To Inspire:

We humans are an interesting lot. At the drop of a sparkly ball in Times Square, we welcome each new year, in anticipation that the year ahead will exceed the year just past. Less than three weeks later, we celebrate “Ditch New Year’s Resolution Day,” and focus our thoughts on Groundhog Day, wishing for an early spring.

Each year, it’s often the same cycle. Of course, some years invoke these feelings and behaviors more than others, and 2020 was no exception.

For me, though, 2008 still stands out. During that recession, I lost my business and embarked on a journey of personal, professional, and spiritual transformation. A song by Christine Kane titled “Right Outta Nowhere” played big on me at the time.

Dream and the way will be clear
Pray and the angels will hear
Leap and the net will appear
Right outta nowhere
You open your heart
And believe in everything
You’re going somewhere
And all you need to know
Is that you’re free to go

These words helped me reframe and transform a difficult challenge into a liberating opportunity to pursue a dream. What do you dream about? More importantly, perhaps, what do those in your circles of influence dream about?

Our dreams are to bloom where we’re planted…and we’re to help other’s dreams bloom where they’re planted!

And unless we have clarity of vision―of our dream―we will not leap. We’ll lack the conviction to be so committed to it, to believe in it so passionately, that we will lose focus and action.

It’s conviction that enables us to lead ourselves with more focus, intensity, and perseverance; and it’s critical to leading others―whatever our mission―our marriages, our families, our work.

And it’s hope, not wishful thinking, by which we persevere in pursuit of what we’re seeking. We all “hope” for what we perceive as good things―even though they’re finite: health, career, a great marriage, happy successful kids, financial security. And we endure a lot of pain and suffering in pursuit of them, reminded that:

“Suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us.” (Rom 5:4–5)

A person of hope lives a life that allows for a genuine understanding of pain, suffering and misfortune―maintaining a calm spirit in the face of difficulties that’s inspiring―encouraging others to endure and act similarly in facing their obstacles.

We need to be leaders with HOPE and of HOPE—because each of us has been created to do something or be something for which no one else has been created.

As leaders who influence the thoughts and behaviors of others, we have a responsibility to protect, care for and serve those placed in front of us. We have a duty to nurture their development as human beings.

In this year and those ahead, let’s remember that we need to be bearers of hope not just for ourselves, but for others, to help people build a bridge between where they are now and their dreams of the future.

“God has created me to do Him some definite service; He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission…Somehow, I am necessary for His purposes, as necessary in my place as an Archangel in his…I have a part in this great work.”– John Henry Newman

Written by Jim Gernetzke, business/life coach and founder of Nos Lumine