Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by John Townsend from his book, Leading From Your Gut (p. 24). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) They really and they really make a difference.   They really do! John says, “That is, they are true and absolute for you, whether or not you think about them. Your values are simply aspects of reality that are guides for you. That is what discovering your values is all about, thinking through the process of determining what guidelines and principles will order our steps. Values are about what is right and what matters. “Your inside life is the repository of your values, so we begin with values because most of your life springs from them. Your values are the bedrock of your identity. And your leadership, as well as your life, will reflect your values, for good or for bad. Some people are in prison right now because their values guided them to that end. And others are succeeding beyond their wildest dreams...

A thought by John Townsend from his book, Leading From Your Gut (p. 14). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) And we need to really understand this, we really do.   So what is it? John says, “Sometimes it is referred to as your subjective, internal, or inner world. However, at the end of the day, it is simply your immaterial life. Within you are values, thoughts, emotions, and passions. They cannot be seen or touched because they are not physical. But they are real, they exist, they are an essential part of you—and they will serve you well if you honor and develop them. “Some theorists define intuition as the ability to understand something without using conscious reasoning. My own definition is broader. I see intuition as the capacity to make decisions based on integrating objective and subjective truth. That is, when we access both internal and external information, we have a much more accurate understanding o...

A thought by John Townsend from his book, People Fuel (p. 83). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book John says, “Study after study has shown that, especially in times of stress, we lose focus, perseverance, and energy when we feel disconnected from others… Genesis 2:18… is so clear that it’s not good that we are alone. Presence comes from one another and from God. In Psalm 16, David says to God, ‘You will fill me with joy in your presence’ (v. 11). Over and over in the Bible, God lets us know that the ‘being with’ is important to him, for our sakes.” Earlier John said, “We know from neuroscience and from attachment research that a great deal of growth and health comes from simply communicating to each other that we are present with them. Just letting them know, using very few words, that they are not alone causes endorphins to be released, and the person can forge ahead in their challenges, buoyed by the connection.” J...

A thought by John Townsend from his book, People Fuel (p. 74). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) John in introducing internalization said, “Psychologists have termed this internalization, meaning that humans take in, or internalize, good things from other humans, which then become a part of their own character. Just as a root draws nutrients from the soil, we are always internalizing something from those around us, whether healthy (grace, support, and wisdom) or toxic (judgment, shame, or control).” He goes on, “When a relationship is sufficiently important to a person that they can feel some sort of interest in and emotion toward another, the transfer can happen. Our brains need not only objective data such as facts, principles, and research but also experiential data. (My book Leading from Your Gut deals in-depth with these two needs of the brain.) Here are a few examples of how this can happen. “•​You tell a ...