As we are coming to the end of 2020 and look forward to 2021, we are going to offer encore episodes about the importance of and steps in writing a life plan.  2020 certainly didn’t turn out like the vision we may have had for it, but we have a lot to look forward to.  This past year has dealt a harsh blow to many plans  we may have had.  Some I know have been able to reboot their plans and move forward with an alternative direction, either changing course entirely or just navigating around the original planned course.  As 2021 approaches, we can look forward to a vaccine for Covid-19 and the return to some of the activities that we have been held back from doing as a result of this pandemic.

This is the perfect time to do what I believe is one of the most important steps to avoiding a life of regret by writing down a life plan, and we will spend the next 3 episodes replaying the 3 episodes that covered this nearly a year ago.  This also gives me time to take a bit of a break to revisit my life plan and make adjustments based on where I am now and this season of life to chart the course of where I want to be.  So don’t miss a single episode of this series.  Remember, just listening to teaching and information will get you nowhere unless you act on it, so here we go for part 3 of the series.

Episode 48 we talked about beginning with the end in mind by writing down what legacy you want to leave.  The action step was to write what people you designated would say when they eulogize you or after.

Episode 49 we talked about creating categories in your life plan, or what the book “Living Forward” refers to as life accounts.  This includes areas like Spiritual, Intellectual, Physical, Spouse, Children, Co-worker, etc. and writing a purpose statement for each, a statement of vision for where you want to be for your envisioned future when this category is at its best, a statement of current reality, and if applicable an inspiring quote or scripture.

Today is where we form an action plan, or make specific commitments for each life account that will eventually bridge the gap between our current reality and our envisioned future of where we need to be.  It is important to write you commitments as SMART goals.

• Specific - What exactly are you committing to?  Non-negotiable
• Measurable - Quantify the result
• Actionable - Must start with an action verb such as run, walk, complete, quit…
• Realistic - Must be attainable, but best if it stretches you
• Time-Bound - Must have a time period that you will commit to, such as frequency, how many, …  Goals must have  completed by or due date

Make a list of action items for each one of your life categories, or accounts.

Since a life plan is a living, breathing document, make your specific commitment action items incremental while still stretching yourself.  An example may be:

Physical Life Account:

A goal you may have for 2020 would be to run a 5K by the first day of summer.  You can create a specific commitment to go out and walk/run 4 days a week for 30 minutes.  That may mean you just walk four doors down the street in the first 2 weeks, 1/2 block after 4 weeks, incrementally increasing until 45 minutes isn’t enough, so increase your commitment to 45 minutes, then 60 minutes.

Specific Commitment:  Action commitment to do something to get you from your current reality and your envisioned future.

Goals: dictionary.com defines a goal as: the result or achievement toward which effort is directed; aim; end. Goals will need to be written in the SMART format as well, with the time bound being a specific date to accomplish it.  We will talk more about goals in next week in episode 13.

Action Item: Write specific commitments, action statements for each of the life categories or accounts that you have that move you from your current reality incrementally to your envisioned future for each.

I will be pausing this podcast during the holidays to re-evaluate my life plan and be in thought and prayer for what Your Encore Life will sound like when we return. My focus will be on connecting with others with a focus on asking for God’s wisdom on how He will use me to add value to others and ultimately connect people with Him. All episodes will remain available to go back and listen to again or for the first time.   Stay tuned and subscribed, and continue to contact me at [email protected] or on my Craig Coile Coaching Facebook page!

Thank you for being a loyal listener, and may God bless you.

Resources:

• Vision Board, Dr. Jack Canfield
• “Living Forward” by Michael Hyatt and Daniel Harkavy
• Contact Craig

As we are coming to the end of 2020 and look forward to 2021, we are going to offer encore episodes about the importance of and steps in writing a life plan.  2020 certainly didn’t turn out like the vision we may have had for it, but we have a lot to look forward to.  This past year has dealt a harsh blow to many plans we may have had.  Some I know have been able to reboot their plans and move forward with an alternative direction, either changing course entirely or just navigating around the original planned course.  As 2021 approaches, we can look forward to a vaccine for Covid-19 and the return to some of the activities that we have been held back from doing as a result of this pandemic.

This is the perfect time to do what I believe is one of the most important steps to avoiding a life of regret by writing down a life plan, and we will spend the next 3 episodes replaying the 3 episodes that covered this nearly a year ago.  This also gives me time to take a bit of a break to revisit my life plan and make adjustments based on where I am now and this season of life to chart the course of where I want to be.  So don’t miss a single episode of this series.  Remember, just listening to teaching and information will get you nowhere unless you act on it, so here we go for part 2 of this series.

