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Tuesday, October 27 2020
Lead Now

Hey men, Top ‘O the Mornin’ To Ya!!

What are you battling this week?  

I mean come on, there’s nothing crazy going on out there.  All is normal, right?

If you’re like me you’re digging deep to keep on and make it happen.  Now is not the time for the faint of heart.  There’s a lot going on to conspire against you and your values.  Don’t fool yourself, no one said it would be easy, and it will be worth it in the end…dig deep and buck up.

Now is the time to lead.  Now is the time step up and step out.

How ready are you to lead yourself, your family, your team?  There are some basics that we need to know in order to do it.

Lead Now

Leadership and leading are such buzzwords in our current culture.

Yet we don’t have very many good examples of leaders in our present age…not timeless leaders like generations past.

Do you know what makes up a great leader??

Lead Now

These 5 staples are where leaders are made and able to shape others.  You are defining what you are for, in truth, where you are going and deciding how to make that happen.  

People, you and your people need someone who is willing to give them clarity, now and always.  You are uniquely positioned to do so, it's one of your Manly Jobs!!

Great leaders create clarity of: 

1. Vision-where are we going.

2. Mission-why are we going there.

3. Priority-what matters most.

4. Focus-what do we need to do.

5. Truth-principles that generate power and results.

Lead Now

You need to push into these 5 staples of a great leader, NOW!  

Set a direction for yourself.  Set a direction for your spouse.  Set a direction for your kids.  Set a direction for your business or team.

It is NEVER too late to create Vision, Mission, Priority, Focus and surround it in Truth, make the space to let it happen.

If you dont do it now when will you?

Action this week is to set aside one hour to map out those 5 attributes.  If you need help email me, I have templates and ideas I can share with you!

Don’t Fear That Day!!

 

Jonathan Kennedy Jr.

Tuesday, October 20 2020
The Big Picture

MEN!

I hope you are well, having a great week and life is working for you.

One of these days I will be able to get this done earlier in the day...you know that day when my kids are grown, my business doesn't need me so much, my wife and I stop liking to hang out, clients are completely satisfied, and all of life's other things are done...yeah that'll be the day.

We all know there's no time like now.  

The Big Picture

I'm keeping this week's Manlyvation short and sweet.

When you interact with others do you consider what they are dealing with?  

Or

Are you so focused on you that it doesn't register?

The Big Picture

Do you hear your spouse or partner when they speak to you?

OR 

Do you only want them to do what you want them to do?

The Big Picture

We know the thoughts in our head.  No one else knows them but us.  Praise the Lord because a lot of thoughts should never get out.  However, have you stopped to think what might be happening to the other people around you, or what they are dealing with or what they are going through?

We only know our side of a story.  And it's always right, isn't it?

I found this image last week.

It really sums up the quandary we all live in...we all have our struggles we just never get to see what others are going through.

The woman wonders why the man won’t pull her up and the man is wondering why the woman isn’t climbing up…meanwhile both are in perilous situations.

Action plan:

  1. Find someone you're willing to be vulnerable with and share your struggles…
  2. Next time you're interrupted by a spouse/partner, kid, co-worker or employee; smile and ask what you can do for them…
  3. Send a card/email/text of thanks to someone who understood you and assisted you...
  4. Ask others their struggles, and really listen...

Men, we lead by being what the world needs.  Right now we need Men to provide a huge dose of humility and love of humanity...be the need, be the solution.

Don’t Fear That Day!

Jonathan Kennedy Jr.

Tuesday, October 13 2020
Fresh and Clean

Men:

Yay Mondays!  I used to dread Mondays.  Not just dread them but abhor Mondays.  When we’d watch the 4pm Redskins game I’d get this horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach and realize I hadn’t done my homework, there was school tomorrow and practice after school and on and on and on…Man!  I really didn’t look forward to Monday.

That was over half a life ago and while I’d love the weekend and my Sunday Sabbath to continue all week, Monday is pretty awesome.  Why?  Because it's the first chance to do something to Glorify God this week and impact others.  It may be helping a coworker, solving a problem, reading to my kids, a meaningful conversation with my wife, creating a new friendship…Monday is the beginning of something wonderful and we get to start fresh and clean each week.

