In Death

I have seen many blogs posted on this passage, however, just yesterday I read Michael Nichols version, and I had to create my own view. Here is the passage:

Imagine that you are about to attend one of the most important occasions of your life. It will be held in a room large enough to seat all of your friends, family, business associates—anyone and everyone who is important to you and to whom you are important. Do you have the picture?

The walls are draped with deep golden tapestries. The lighting is subdued, soft, and casting a warm glow on the faces of your expectant guests. The chairs are handsomely upholstered in a matching golden fabric. And the golden carpeting is deeply piled.

At the front of the room is a platform, and on the platform a large, beautifully decorated table with candles burning at either end. On the table, in the center, is the object of everyone’s attention- a large, shining, ornate box. And in the box… is YOU! Can you see yourself lying in the box? There’s not a dry eye in the room.

Among everyone that has showed up, are the people who matter most to you. Who are they?

Nichols posted that those people were: God, his wife, his daughter, his parents, friends and colleagues.

Then he said to write down how you want each person, or group of people to remember you.

I think this is a wonderful exercise, it gives you a moment to think about the people that are closest to your heart, and how you want them to think of you, and the beautiful thing is that you are still alive to change any opinions you want.

• God- I would love for Christ to remember my forgiving heart, and how much I love to make people happy. I am unworthy of any recognition, but I can only pray that I have lived up to His plans for me.
• My Husband- I would love for Dusty to remember me sitting in the passenger seat singing obnoxiously to our ipod. I would also like to be remembered for my ability to find everything he looses, and the two greatest gifts I ever gave him; myself, and our daughter.
• Seraphim- My daughter, Sera, is only 4 months old right now, but I would like her to remember just how much I am in love with her.
• My Parents- I would like my mother and my step-father to remember that I always tried to make them proud of me. I would like them to remember the goals I have reached rather than the ones that have slipped away.
• Friends- (My Best Friend, Molly; and my Sister)- I have broken this into two different people, my Best Friend, Molly; and my Sister, because I have many many many friends, all of whom I would like to remember me by something different, but these two powerful girls really mean a lot to me. I would like my sister to remember how much I tried to be a good example for her, and that I was always there when she needed someone. I would like Molly to remember me in skinny jeans, a band tshirt, and screaming and dancing at one of our favorite bands, long talks that drug into the wee-morning hours, and that when the rest of the world buckled I was always there standing strong.
• Colleagues- I would like my colleagues to remember that I was a dreamer. I would like them to miss my laugh and personality.

If you would like to read the passage for yourself, here is the link: http://www.michaelnichols.org/one-practical-way-to-change-your-life-forever/ 

Yoda Leadership!

If you know me personally, then you will know that I am a huge movie buff. I was just in a conversation with some of the women I work with earlier today, one of my co-workers asked me if I was planning on seeing any good movies this weekend, and I let her know that I planned to attend the re-release of Star Wars in 3D. Also, my organization recently asked a question "What are the qualities a leader must posses for YOU to be willing to follow him/her?" So, when I came across this blog I just had to post it and put my spin on it!

Your leader may not be a little green man, with a froggy voice, that spouts off little nuggets of wisdom like a monk, but Yoda has many characteristics that embody a great leader (other than having 'the force').

1. You are not the hero, but your Padawan may be.
Yoda is top notch when it comes to wisdom, but he is not the hero of the story, he is a driving force. As a leader you will not get all the credit you may deserve, but as a leader you should find happiness and fullness in knowing that you helped lead a 'hero' to their victory or goal.

2. You may be misunderstood.
Yoda may speak funny and have an odd dialect, but that is not where the misunderstanding dwells from. As a leader it is your job to know and understand that being a servant is better than being the king. In his blog, Ben says, "The servant leader's emphasis on service over power and humility over vanity goes against the popular notion." Because you go against the grain, others may find your leadership odd, but keep confidence in yourself.

3. If you're not careful, your organization may produce a Darth Vader
As a leader you have a whole lot of accountability, it is your job to hire new additions, and to make sure that your new hire does not only embody a team like spirit, but that you make sure that spirit never dies out. Encourage your mentees, but do not boast them into a power trip, or it will cause a kink in your team. And you will be at fault for creating the 'Darth Vader'.

4. You live in the muck
Yoda lived on the Dagobah System when Luke Skywalker finds him. This swamp world is full of mud, muck, grime and filth. The home of Yoda is a tiny mud hut. When looking for a mentor do not look at all of the many THINGS your potential leader has surrounding them, look at their work, a leader that puts quality before quantity is a great leader. Just like a leader, humble enough to live in the 'muck' of the business, will know how to get you through the 'muck' and reach your goals. A true leader is not afraid to get their hands dirty.

5. You're work is never done
Yoda was more than 900 years old when he met his last student (Luke), and even after his death, Yoda continued to coach and mentor the younger Skywalker. A great leader knows that their work is never done. A great leader will invest in relationship with you, and will understand that even when the goals are met that the work is never ending. Always be encouraging and uplifting, always set goals, always keep moving forward.

6. Sometimes, you have to kick evil's butt yourself
Yoda knows when he must pick up the light saber and do battle himself. This goes back to living in the muck, a great leader will invest him/herself in building others to pass on their qualities of service and culture, but knows when they must rise up and join the group to get past the 'muck' for the sake of their organization. Darth Sidious: I have waited a long time for this moment, my little green friend. At last, the Jedi are no more.
Yoda: Not if anything to say about it I have!

7. It's up to you
Yoda was the last hope for the people against the Dark Force. He had to train Luke to conquer the Emporer and Darth Vader. As a leader it is up to you to pass on quality and traditions and wisdom from experience in the business, and to encourage new ideas and innovations to conquer the toxic leadership so many organizations are overcome by today. As a leader you bring the change by leading others to one day become great leaders themselves.

Here is the original blog http://ht.ly/8Ujp2