We're Learning to Fly!

Wow!  What an awesome group we had in our 48 days class last night!  I can't thank everyone enough for being willing to take a chance and share their personal stories and dreams.  It is certainly true that there is power in the group experience that you can't find in the individual search.  One of my favorite stories is the one Dan Miller tells in his third session about the eagle nest.  It seems that eagles build their nest of sharp thorns and brambles then layer it with feathers and leaves to make it soft.  However, as the baby eagles get older and more comfortable in their nest, the parents begin systematically removing the cushy layer, exposing the thorns.  Not only do they make the environment less comfortable, but they also fly by just out of reach with a tasty morsel so that the baby eagles strain for the food, falling out of the nest in their effort and...in the process, discover they can fly.  You have to think that this is something that they would never have discovered on their own if their parents hadn't pushed them in that direction. 

Last night, we had a push in the direction of discovering our God given purpose and it did involve moving out of our comfort zone and taking a leap of faith.  I hope in the process you discovered that you can FLY!  Our assignment for next week is to come up with a mission statement and a mantra.  The mission statement will give each of us focus and the mantra should be a short (3-5 words or so) summary of our mission.  I loved the email I received from Betsy about her thoughts regarding the class and I am reprinting a small part of it here to give us encouragement as we design our mantra/mission.  Do keep in mind that it is not written in stone.  It can be changed and developed as you change, discover and develop. 

Betsy said...The song was called Southern Voice, but what struck me, as I deliberated the mission statement/mantra assignment...... was how most of the song was a one word verb describing a list of people. I'll give you a sampling...
Rosa Parks rode it
Hank Aaron smacked it
Billy Graham saved it
Tom Petty rocked it
Just thought I'd share......as we all search for our "it" (I mean mantra).
Rosa Parks did nothing more than sit in a bus seat, but she did it with purpose and with focus
 
Books we mentioned in class:
Have You Filled a Bucket Today: A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids by Carol McCloud


The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy By Jon Gordon

The Art of Exceptional Living by Jim Rohn