Much of the information I am going to share is based on the book, “Living Forward” by Michael Hyatt and Daniel Harkavy as I have mentioned in previous episodes.  You can find the reference and link to the book in the show notes.

Last week we talked about beginning your life plan with the end in mind, and your action step was to write down what legacy you hope to leave behind once you are gone by reflecting on what you would want people to say about you at your funeral and after.

Today we are going to get down to the specific about several categories, or what the book “Living Forward” call Life Accounts.  Examples of categories, or life accounts that you would want to include are:

• Spiritual
• Intellectual
• Physical
• Marital
• Parental
• Social
• Financial
• Vocational
• Avocational

This list is not exhaustive and you can have different names for the categories that may be more specific to you, for instance “spouse” or you spouses name, your children’s names.  You can also add categories such as grandchildren, travel, exercise, etc.  I recommend you list them in order of priority, but that it up to you.  They do recommend putting categories that are related directly to you near the top, such as spiritual, intellectual, and physical.  Although this may feel selfish, it goes along with the thought that you can’t take care of and add value to others until you can take care of yourself.

Hyatt and Harkavy suggest there are four considerations when making your list of life accounts:

• Life Accounts are unique to you.
• Life Accounts can be names whatever you want.
• Life Accounts are interrelated.
• Life Accounts will change over time, as we discussed last week.

You will need to get specific for each account.  Each one will need to have the following sections:

• Purpose Statement:  What is your reason for being in this area, our role?
• Envisioned Future: What does this area of your life look like when it is at it’s best?
• Inspiring Quote or Scripture.
• Current Reality:  Keep it simple and realistic.  Write it as bulleted statements.
• Specific Commitments:  Similar to goals, what steps do you need to take to get from the current reality to your envisioned future.  These steps will change as you accomplish them and move to more advanced steps.

Here is an example of my physical life account from my life plan:

Physical:

My physical purpose is to maintain my body as God’s temple through proper nutrition, exercise, and following recommended checkups.

I am at a very ideal weight for me, and I have the energy to accomplish my daily activities and desires.  I am exercising daily and loving the activities that are giving me great physical benefits.  I have cut my medications to a minimum because of my healthy way of life.

• I am very conscious about my health and diet, yet often make poor choices, particularly on the nutritional side.
• I track steps and exercise with an Apple Watch
• I currently do 35-40 pushups every morning
• I don’t have a regiment in place for getting enough exercise and strength building.
• I have cut my BP and Cholesterol medication in half and monitor results

Specific Commitments:

• I will get to and maintain a weight of 175 – 180.
• I will do cardio and strength building exercises a minimum of 4 times per week.
• I will read “The Daniel Plan” and make 4 beneficial eating habit changes as a result.
• I will drink at least 8 – 8 ounce servings of water daily.

Inspirational Quote:

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you received from God?  1 Corinthians 6:19

We will get down to more detail about how to write your specific commitments and follow through with making progress with your life plan next week as we conclude the series.

Action Step:  Write down your list of between 6 - 12 life categories or accounts.  Write your purpose statement for each, your envisioned future of where you want to be, an inspiring quote or scripture for some of them, and the current reality of where you are now.  Refer back to the show notes for an example of how I have written one of my accounts, but write it in a way that is most meaningful for you.

As we are coming to the end of 2020 and look forward to 2021, we are going to offer encore episodes about the importance of and steps in writing a life plan.  2020 certainly didn’t turn out like the vision we may have had for it, but we have a lot to look forward to.  This past year has dealt a harsh blow for many plans  we may have had.  Some I know have been able to reboot their plans and move forward with an alternative direction, either changing course entirely or just navigating around the original planned course.  As 2021 approaches, we can look forward to a vaccine for Covid-19 and the return to some of the activities that we have been held back from doing as a result of this pandemic.

This is the perfect time to do what I believe is one of the most important steps to avoiding a life of regret by writing down a life plan, and we will spend the next 3 episodes replaying the 3 episodes that covered this nearly a year ago.  This also gives me time to take a bit of a break to revisit my life plan and make adjustments based on where I am now and this season of life to chart the course of where I want to be.  So don’t miss a single episode of this series.  Remember, just listening to teaching and information will get you nowhere unless you act on it, so here we go for part 1 of this series.

A life plan is a short written document that is written by you for you.  The life plan we will be discussing starts with the end in mind, how do you want to be remembered, the legacy you leave.  The second part details your life priorities, the who’s and what’s that are most important to you.  The third part details specific actions you will make to reach where you want to be.  This is where you can plug in your goals.

A life plan is a living document that needs to be reviewed often and can be modified as you move forward and/or into different seasons of life.

