Imagine a world where everyone does what they said they would do. Really? Is this possible? It may not seem feasible and yet, isn’t that what leaders do? Fearless leaders teach, mentor, and coach people to achieve impossibilities.

You can begin by answering these questions:

• What would your life/work be like if you could always depend upon others to honor their agreements with you?
• In what ways are you asking people to honor their agreements?
• In what ways are you honoring yours?
• Do you often have expectations of others, without getting their agreement that they will do what you expect?

There is a way to create more powerful agreements everywhere in your life. It begins with a true desire to hold people accountable to their word. Too often, people make commitments that they have no business making. Or worse, they make commitments without any intention of fulfilling them. We perpetuate this cycle by accepting this condition as status quo, rather than challenging it as unacceptable. It’s everywhere, so it’s easier to ignore.

As a leader, I invite you to think about the power of YOUR word, and to look for ways to show people how powerful their word is, or can be.

If your direct reports could really get this at the gut level, and could see how much better things work when communication is tighter and more reality/truth based, I’m betting you’d find more joy and ease in your world.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned over the past few years is that living with purpose means serving others. My friend Steve Hardison lives by the mantra “Wake Up and Serve,” and I’ve adopted it as well. It occurs to me that sometimes we can forget the importance of serving ourselves in the midst of serving others.

There is a difference between martyrdom and serving, and the distinction has to do with getting clear on the purpose of doing something at all. How much of what we do is done to please other people? Are we addicted to the validation that comes from doing great things for people? Or, are our actions aligned with a clear desire to simply serve for the sake of serving? Therein lies the difference.

And what about us? If we are to be productively serving others, we must first serve ourselves. We must take good care of our physical health, our mental health, our emotional health, and our spiritual health. What good are we to others if we don’t arrive into service fully expressed and whole?

Coach Charrise

I’ve come to know that our time here is really borrowed. I was reminded of this as a result of the untimely death of a family friend. At the pinnacle of her life, she was taken last week in a bicycle accident at the age of 37. She leaves behind two small children, an adoring husband, and a large network of family and friends who loved and admired her.

It’s always difficult to understand things like this. We feel like it’s so unfair, and question why God would take such a wonderful person away from us at such a young age. The circumstances of the bicycle accident are so unlikely. She always rode safely, and didn’t take unnecessary chances – yet she lost control of her bicycle while her triathlon training partners watched on. It’s unbelievable.

And it’s partly the circumstances that make me think I know why she left us.

My faith tells me that her work here was finished. That she and other highly evolved souls come here for a brief stay to complete something, and once their karma is balanced they move on. Now, I understand you might not agree with this. But isn’t that the purpose of faith? Isn’t it meant to comfort us?

I’ve learned once again how fleeting life is. And how much I’m committed to squeezing every single drop out of every single moment, making as big a difference with people in the world as possible.

Because the truth is, we are all on borrowed time, and we’re just passing through.

It’s a powerful place from which to come, knowing that we’re here for a distinct purpose and that we’re meant to make a difference.

Rest in peace, Tina. Your difference was profound.

Coach Charrise