Expectations

Recently, I was reading some notes taken from a Sunday Church service.

One of the notes I took caught my attention:

“There is an ever-increasing demand on us to meet people’s needs and demands. We also place expectations on ourselves. We put ourselves under pressure thinking others have expectations of us. We feel that we're underproductive if we aren't busy.   We forget to stop and breathe.”

Wow! Then I read further down my notes to find, “We have to be careful with our busyness.   There's a tension in our busyness.   We have families, work, and life”.

Again, ‘wake-up call’ to me!

The challenge?

What is sacrificed when we become too busy?

Relationships?

Church on Sunday?

Bible study?

Prayer?

Rest?

How do we manage expectations? Our expectations and the expectations of others?

Philippians 1:1-11 especially verses 9 and 10, which reads, “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ.” (NKJV)

Being discerning in what we agree to take on, plan out our day/week to intentionally include relationships, Bible study, and prayer.  Choose to commit to Sunday worship and praying with fellow Christians.

Reflect on where you are situated in your ‘to-do’ lists.  Do you need to give up something, and be more intentional in other areas of your life?

Trusting God in the Process

My current phone wallpaper reminds me to "trust God in the process".  

The Bible reference is Ecclesiastes 3:11, which tells us, "Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end."

Ecclesiastes 3:11 NLT.

Life happens.  Change happens.  Unexpected moments happen.  To whom do we turn to? Who do we trust? People? Why? People hurt people, use people, and exploit situations to their benefit.

If you want to make a positive life change in you and your community (however you define community) then begin by understanding, we cannot know the beginning from the end.  We go one step at a time, having plans, which may change unexpectedly. Unlike God, we cannot see everything from beginning to end.   Life is an adventure; sometimes you scream, sing, and shout.  In all this, whether expected or not, we need to ask ourselves, what positive action can come out of this situation?

Trust God in the process, He won't fail you.

Appreciate The Little Things

How often do you take the time to appreciate the little things in life?

If you woke up this morning, had you coffee or tea, spoke with those with you do life, then appreciate these small, but important events.

Often, we are so busy doing life, we forget that we are human ‘beings’. We long to ‘be’ – loving, living, enjoying, appreciating. However, life happens, and too often, all we do is go-through-the-motions of existing.

If you didn’t do some things, what catastrophe would occur? If you didn’t wash for one day, or didn’t check your email 20 times a day but shut the system for a day to spend with others, or rake time for yourself? These are questions I ask myself. With social media, taking on N-F-P roles, and daily tasks around the home, it’s easy to be 24/7 connected and have information overload.

Today, what action can you take to ‘be’ instead of ‘doing’?

Something to reflect on.

How do we communicate effectively?

How important is communication? The dictionary defines communication as “a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior”, “a verbal or written message”, and “a technique for expressing ideas effectively”.

Communication is an essential skill, not only in your personal and community relationships but also in your workplace.  Do you stop and truly listen to those around you?  If you remain quiet and listen to what your colleagues and work friends talk about, it may surprise you that communication, or lack of it, is often referred to.

How can communication in the workplace improve?  If you are an employer, director, manager, supervisor, or team leader, make time in your diary to ensure you meet with your staff/team.  Don’t talk down to them, ask them questions about how they view the company/business/organization, ask them how they view communication between the different areas of the business.  You may choose to do this individually, in small teams, or as a whole group.  Note, however, that some people will not engage if they feel threatened.  If people in your organization are not engaging in the conversation, it may take some time to build a relationship where they feel they can speak without fear of losing their job.

We do not know what all our team members are going through outside of the workplace, sometimes managers and supervisors are unaware of what’s happening in the workplace. You need to be listening, aware, and taking note of your team and how they interact with you and each other.

The skill of communication doesn’t just apply to the workplace.  It applies to all areas of our life – family, friends, marriage, relationships, social interactions.  The ability to communicate well, not just hear noise, but listen with intention, and engage in meaningful conversation assists you in understanding your partner, children, and colleagues much better.

How do we communicate effectively?  Listen – don’t just hear what you want to hear, don’t just hear the ‘noise’ people make; really listen to what is being said. Lead by example – if you want to improve communication, then show how; read about how to improve and practice by action. Learn – accept criticism and correction.