In this episode we will talk about beginning with the end in mind.  Think about how you would want each of these relationships to eulogize you and talk about you once you were gone from this earth.  These are just examples but this list is not exhaustive:

• God (well done good and faithful servant)
• Spouse
• Children
• Grandchildren
• Closest Friends
• Casual Acquaintances
• Those you worked with, your colleagues
• Those who were in organizations you were part of
• Teammates
• Clients you served
• Your Church

The example I will provide is from my co-workers from the school district I just retired from:

“Those that I worked with will recall how I always made them feel valued and appreciated.  They will talk about how I always made clear to all my faith, and that I was an example by being His hands and feet in serving those in need.  They will recall my desire for them to grow into leaders that focused on adding value to the lives of others.  They will talk about my honesty and integrity in all things that I did.”

In the book “Living Forward” by Michael Hyatt and Daniel Harkavy, they state that writing your eulogy as part of your life plan will “engage both the head and the heart”.  The book also states that if you can imagine you are attending your own funeral, what conversations would you hear:

• What would those closest to your life?
• What stories would they tell one another?
• Would those stories make them laugh, cry, sigh, or all three?
• How would they summarize what your life meant to them?

Leaving a legacy is inevitable. Leaving a legacy that you want is not, and requires planning and intention.

Hyatt and Harkavy go on to write:

“Our legacy comprises the spiritual, intellectual, relational, vocational, and social capital we pass on. It’s the sum total of the beliefs you embrace, the values you live by, the love you express, and the service you render to others.”

What do you want your legacy to look like with each of the relationships we talked about earlier?

Action item:  Write out a list of relationships similar to the ones we discussed and write compelling legacy statements that say how you would want each relationship to remember you.

Next week we will talk about listing our priorities and charting the course to live our best encore life by avoiding drifting and charting a course of action for our lives.

Teach us to number our days,

that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Psalm 90:12 | NIV |

In their hearts humans plan their course,

but the Lord establishes their steps.

Proverbs 16:9 | NIV |

There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 | NIV

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

2 Timothy 4:7-8 | NIV 

References:

• “Living Forward” by Michael Hyatt and Daniel Harkavy
• Contact Craig

Welcome to episode 47 of “Your Encore Life”. When thinking about this topic of the importance of connecting with others, it came to me that one of the most popular series I have done was about Finding Joy in episodes 16 - 23, and one of those episodes has great information about the importance of making connections and relationships. This episode will be an encore episode from the series “Finding Lasting Joy: Relationships. The main source I used for this series is the book “The Joy Model” by Jeff Spadafora.

In a blog post by John Maxwell titled “Five Steps for Connecting with Others, John says “Connection is a critical part of leadership, because you can’t lead if no one will follow. You have to connect with others in order to be a leader.

With that in mind, I want to share the following five steps for connecting with anyone. It can be a someone new, someone familiar, or someone you’re attempting to re-connect with after time. No matter who the other person is, if you’ll follow these five steps, you’ll be certain to create a genuine connection with them.

Step One: Set aside your agenda—if you want to connect with other people, you must make their agenda your priority in that moment. Genuine connection isn’t about making sure people understand you; it’s about making sure you understand other people. Clear your mind of your own worries, fears, ambitions, and plans, in order to focus on what the other person has to say.

Step Two: Ask curious questions—this goes hand in hand with my first point, because the practical step for getting out of your own head is to ask questions that help you get into the head of someone else. Curious questions have a layering effect; they build on one another and help drive the conversation to new and interesting places. Curious questions also help the other person know you’re engaged with them and want to keep the connection going.

Step Three: Lean into the conversation—this is the mid-point of connection, and it’s where self-discipline is most important. Leaning into a conversation is NOT the same as taking over a conversation. Leaning in does not mean shifting the rest of the conversation to you and your interests. Leaning in means increasing your curiosity and adding in thoughts that spur the connection deeper. It’s renewing your interest in your connection with the other person.

Step Four: Make a memorable moment— memorable moments don’t need to be manufactured, but they do need to be sought. A connection becomes memorable when both parties walk away with something positive to hold onto. Making a memorable moment doesn’t require a lot, but it does require authenticity on your part. You can make a memorable moment by zeroing in on a significant lesson you learned, or a statement that impacted you. It could be a shared laugh, a moment of grief, or a deep sense of community with the other person.

Step Five: Keep the connection alive—while it’s hard to create a connection, keeping one alive is considerably easier. It’s an intentional decision to keep the other person with you in some way. You might exchange encouraging texts or send one another helpful emails from time to time. Maybe it’s just the courtesy of remembering that person’s name so you can greet them and quickly reconnect the next time you see them. Do what you need to do to keep the spark alive, so you can build on it in the future.”

