Testing.  It's annoying, even painful.  And necessary.  For emergencies, and in our life.  On today’s episode I’ll share how my commitment has been tested lately.  And give you 5 actions you can take when your commitment is put to the test.

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On This Episode

Rhythm of Life – What I Learned From My Last One-on-Ones
Random Riffs – Snowmageddon and Poetry – Perfect Together
Feature Segment – What To Do When Tested

Today’s Quote

Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward.  –Vernon Law

Rhythm of Life – What I Learned From My Last One-on-Ones

I had one-on-ones every week with each one on my team.  These were special, though.  This was my last chance to coach them and hear what they had to say.

What I heard I didn’t quite expect.  And yet it wasn’t surprising either.  To a person, each talked about the importance of the culture.  And yet, their experience of that culture varied depending on who they had most closely worked with.

Our immediate team and the larger project team both had a strongly positive culture.  That’s something we worked at, were intentional about.

Those who spent more time outside of the project team had a less positive experience.  There, they found uncooperative people, non-responsive, or both.  They were not so high on the culture, as their view was tainted by their negative interactions.

As much as we like to tell people what our culture is by posting signs on the wall, the real culture is simply this: the sum total of every personal interaction.  For good or ill.  And it takes 9 positive interactions for every 1 negative for people to feel positive overall.

Think about where you “live” right now.  What’s the culture like?  You want to change it?  Change yourself first.

Culture matters.  A lot.  Make sure yours aligns with you.

Random Riffs – Snowmageddon, Howling Winds, and Poetry

On the day I recorded this episode, it was snowing like crazy.  Not only that, the wind was howling.  That got me thinking….what poems have been written about howling winds?

I found a few.  And it’s neat to see how different they are.

Timothy (no last name) – Howling Winds

Andrey Heller – The Howling Wind

Christopher Murphy – The Howling Wind

Ashleen Romano – Wind Howling

Feature Segment – What To Do When Tested

My commitment to my new life was tested a week ago.  On this 7^th episode of our Life 2.x mini-series, we’re exploring what 5 actions you can take when your commitment is put to the test.

What happened (all in the space of 3 days):

1. I lost one glove on one of the coldest nights of the year.
2. My phone fell in the toilet at a friend’s house and fried.
3. A letter came from the IRS indicating I was being audited for the 3^rd time in about 5 years.

This is a test.  How much do I believe in what I am doing?  Do I believe enough to trust when I see dollars flying out the door?  Do I trust God when he says he has great plans for me?

We often get these tests, don’t we?  Right when we finally commit to something.  To see just how strong our commitment actually is.  To see if we have what it takes to see it through.

It’s ok to feel bad when it happens.  In the end, though, we have to decide whether we’re committed or not.  And take some sort of action.  And we don’t want to act out of panic.

What should we do when put to the test?  How can you keep your commitment to yourself? With 5 actions.

1. Stop
2. Feel
3. Listen
4. Commit
5. Act

Want to live your 2.x life?  Expect setbacks.  Tests, if you will.  When it happens, try the 5 actions.

Please know you’re in good company. Get help and support from others.  Get in touch with me if you want.  Leave a comment.

Then, go out there and live.

Links to the other episodes:

Episode 076 – Why Start With Joy
Episode 077 – How to Live With Joy
Episode 078 – How to Measure Your Life
Episode 079 – What Steals Joy
Episode 080 – The Birth of Hope
Episode 081 – 3 Road-signs to Follow Instead of Passion