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5 Comments

  1. Wes Roberts
    March 29, 2012 @ 6:05 am

    Jeff…thought provoking post…needed…thank you!

    Mentoring several seminary students, this will be one I encourage them to read and ponder…hoping they take the time. 🙂

    This past week, one of those good men shared his feelings of stress, both at work and with his studies. Listening to him through the grid of the 8 Dimensions of my Circle of Life mentoring model, taking time out to breath deep and get some exercise was totally missing…the physical dimension.

    The challenge was to plan, before going to bed, when in the next day would he take time out to take a brisk walk for 45 minutes. A former college football player, he looked at me skeptically…but I insisted…a brisk walk for 45 minutes. He wasn’t being asked to do a marathon or climb a 14er. Walk. Get moving. Outside. No class notes. Look at the clouds. Take deep breaths.

    I like this guy. He is a good man. Frazzled? Yup! But in all the push he was forgetting how his soul links up to his body and his very creative mind.

    So…a text comes in yesterday saying he may even talk a second walk. Though he thought I was a bit nuts for asking him to do this, he and his young wife even had a good walk and talk. Exhaling…and inhaling…all sorts of thoughts has now become a bit of a sacred exercise.

    The demon of hurry is disappearing. The purposefulness of intentionality is now feeding what he needs to really be about. The tasks have not changed all that much, but what he does with them, and when, has. I’m hearing from a man who is now more focused and clear on what he is to be…and be about…in the hours of his day.

    Your good post is a wonderful encouragement to him, and me, to keep going with less haste and clearer purpose. Thank you!

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  2. Wes Roberts
    March 29, 2012 @ 6:08 am

    PS…please forgive the typo: it should have read “…he may even take a second walk” not “talk a walk.” Was this the early morning example of being in a hurry? lol

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  3. Jeff Vankooten
    March 29, 2012 @ 9:07 am

    Wes, thank you for the good words. You do wonderful work and provide a much needed “counter-balance” to the inherent stresses of leadership

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  4. Lonnie Glessner
    March 29, 2012 @ 1:22 pm

    Very cool study. But, I am in a hurry, I gotta go.

    Reply

  5. Jeff Vankooten
    March 29, 2012 @ 1:45 pm

    Very funny!

    Reply

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