An article by Northwestern Medicine titled: 5 Benefits of Healthy Relationships they state that “As humans, the relationships we form with other people are vital to our mental and emotional wellbeing, and really, our survival. Humans have an inherent desire to be close to other people. To connect and build relationships. While a man stranded on an island, talking to a volleyball (you remember the movie!) isn’t necessarily “healthy,” his compulsion for company is. That’s because the fact of the matter is, healthy relationships (romantic relationships, friendships, familial relationships -- they all count!) can help make for a healthier overall life. Everyone is unique and has their own needs and desires when it comes to relationships, handling stress and living a healthy, meaningful life. If you’re the type of person who enjoys being alone, that’s okay too, but attempting to make a couple close relationships could mean noticeable benefits to your mental and physical health. Sometimes having at least one good friend (or trusted co-worker, therapist or counselor) to help walk you through issues like social anxiety or depression can end up being more than worth it. It might be difficult, but it also might be exactly what you need. Even just having one or two strong, healthy relationships in your life can have a positive effect on health.”

In the book “The Joy Model” by Jeff Spadafora, he starts out the discussion on relationships with a quote by Charles Spurgeon who said “Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It’s knowing the difference between right and almost right”. He says that is the consideration we are faced with in considering our relationships and deciding how much time we should dedicate to which relationships.  Spadafora goes on to say that “poorly managed and neglected relationships are far and away the most common reason for self-inflicted pain in peoples’ lives. I can remember people saying “quality over quantity” when trying to reason with not spending time with family and those closest to you.  The fact is that time itself is the most valuable gift you can give anyone.  And while you are spending that time, it is important to be present, really present with the person or people with the time you do spend.  Quality and quantity are both important to having a deep relationship. Being in the same room while working on your computer or answering emails or being on social media on your phone is not quality time or being present. The book states that “if we had a crystal clear picture of what we want our most important relationships to look like twenty years from now, we might have more motivation to be more strategic about how we treat those closest to us. Or, conversely, if we had a sense of what life twenty years from now with obliterated relationships would be like, we’d be motivated to make some positive changes right now.”  Think about your relationships you have outside of family.  What are they motivated by? Do you think it could be selfish ambition or self promotion? How can relationships you have bring true joy by being motivated to serve and add value to others?  Spadafora says to “be brutally honest with yourself about the heart issues (ego, pride, fear, insecurity, greed) that are deteriorating your relationships. Self-deception about what really drives your thinking and interpersonal interactions will hold you back. Your relationships and life will never be all you want if you can’t get real with yourself. Self-authenticity is an unequivocal prerequisite to growth and joy.

Philippians 2:5-8 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus Who, being in very nature[a] God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature[b] of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!

One of the most important elements of cultivating healthy relationships is the area of communication.  We will talk more about this in future episodes, but I believe the key to effective communication is the lost art of listening.  Truly listening and being present in the situation is a huge gift to others.  Listening isn’t just waiting for your turn to talk or finishing others thoughts for them. When it does come time to speak, choose your words carefully.  Spadafora states that you can ruin a relationship “with wrong word choice, inappropriate tone, bad timing, or offensive body language.

Proverbs 18:21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Action Item: Spend time thinking about a relationship that is very important to you and consider these questions:

Do I take the real time and quality time needed to have a deep relationship?

Do I listen intently and make sure the person knows what they say is important?

Is my motivation in this relationship to serve and add value?

In a blog post by Rick Warren titled: “Life Is All About Relationships” Warren says “ Nobody ever asks for things in the final moments of life. They always ask for people, because eventually everybody learns that life is all about relationships. Why not learn that sooner? It sure would relieve a lot of stress.

Life is not about achievements. It’s not about accomplishments.

Life is about relationships.”

Resources:

Half Time Institute: The Joy Model

Five Steps for Connecting With Others: John Maxwell

5 Benefits of Healthy Relationships: Northwestern Medicine

Life is All About Relationships: Rick Warren

Bible Gateway

Contact Craig

This is Craig Coile, and thank you for joining me for this episode of Your Encore Life.  Today in episode 46 we are going to continue our discussion from last time on the importance of being in connection. This can be particularly important if you are retired or nearing retirement.  We typically have some connection by default if we have a regular job working with others.  But if you are retired or are a work at home entrepreneur, you need to be intentional about being connected with others.  Regardless of whether you are working or not, we need to be intentional about being in connection with others that is healthy for us.  Today we are going to talk about different types of friendships and how to make sure they are beneficial rather than harmful to our well being.

