I believe we can enjoy abundance with a growth mindset. In fact, that mindset is part of being wise hearted and finding root cause.
This blog post republishes week-day LinkedIn posts that appeared June 21 through June 25, 2021. The posts focus on being changed from the inside out.
Nobody cares what I know!
You’ve heard “Nobody cares what you know until they know you care.” I disagree.
I’m convinced that no one cares – at all – what I know. Actually, they’re more concerned about what I do. That is, what value can I give back into their life.
As such, It’s not about what I know. Instead, it’s about what I do – showing that I care.
How do I get there? I think it requires that I be transformed from the inside out. That is, to become wise hearted in how I treat others.
Being wise headed is nice, but it will not impact the level of care I’m about to offer to others!
In the Book of Proverbs, “wise hearted” is the term used for the ability to balance knowing and doing. According to Proverbs 10.8, the wise hearted are intentional about pulling into their life basic life precepts. The goal isn’t to be smarter, that is more intelligent, but to be wiser, thus behave in a way that’s just, right, self-controlled, and thoughtful.
What abundance looks like!
“Are we there yet” is a common question when families travel. It’s a child’s version of “how will I know when I’ve arrived?”
So, what are characteristics of a full, abundant life? First, set aside the material. Ugh! Now, try again. What does abundance look like? What brings deep, abiding joy? Here are some suggestions.
WHAT ABUNDANCE LOOKS LIKE:
1). Clear purpose in life. I know where I’m going.
2). Deep, lasting, mutually-beneficial relationships.
3). A sense of accomplishment. That is, I see measurable professional, personal, and spiritual growth in my life.
How do I get to that place? I recognize what’s most essential in human interactions and in the depth of my relationship with God. Then, I can enjoy abundance with a growth mindset.
A question: What would you add to this abundance list?
Proverbs 3.16 speaks of abundance in terms of capacity, influence, (most often translated “honor”), and riches (e.g., health, relationships) – all three are aspects of a full or abundant life.
What caused this?
Knowing root cause is essential. Otherwise, I treat symptoms.
If I don’t get to the source of the problem I’m stuck in an endless cycle of stumbling and falling, but never making headway on root cause. Thus, I keep asking, What caused this?
What to do? Begin with personal integrity so I have a sound base from which to reason. Pair it with divine light.
Choose to identify root cause as an aspect of living with integrity. That is, being whole, complete. Choose not to live in the dark!
Proverbs 4.18-19 links finding root cause with integrity. Those who lack integrity walk through life in the dark, not knowing what’s causing them to stumble.
Who I am now. Who I want to be!
It’s Ok to be comfortable with who I am right now while growing into who I want to become.
And, I don’t need to push myself over the edge in order to build capacity as I grow.
Is the balance between right now and want-to-be difficult to maintain? You bet!
But, I believe I can grow without being impossibly hard on myself. Or, just as bad, settling for what is, thus not growing at all.
I think one way to maintain this balance is to be constantly learning from life experiences. That way I see steady progress.
A question: What’s worked well for you to maintain life balance?
I must slow down, lighten up, and give myself some slack. Why? Because growth follows when I’m persistent in deliberate practice as I pursue growth. As such, I can enjoy abundance with a growth mindset.
Proverbs 5.1 is an ancient example of the precept that important life lessons can be learned from others, IF we are teachable!
Issue-based or precept-based?
It’s deadly, I believe, to abandon principles in pursuit of issues. When doing so, we lose the grounding of the precepts in a quest to win an issue at all costs!
It’s easy to see this play out in unbending political views that produce grid-lock. However, it’s less easy to grasp how destructive such inflexibility is on interpersonal relations.
One take-away for leaders relates to signal and noise. Be sure to identify root cause, that which is signal, when responding.
Don’t be drawn aside by the noise of issues that are unrelated to mission. Instead, identify the principles that must be addressed. Then, reason from those precepts to form a response.
In Proverbs 3.1 a father encourages his son to take to heart the precepts, those most fundamental principles of life. He’s saying that deep change to my character is to be driven by the universal precepts, not by impermanent issues.
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