Leader or Follower?

What do words, ideas, viruses, hopes, and fears all have in common?

They can spread like wildfires.

Whatever you give oxygen, energy, and focus will grow.

You’ll see more and more of that (regardless of whether you want it).

It’s why I stopped watching the news in the summer of 2016.

It’s why I’m staying informed but walking away from the “water cooler” when it comes to the coronavirus.

It’s why I’m focusing my social media time on the outpouring of love and generosity from the Nashville community who are focused on clean-up and rebuilding our city. (It’s hard to focus too much on germs when your neighbors don’t have water, electricity, or a roof over their heads.)

It’s also why I’m trying to stay in my own lane and not read or listen to others who are doing the same work as me. (I explain this in more detail in this week’s podcast).

Life is all about perspective. And our emotional, mental, and financial well-being is directly tied to what we choose to focus on.

For me, when I focus on my own ideas, my own voice, my own purpose, it lights me up. I feel good, I make a difference, and I make more money.

When I focus on what others are doing or saying, I play the comparison game. I worry. I get anxious and scared and find myself talking and thinking instead of doing.

When I stop doing, I start to second-guess myself. I pull back. I shrink. I question everything.

That’s why action always wins out.

Feel scared and hopeless? Help someone in need who has bigger problems than your own.

Feel like it’s all been done before and you have nothing new to contribute? Stop consuming and start creating.

Feel like you’ll never have the time to focus on your own goals and desires because work emergencies and crazy world issues keep coming at you from every angle? Stop trying to slay all the dragons and start saying no. Walk away from the chaos and focus on your priorities.

Not everyone is cut out to be a leader.

But if you’re on my email list, I suspect that you are.

Quick gut check – are you intentionally leading and focusing on what’s important? Or, are you falling in line and following others blindly without choosing how you want to feel and where you want to have impact and influence?

For me, my gift, my calling, is helping women rise.

And so THAT is where I’m choosing to focus today.

It gives me life. It gives me hope.

Where will you choose to focus your time and energy?

You can focus on problems or you can focus on solutions.

You can focus on what you can’t control or you can focus on what you can.

You can focus on comparing yourself to and imitating others or you can embrace your own brilliant mind and trail-blaze.

As a leader, others are watching you and looking to you. What lessons are you teaching them today?