For the purposes of our discussion today, we are going to talk about 3 categories of friends.  Think about an outside circle with the category of casual friends, a smaller circle inside of that with the category of close friends, and a small inner circle with the category of core friends. The outer circle could consist of people you know casually from work, church, or neighbors. You may spend time with them occasionally mostly due to the nature of your environment. You may enjoy talking with them but only on a casual basis.  The next category are close friends. They are people you spend much more time with than casual friends. You intentionally make it a point to get together from time to time. They may be part of a group you are in such as common hobby interest or a small group bible study. You likely are comfortable talking to them about more personal things, much more so than casual friends. The next category is the small center of your circle that we are going to refer to as your core friends. This is a very small group that you trust with your most personal of discussions. These are the people you call and depend on when you need wise counsel, as accountability partners, and who you could call at 3AM and they would answer if it was necessary.

Let’s look at this from the standpoint of the Bible and those that Jesus invested in the most.  He had a group of 120 that He trained..casual.

He had 12 Disciples that He invested a great deal of time with…close.

He had Peter, James, and John that He trusted and took with Him to be alone with…core.

The bottom line is that we are wired to be in community - we are better together.

Pastor Rick Warren talks about what to look for and what to avoid in his podcast titled “Daily Hope”.  He gives an illustration about someone standing on a stage and reaching down to grab the hand of another person.  He asks if it is easier for the person on the stage to pull the other person up or for the other person to pull the one on the stage down?  We must take steps and be intentional in spending time with others that can pull us up when we are down and we can do the same for them and avoid people who can continuously pull us down.  He talked about what he refers to as missionary dating and how most often the one that feels they can change the person for the better ends up falling to their level if the relationship continues over time.  This can happen not only in dating, but in friendships.

Here are 6 characteristics that Rick Warren says are in people we should avoid becoming good friends with:

1. Argumentative: Some just love to argue and will do so about anything.  Often there is no convincing them otherwise even if their argument is unreasonable.  Proverbs 20:3 says 3 It is to one’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel.
2. Gossip: Someone who loves sharing information about others without solving the problem or having a solution. Proverbs 20:19 says A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much.
3. Flatterer: someone who gives false praise. Proverbs 20:5 says The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out. Proverbs 29:5 says Those who flatter their neighbors are spreading nets for their feet. Psalms 109:5 says They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my friendship.
4. Uncontrolled temper. Proverbs 22:24-25 says Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, 25 or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared.  You should even avoid filling your head by listening to people with hot tempers such as talk radio and 24 hour news shows.
5. Someone who steals or shoplifts.  Proverbs 1:13-15 says we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder; 14 cast lots with us; we will all share the loot”— 15 my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths;
6. Believers who ignore what God says about sexual sin.

How many of these characteristics do you see in your friends and acquaintances? Remember that it is easier them to pull you down than for you to pull them up.  I would suggest that you continue to love and pray for your friends that you need to pull away from but continue to show them that you care.  You need to guard your heart and be the example for others that you know you can be.

• Contact Craig
• Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope: Forming Healthy Relationships Parts 1-3
• Bible Verses about Community

This is Craig Coile, and thank you for joining me today. Do you feel you need a reboot?  That is what we are doing to talk about today on episode 45 of Your Encore Life.

I have been going through a process developed by Teresa McCloy called “The Realife Process” with my coach Mark Ross.  I had gone through several weeks of the process but was not really connecting with the process and felt I was making little progress.  When I had a few days to myself in the mountains trying to get back on track, I realized that even though the focus I had was something I wanted to do and will do, there were more important things that I needed to focus on first.  So I rebooted my focus and all the sudden the process became much clearer and more motivating for me.  The process wasn’t the problem, my focus was the problem.  I recently listened to another podcast called “The Begin Again Leadership Podcast” with Winston Faircloth.  He had taken a break from publishing his podcast for a period of time and when he returned, he said he needed a new start, a begin again moment which he referred to as refirement.  That really resonated with me that perhaps I needed a period of time away to have a refirement of my own.  I was also talking to someone recently that I had worked with on a life plan, or vision board a couple years ago. Even though the idea of a life plan is to revisit and revise at least quarterly or sooner if needed, they felt the plan had become stale to them and expressed a desire to start over from scratch.

2020 has been a confusing year at best.  When I did a podcast at the end of 2019 talking about 20/20 vision for 2020, we never could have foreseen what it has become.  Depending on your circumstances, the events of 2020 may have had little impact on your life or it could have derailed everything you were planning.  October is right around the corner and it is a good time to look ahead and plan for 2021. We may see 2021 as a big question mark at this point, but don’t let yourself become complacent and lose sight of your dreams.  Now more than ever we need to have a dream to look forward to, goals to set, and a vision for how we are going to get where we need to be.

