What a wonderful week! First you should know that ten years ago when I retired from Goodyear I made two commitments with one being I would never fly again and two that I would never spend a night in a hotel by myself without my wife. Well, both commitments were shattered as I flew to and from Houston and spent three nights in a hotel there alone. I will off set those broken commitments with the realization of the joy of getting to get to know and work with thirty really phenomenal people that are filled with energy and enthusiasm to make their company truly world class; that is powerful!
During my years at Goodyear and especially during the tough days of acquisition integration in Poland, Slovenia, South Africa and the eight Dunlop plants Goodyear took into the family in 1999 was the most demanding, draining and exhausting work of my thirty-six year career but yet, it was the most rewarding for a host of reasons. Doing that integration work, you learn much about yourself and you are carved with lessons that are inscribed in your heart and on your life forever. Then being able to turn those inscriptions into lessons to deliver in real life and real time to thousands of students over ten years manifests joy unspeakable in realizing the processes developed works.
But the real joy is getting to now apply those same experiences and in scripted components to a group of "hungry" professionals yearning to step up to make their business more efficient and effective in the context of a stormy, painful previous ten years most of the people would prefer to forget every happened. But they did happen and they did create the root structure of a case for change going forward. The experience was a joy for me to get to teach, energized and engage the leadership team to embrace the past, project the future but make the journey ahead arm-in-arm, with a singular purpose. Will the work be easy? Certainly not! Will it be successful? I believe at this juncture absolutely. Am I excited to get to be part of the development of the road map for the journey? You cannot imagine for I am getting to take all I have learned and cultivated in an academic incubator with thousands of students and get to utilize the mixed bag of skills learn to seek significant financial and organization accomplished believe unattainable.
The power of Wanting To is truly amazing and that is what I experienced; thirty people focused forward and realizing their are personal and external factors that can have a push back or anchoring implication, are corporately joined and committed to overcoming, creating infrastructure as a new pathway, yet uncharted, begins to develop and unfold. Seeing the energy and excitement was worth the two broken commitments.
Then to get home exhausted on Thursday night and then get to work two phenomenal jail services last night at Stark County Jail was truly the icing to a wonderful week. I saw power of Spirit and renewal last night in many of the inmates. Wow! This afternoon I have been asked to sing at a funeral of dear lady from my church that I pray will be a blessing for her family and friends that will be there. And then into a full day of activities at church tomorrow ... yes, a great week!
As this young day brightens, I know many are not waking up to a beautiful sun rise or a joyous prospect for a good day. I know, therefore, I am fully blessed. Dear Lord, thank you for the blessing you are providing my family and me; so humbling!
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