Next week is the last week of a Mastermind group I started. The idea came from the desire to be in community while encouraging others.
I offered a few invitations. Most people didn't reply or could not join me. I learned to accept rejection as part of life, not as a reflection of who I am. Feeling neutral allows me to welcome God's sovereignty and the lessons He teaches me through multiple negative responses.
I wrote a Mastermind plan and got ready. I learned to be ready to act for "prior preparation prevents poor performance."
Preparation leads the way to flexibility. I had to be flexible if I was to learn from the process. I learned what it means to encourage people who are successful already. Their priorities are set. Their schedule is full. The type of support they need might not be apparent at first. Learning from this mastermind process has been invigorating.
I purposely started the Mastermind in September because these 6 weeks would lead us right to the beginning of a busy holiday season.
Think of your life in the past. Have you arrived at the holiday season frustrated, busy, and frazzled? I know I have.
I thought if I can avoid these feelings with a clear plan of action, I believe the holiday season will be better.
Honestly, most of the holiday tips I read in the past did not work for me. They came too late, so this time, I want to be ready ahead of time.
The tips were canned answers that did not fit my lifestyle. I learned to find a plan that works for my family. I also learned to analyze what happened in the past so I could make different choices.
Objectively, this Mastermind helped me finish a book. I'm almost done with a second one. Finding time to write when you have a full-time job and a daily commute of 2 hours is challenging but possible.
Because of this Mastermind, I've been able to practice spiritual discipline daily. My goal was to lose the "I'm too busy to pray" excuse.
I started by thinking about my journey with God. There are areas in my life that can use improvement. I'm responsible for those areas, which is the "discipline" part of spiritual discipline. Praying daily has given me more access to the God of the Bible.
I decided I want to not only know Him but I want to hear from Him daily. This Mastermind helped me succeed in this discipline despite the challenges of my current schedule.
Finding the right balance between rest, exercise and nutrition was also something I've been able to accomplish through this Mastermind.
I did not want to coast in the area of health. I've been making progress for years. The current challenges I faced were not foreign to me. Moving to a new community can interfere with one's health journey.
The Mastermind allowed me to compassionately adapt while succeeding in my health goals. I got injured recently so I had to rethink some of my goals. The structure of the Mastermind has allowed me to write a new plan while being accountable for the outcome.
As I approach the last week of this Mastermind, I'm grateful to God for many blessings. The lessons from this process have been rich.
I'm also grateful for the support I've had to start and finish this project. The support that matters come from voices in real life. Voices of people who see me for the human being I am with eyes of encouragement and faith.
I'm not sure if you had ever been part of a Mastermind before. If like me, you can use extra encouragement and structure to enhance your personal, spiritual and professional goals, feel free to reach out. I'd love to open another group in the future.
I believe you have great potential inside of you. God gave it to you for a reason. We nurture and develop potential mostly on our own. The support of a Mastermind allows us to find the encouragement and accountability we need to go further than we thought possible.
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