It can start with being still and listening to the messages you are getting.  That is what happened to me.  For a period of time last month, I was getting messages from sermons, podcasts, things I read, and people I talked to about the importance of being connected with others, about being in community.  People who know me a little would think I was a very social person who thrived on being with others,  People who know me the best know that I can be introverted.  I realized that it is OK to be both and that I can value time alone or just with my wife and family, but that I also need desperately to be in community with others. That has been a challenge in 2020 with COVID-19, but there are ways that you can connect with others through technology.  This will pass eventually and we need to prepare ourselves to connect again with others face to face when it does.  It just isn’t the same using technology as it is being with others in person.

So the podcast episodes that will follow for a bit we will be talking about the importance of friends, connecting to others and being in community.  We will also talk about preparing for 2021 with a vision for what what we want to accomplish and a plan for how to get there.

Hebrews 10:24-25  24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

1 Peter 4:8-11  8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Phillippians 2:3-8  3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! 

• Contact Craig
• Bible Verses about Community
• Begin Again Leadership Podcast with Winston Faircloth
• The Greatest Commandment - Bible Gateway

Welcome to episode 44 of your Encore Life.  Today the title of this special podcast episode is “The One Next Right Thing We Must Do”, tagging onto last weeks episode 43.  This will be a brief episode that is the most important message I have ever shared.  It is that we all need to come together and pray as one to God for revival, a great awakening.  You all see the headlines, and there seems little to be joyful about. If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you know that God has got this, He has a plan. Ask Him to make you a part of that plan.  As we see headlines of a pandemic, divisiveness, anger, rioting, hatred, and destruction, you can take a peek behind the curtain of the headlines and see that God is moving in powerful ways. Churches have stepped out from behind their walls and connected with many through online services and acts of love during this difficult time that have connected with people that have stepped away from their faith or are new to it. God has historically moved powerfully after dark periods through His people when they come together in prayer.

John Ramstead of “The Eternal Leadership” podcast that I have referenced before, is leading the charge for people of faith to come together for 40 days of prayer. It begins Monday, September 14th, but it is never too late to join in.  You can go to eternalleadership.com/prayer, which I have included a link to in the show notes, or you can text Prayer40 to 44222 to get the information and sign up.  They will provide you with a daily prayer focus and video that will take 5 minutes of your time for 40 days. If you choose not to sign up, God doesn’t require you to do that to hear your prayers. Reach out to Him and ask Him to heal our land, to give our leaders wisdom, to heal hearts, and to teach us how to live out the greatest commandment that Jesus gave us as I mentioned last week. Matthew 22: 37-40:  37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[c] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[d] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Trust God to move through our unity, faith, and prayers.

• Contact Craig
• Eternal Leadership 40 Day Prayer Challenge
• The Greatest Commandment - Bible Gateway

Welcome to episode 43 of your Encore Life.  Today the title of the podcast is “What’s Next”.  This will be a brief episode about some things that I have observed and heard others asking, including myself.

When we began 2020 many of us may have had a fairly clear sense of what was next for us and where we might be headed.  Some of you may have been able to realize those things, but I know many who have not because of circumstances that were out of their control.  One thing I am certain of is that none of us could have foreseen 2020 for what it has been.  COVID 19 has limited our access to people, to events, to travel, to school, to church, and the list goes on.  The political climate and the unrest in our nation has generated fear, and there is nothing more powerful to divide people than fear. All of this can leave us feeling powerless, not having control over our own circumstances.  For many in the listening audience of this podcast who are at or near retirement and wondering what’s next, you could be feeling like you have past the point in your life where you can accomplish what you want, that you are too old to make a difference.

Let’s go back to what I talked about in very early episodes of this podcast.  The idea of E + R = O.  Remember that stands for events + our response to the events = outcome.  We have not had control over much of what we have been presented with in 2020, but remember that we always have control over how we respond, and how we respond will most definitely have some measure of influence over the outcome.

Let’s start with the sense that you have past the point in your life where you can accomplish what you want or it is too late to start something new.  Author and Podcaster Dan Miller from the 48 Days fame recently wrote about that and talked about a website you could go to where you type in your age and get a list of people’s accomplishments that occurred later in life.  I have included a link to the Museum of Conceptual Art in the show notes where you can do this.  He included some of the following examples:

• At age 99, Teiichi Igarashi climbed Mt. Fuji.
• At age 90, Chagall became the first living artist to be exhibited at the Louvre museum.
• At age 83, Great grandmother Joyce Patrick learned to read and write.
• At age 70, Benjamin Franklin helped draft the Declaration of Independence.
• At age 62, J.R.R. Tolkien published the first volume of his fantasy series, Lord of the Rings.
• At age 50, William Piper, who built the Piper Cub airplane, learned to fly and never considered building his own plane until much later.
• At age 46, Golfer Jack Nicklaus became the oldest man ever to win the Masters.

