Service Minded: The Four Stages

There are four stages of life....

1. Crawling... when we are struggling.


2. Walking... when we are strengthening.


3. Running... when we are succeeding.


4. Carrying Others... when we are surviving.

Our job as leaders is to..

• Define and understand which stage we are currently in.


• Learn how to move to the next stage by understanding and overcoming that which might be holding us back.


• See the final stage, Carrying Others, as our primary purpose in life.
  

Life is a team sport. Life might contain family, friends, work, and play, but life is made out of relationships. The healthier the relationships, the healthier the life. And the more focused we are on serving those relationships and growing those relationships, the higher our quality of life will be.

Still, relationships are at the core of many of life's challenges and frustrations. They are complex, dynamic and ambiguous organisms. So, make one simple vow today and grant yourself the gift of one less challenge and frustration on your list:

DO SOMETHING TODAY FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF CARRYING OTHERS.

This is not a touchy-feely, "oh, how sweet of you to do/say/buy that" to-do list item. This is a reality of life that the people who are more focused on others than they are on themselves live happier, more meaningful lives. They call their friends regularly. They treat their family members with respect and dignity. They smile and are cordial to strangers. They have difficult conversations with others out of care, not spite. They understand that in order to gain trust in their relationships they have to be trustworthy. They are always striving to move to the next stage in life and when they reach the fourth stage, they understand that their real purpose in life has only just begun!

I encourage you to post a comment with ways you have seen others "carrying others!"

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