will be that you make now and in the future.
Take time to self-reflect – daily!

Asking Questions

“What questions do you have for me?”
I asked that question several times yesterday in numerous interview sessions, phrasing it in such a way that I expect to receive some questions. And on nearly every occasion I did.
Have you asked any good questions lately?
Questions can be extremely powerful. They help us to think, feel, see and do things differently.
We all need to learn how to ask great questions….
Some professionals like doctors, lawyers and journalists are taught how to ask great questions as part of their training.
In my own professional career through sales, leadership and coaching, and now as a Mission Leader, I have found it equally important to be able to formulate and ask the right questions.
Questions aid performance, develop relationships, help provide inspiration and direction, they even help to build trust and rapport.
“Management teams aren’t good at asking questions. In business school, we train them to be good at giving answers.” – Clayton Christensen.
It’s time to be a little more curious. Asking questions is an important part of life and learning.
I am constantly asking questions to help others move forward.
“What do you want?”
“What do you need most right now?”
“So what?”
“Why now?”
“How can you be truer to yourself?”
“Can you tell me more?”
What question can you use today to unlock your potential and help you or others to move forward?