When I typed my age of 60 in I got the following examples:

• Playwright and essayist George Bernard Shaw completed a play, "Heartbreak House," regarded by some as his masterpiece.
• Italian sculptor, painter, playwright, draftsman and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini began designing churches.
• Ann Roberts retired from 30 years of driving an 18-wheeler, changed jobs to tax preparer and also sales rep for a tractor/bush hog company. She square dances evenings and weekends. She is a grandmother of 4 and is still working.
• Frieda Birnbaum became the oldest woman in the U.S. to give birth to twins.

If you are listening to this podcast or reading this blog on my web page, then God is not finished with you yet.  Continue to dream and take steps, however small, to realize your dream, to add value to others and leave a positive legacy to your life.

I have also been thinking a lot about the greatest commandment and how I can honor that commandment, which I know I fall far short on.  It is Matthew 22: 37-40:  37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[c] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[d] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

What can that look like for us and how can we start moving toward following that commandment?  I have enjoyed listening to a podcast by Emily P. Freeman recently titled: “The Next Right Thing”.  It is a beautifully done podcast and I have included a link to it in the show notes.  We may have difficulty seeing the big picture of what we will do and where we will go during this difficult time, but just ask yourself “What is my next right thing”? If you ask yourself that question consistently and follow through, your small next right things will become your path to where you need to be.  Could your next right thing include things like:

• Calling or visiting someone you have been thinking about lately
• Writing a letter to someone you know is lonely
• Taking a walk around the block, or to the end of the driveway to begin the process of getting healthier
• Spending more time reading the Bible
• Starting a morning routine of devotion and quiet time

And as you thing about what your next right this is, do as Emily P. Freeman states at the end of each podcast, “Do Your Next Right Thing in Love”.

• Contact Craig
• Museum of Conceptual Art - What people my age have accomplished?
• The Next Right Thing - Emily P. Freeman
• 48 Days: Dan Miller
• The Greatest Commandment - Bible Gateway

Welcome to episode 42 of Your Encore Life. In this episode I will continue our discussion from the last few weeks on self assessments and how they can help at any stage of life, especially in your encore.  I will talk a bit about my personal Cliftonstrengths results and a bit about the Enneagram, which I took recently through my coach Mark Ross as a basis for going through the Real Life Process to help me manage my priorities more effectively. I have included links to learn more about the Enneagram and the Reallife Process, as well as a link to Mark Ross’s business “Next Thing Group” and the Gallup CliftonStrengths Assessment web page.

Let’s start with my top 5 talents from the CliftonStrengths assessment.  I will share these with you not so you can learn more about me, but so you can get an idea of what this assessment is like and how it can help you learn more about yourself. Don’t try to learn what I am telling you here.  There is a wealth of information on the websites that I have provided links to, just listen to this 1000 foot view so you can get a picture of what these assessments can tell you about yourself. My top 5 talents are:

1. Belief
2. Responsibility
3. Connectedness
4. Relator
5. Developer

Stick with me as I read the descriptions of each of these talents…..

Each of the 34 talents has a description of what characteristics are present in mature and raw form.  If you recognize that one or some of the raw characteristics describes you, you can focus on how to move that characteristic from its raw form to a more mature and productive form.  The mature and raw characteristics of my top 5 are…..

You can see the wealth of very highly researched information you can gather that will give you much clearer insights about yourself.

Now let me give you my Enneagram type and see how there is a relationship between it and my top 5 talents.  My core style is 2, with my neighboring auxiliary style of 1.  In stressful situations is 8.  So what does all that tell me?

My core style of 2 is described as the following….

My preferred wing style of 1 is described as the following…

What my core style of 2 may find easy to do is……

What my core style of 2 may find difficult to do is…..

I hope this walk through my assessments has been helpful for you to see how they can help you to learn more about yourself and help to guide you to be your most and best productive self, to live in your “Zone of Genius”, which we will discuss in a later episode, and to live your best encore life. Notice how I said help to guide you, not define you.

1 Peter 4:10-11:  Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

• Soar With Your Strengths, Donald O. Clifton and Paula Nelson
• Gallup Clifton Strengths Assessment 
• Wagner Enneagram Personality Style Scales
• Reallife Process: Teresa McCloy
• Next Thing Group: Mark Ross
• Contact Craig

Welcome to episode 41 of Your Encore Life. In this episode we will be talking specifically about the CliftonStrengths Assessment and why it has value for those of us entering into or already in our Encore Life.  As you may recall episodes 39 and 40 were both discussing the value of maximizing your strengths, focusing on strengths and building them rather than putting an emphasis on your weaknesses and trying to overcome them.  We also talked a little about how to minimize your weaknesses by maximizing strengths or by methods discussed in an article by Brent O’ Bannon referenced in episode 40 titled “To Manage Your Weakness, PLUG your LEAK”.  Let’s start by reviewing that:

L: Loath - What activity do you absolutely hate to do?

