Selfless Exceptionalism is the space beyond success. Both of these components are critical to greatness. Without the selfless component, champions are often egotistical, proud, selfish individuals who serve little beyond their own appetites and interests, becoming poor role models to future champions.
Read MoreI define greatness as “selfless exceptionalism.” Greatness is reserved for those with a drive for excellence, a servant’s heart, and humility. Thus, the small g in the book’s small title. I’ve noticed that most book titles seem to scream for attention. Not this one. Its simplicity and size speak to the message inside.
Read MoreYou won’t have to look far today to find someone who needs a word, hug, encouragement, insight, or love from God through you. Times are uncertain, but we serve a God of certainty. And we serve a God who speaks. Speak greatness into a life today.
Read More“I don’t break horses, I free them,” Johnny explained. “The horses come here as broncs. They leave free, as horses that love to be ridden. I turn them into trail horses for kids. Freedom is a powerful force.”
Read More“I knew in the big picture that it didn’t matter if I won or lost. And because of that I was fearless. And when you are fearless you can do anything.”
Read MoreI was learning that each step on the journey was another battle for freedom from fear. Before meeting Johnny, fear had often been the overriding theme of my nighttime dreams. They were a shadow of the intruder that had hitched a ride on my conscious journey as well. More often than not, my life’s aspirational dreams had been abandoned to fear.
Read MoreIn this world where the land has mostly been explored, our personal explorations take place in the heart and mind. This is a journey of uncharted waters for most of us, an adventure both treacherous and exhilarating. Treacherous in that we must let go of the security of false or partial truth. Exhilarating because we move to a new realm of performance, a zone seldom achieved by the status quo.
Read MoreJohnny encouraged me to look inside of the ancient planter and seed bin near the edge of the oat patch. As I lifted the lid, frozen with rust, it creaked and groaned. Sunlight filled the bin, revealing a treasure: oat seeds. It was half full of old oat seeds that were meant to be planted seventy years ago, stuck in the seed bin to never produce fruit.
Read MoreAs tension mounts, breakdowns in synchronization are inevitable. Panic takes the mind to the backswing rather than the target. Great players crash and burn as they emerge on the US Open leader board, but not because they are poor players. They fail because their synchronization fails. They simply can’t consistently get it in the slot coming down the stretch. They lack freedom to play the game in front of their ball when it means the most.
Read MoreLong ago the rooster, sun, moon, and seasons were the foundations of schedule. Adventures were unscheduled; they unfolded in their time. Today there are timepieces and calendars everywhere. The pressure to meet deadlines, arrive at appointments on time, and organize the future often causes us to miss an unscheduled adventure.
Read MoreI suspect that there are many great dream seed stories unfolding right now despite the chaotic world in which we find ourselves. God’s dream seeds are just that. His. And this is the kind of environment in which God-sized dreams seem to appear. A time when the impossible shows up… because He does it. Our part? Well, our part is the faith of a mustard seed.
Read MoreAre you called to be a revolutionary? We need revolutionaries that embrace truth but push the bounds of tradition, if it is false tradition. When you walk with God and listen to God, don’t be surprised, in fact be expecting to receive revolutionary ideas and thoughts. And these ideas from the Almighty will most likely go against group think, lead us out of performance prisons, and open the door to innovation and creativity.
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