Think about that Fresh and Clean start each week; almost like a do-over, or really great smelling laundry, Fresh and Clean.  Ha!  That's pretty good, instead of Monday let's call it Fresh Clean Go Get Em Day!

Fresh and Clean

After today there are 11 Monday’s left in 2020. How you use them matters. Win Today. Win the Week. Win the Year! - Jon Gordon

Wow!  That's an eye-opener.  After the year we’ve had it would be easy to pack it in.  Only 11 Mondays in 2020 sounds great to some of us.  Get me to 2021 you say.  No!  Stop, if you bide away your time til next year you’ll miss some of the best moments of your life. 

Resolve here and now that you’re not in the habit of wasting days given to you.  Treat today and every day as the first day of the rest of your life.  What better day than a Monday to remind ourselves of that?

Fresh and Clean

Lets put this into perspective a bit…what is your goal today?  What is your goal each day?

If you go to0 big you’ll miss out.  Here is a key to life, write this down, copy it, paste it, share it with your wife, kids, co-workers and employees.

The measure of life is not to be better than anyone else.  The measure of life is to be a better you each and every day.  1% growth a day equals 365% growth this year.  That would be an amazing version of you!

Fresh and Clean

To assist you in the sprint to 2021 here are 5 items to better focus you daily:

  1. Stay in the Present (Dont Dwell on the Past)
  2. Embrace Time Alone
  3. Lean into Change
  4. Celebrate the success of those around you, especially family members
  5. Focus on what you can Control

This week's action item is to put into practice one of these 5 items this week and every week until 2021.  

Who knows you may just wind up a better you and this world certainly needs that right now!

Don’t Fear That Day!

Jonathan Kennedy Jr.

Tuesday, October 06 2020
Be The Need

Man!  Yes you Man!  

How ya feeling?  How ya dealing with your world?  How’s your family?  Are you guarding your heart?  Are you guarding their hearts?  

You can you know, its part of your skill set.  Its how God made you.  To know and pray for and guard your crew.  It's all there within you.  Every skill you need to be who you were designed to be is there within you, either developed or waiting to be developed.  

Lean into it and let it be.  Lean into the suck, lean into the joy, lean into the homeschool, homework, lean into the cool breezy sunny days, you got this.  Literally, you have the skills to deal with whatever trial is befalling you at this time.  No trials?  Good for you; rest and restore for what's next and be ready for action.

Be The Need

As men, Action is our middle name.  Have a problem? Man has a solution.  Need to build something?  Man will build for you.  Need to tear something up?  Man will tear it up.  House on fire?  Man will run in to help.  Damsel in distress?  Man will save you…  We are the hammer to the nail.  It’s how we are wired.  I don’t know about you but I love it!  It is awesome and amazing and overwhelming and a huge responsibility!  

Quite honestly when it comes to the bigger things, like providing and protecting it can be a lot to keep track of and have to think about.  So how do we do it?  How do we ingrain that habit in us so it's so steadfast and solid it will not waver?

Be The Need

Start small.  Commit to being the Need wherever you are.  

What do I mean?  At any given time around you something needs to be done.  A dish needs to be cleaned, a file needs to be filed, a kid needs a bedtime story, a wife needs an ear to listen, the dog needs to be let out, the shoes on the stairs need to be taken up and put away, the yard needs to be mowed, the groceries need to be put away…

Are you self-aware and self-less enough to see the Needs around you and fill them, regardless of whose ‘job’ it is?  And to do so with no fanfare just the steely resolve of someone doing their duty to those that they love and depend upon.

Be The Need

Humility is to make a right estimate of one's self. - Charles Spurgeon

“Be THE Need” is one of our family axioms.  It correctly sizes the way we think of ourselves and those around us.  It puts us in the frame of mind to serve and help others, simply.  It allows us to lead by doing, taking action and making a quick immediate change.  

Being the Need starts small, it has humble beginnings.  But over time the ability to be that Need grows and our time, talents, treasure and touch grows with it to fill the space allotted.  This is one aspect of a life well lived.  

This week's Action item:  BE THE NEED and teach those around you, especially the youngest amongst you.  

I guarantee this is one way of paying it forward with giant ripples.  Be that Need!!

Don’t Fear That Day!!!!

Jonathan Krnnedy Jr.