Why it's important to step back regularly and revert from a micro view to a macro view of life5/21/2021 Look to Zig Ziglar, Stephen Covey, any business or leadership greats, really, and you will see a common thread extending throughout their messages.
As a man of faith, the second habit of Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” is the one that truly resonates. Covey encourages people to “Begin with the end in mind.” Basically, Stephen Covey confronts a profound question: With all the pressure and stress we are under, juggling work and family responsibilities, how do we stay on-track? I practice my faith constantly and say my prayers regularly. Even with the teachings of my religion as my guide, I sometimes become so hyper focused on the tasks at hand that I miss things. It is good to be reminded to take a step back: to revert from a micro view to a macro view of life. In the book, Covey asks readers to develop their mission statements and regularly review their principles and their lives to ensure they are on track with who they want to be. I fully believe that one of the most remarkable things about being human is that we have the capacity to contemplate our lives and to change. There is an ebb and flow to life and continual soulful/human evolution if it is lived consciously: One step forward, two steps back, three steps forward, one step back, four steps forward… Just when you think you are defeated or when you think you have completely missed the mark, that is when everything can change. Being hopeful and doing as Covey suggests by keeping the end in mind can mean continual growth no matter what challenges you face. There is no perfection in the world. It is a fact often forgotten by some of my perfectionist friends in corporate America. I always remind them that it is the striving that makes a company and a person “good.” I learned that from my mentor and neighbor who gave me my first job – with the company I now own. I’ve invested over 30 years of my life with Coastal Bridge and I spent endless hours learning and watching him guide the company and the people behind it. I learned quickly that being a business owner means continually making tough decisions. Sometimes they aren’t the right ones, but you keep going; you keep striving to make yourself, your company and the world better. One of my favorite Bible verses is Romans 12:2: ‘Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Faith keeps me grounded and helps me be a better father, husband, business owner and philanthropist. I want to continue to build upon the infrastructure of the nation, upon the foundation of my children’s future and create a lasting positive legacy – with the end in mind. |