E: Escape - What activity do you avoid at all costs?

A: Average - What activity is a weakness that no matter how much you try, you are only average at it?

K: Kink - What activity no matter how much you improve leaves a kink in your stomach when doing it?

P: Plan - consciously use one or more of your strengths to boost your weakness.

L: Leave - Decrease or eliminate if possible the need to perform that activity.

U: Unite - Find someone to perform that activity that is a weakness in your place.

G: Grow - If you have to continue this activity, find a way to improve such as training in the basics, then let it go.

The book lists five characteristics of a strength and how best to develop them.  Here we go:

1. Listen for Yearnings:  What have you seen or heard that makes you think “I want to do that”?  What makes your heart flutter or sing?  This cannot be confused with what they term as “misyearnings”, which can be driven by a desire for power, glamour, and excitement and can derail us from our true strengths path.
2. Watch for Satisfactions:  “Satisfactions are those experiences where the emotional and psychic rewards are great”.  You really enjoy doing them.
3. Watch for Rapid Learning:  If you are learning something best by jumping in and you feel like you have always known how to do something. Slow and laborious learning is a sign that this may not be an area of strength.
4. Glimpses of Excellence:  Often evident in a finite activity or performance, which isn’t necessarily impressive but a trained eye or you sense a moment where you shine brightly.
5. Total Performance of Excellence: Total performance excellence is defined in the book as not being “a glimpse, but the complete extension of an activity.  It doesn’t happen occasionally, but each time the activity is performed.  It is not subject to circumstances but transcends them.

To become exceptional:

1. Pick a strength and pursue it.
2. Claim it out of fantasy and into action.
3. Do more of it
4. Enjoy it

Again I have included links to the articles and book mentioned in this episode as well as a link to access the CliftonStrengths assessment, which we will talk more specifics about now.

The global strengths movement started six decades ago when Don Clifton posed a simple question:

"What would happen if we studied what was right with people versus what's wrong with people?"

More than 90% of Fortune 500 companies have used CliftonStrengths to bring the power of strengths-based development to their workplace culture.

Every year, more organizations of all sizes give leaders and their teams the chance to become great at what they're naturally good at.

The test itself is an hour-long online assessment, where you'll see 177 paired statements and choose which one best describes you.

The assessment measures your talents -- your natural patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving -- and categorizes them into the 34 CliftonStrengths themes.

Your customized CliftonStrengths reports and guides help you chart your course to accomplish great things using the true north of what you naturally do best.

• You will get a customized dashboard on the Gallup Access platform to find resources and tools that will help you learn how to do more of what you naturally do best.
• Find a Coach to help unlock your potential and succeed in every facet of life.

I would encourage you to look over the Gallup CliftonStrengths website that I have included a link to in the show notes to learn about the extensive research that has gone into making this such a powerful assessment tool.

I want to emphasize the word I used “tool”.  There are many assessments out there that measure all sorts of individual traits and characteristics, some of them excellent like the CliftonStrengths assessment, and some of them mostly useless and poorly researched.  You should never let any assessment define who you are and paint you into a box.  They can be extremely useful in gaining a better understanding of your strengths, values, and personality traits that make you unique.  The better we understand ourselves and what makes us tick, the better we are prepared to be our best selves.

So why would it be important to know our strengths as we enter into our encore life?  Often times we are painted into a box by our careers which can make it difficult to make the best utilization of our strengths.  It is when our passion and strengths meet that we are most successful and most satisfied.  Once you have the freedom of choice with what you do with your time to pursue your calling, your passion, what makes your heart sing, is often in what we call your encore life.

So I encourage you if you haven’t already done so, take the time to discover what the CliftonStrengths assessment can tell you about what talents you have been gifted with so you can maximize those talents and turn them into strengths.

I would love to have the opportunity to talk with you individually about this process.  I encourage you to reach out to me if you have any questions about the process or are thinking about what benefit discussing your assessment once you have taken it with a trained coach such as myself could give you.  Brian will tell you at the end of the episode how to contact me.

1 Peter 4:10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace:

Romans 12:6-8 ESV / 12 helpful votes 

Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

• Soar With Your Strengths, Donald O. Clifton and Paula Nelson
• To Manage Your Weaknesses, Plug The Leaks, Brent O’ Bannon
• Gallup Clifton Strengths Assessment 
• Contact Craig