Vanishing Leadership
Opportunities and Principles

Evening and Morning

Make a Friend Tomorrow

Before you go to sleep tonight, you will most likely review your plans and appointments for tomorrow. Perhaps you will mentally prepare for them or pray about them. You will think about what you will wear based upon your tasks and appointments, what time you will need to get up, perhaps even, what you will have for breakfast.

May I suggest an assignment for tomorrow?

Make a friend.

Go out of your way to meet someone you do not know and establish a relationship. Do it without ulterior motives or a sense of "prospecting." Do it with an open mind and heart. Do it for no other reason than the knowledge that this could be a significant and mutually beneficial relationship.

Make it a goal and a commitment. Otherwise, it most likely will not happen.

Get excited about it.

You may be about to meet the person who will come into your inner circle of social or business relationships. You may meet the person who needs exactly the kind of friendship you offer or whose insights will take you to the next level of achievement.

You will meet a person of infinite value, wonder, and potential.

You are about the meet someone made in the image of the Creator, someone that God has arranged for you to meet.

All it takes is your willingness and resolve.

Decide to make a friend tomorrow.

Big Day

God has a very big day in store for you tomorrow.
You will conquer fear, despair, and sorrow.
You will rise to heights you've never known.
You will sigh and laugh, and sing and grown.
You will live and celebrate your inspired humanity.
You will rise above the dull, monotony of senseless insanity
To soar, to roar with the voice of the lion, to score.
The door is before you, the voice of God whispers, "There is more!"
Tomorrow is your's to face and embrace with wonder.
It is for your voice to shout the victory, to thunder,
"I am here and I have come to conquer this day!
There is no fear that can sway me or turn me from this way!
I am a soldier or love, a warrior of peace, a child of God.
My strength is from above. My joy shall not cease. I stand on the sod
Of a new day ... tomorrow.

Toastmasters

Tomorrow at 7:15 AM is my Toastmaster's meeting - specifically, Fresno's Federal Toastmaster's club which meets at Denny's, between Abby and Blackstone at Divisadero (for those of you in Fresno).

Toastmaster's is the finest educational program for overcoming American's greatest fear that I know. Many people would rather have a root canal than speak in public.

That reminds me, I need to schedule a root canal - but I would rather speak!

In an atmosphere of corporate helpfulness and mutual support, [people start where they are and learn to become more effective communicators and leaders.

When that happens, it pays them - real money - because they can accept assignments they may have shunned for fear and express their ideas with confidence.

You may not have a Toastmaster's club nearby - but you likely do. Whether you do or not, I would encourage you to consider that public speaking is a skill that you would do well to develop on your highway to success.
"

Evening Prayer

Lord of the universe, Master of creation, Dreamer of all that is, and King of my life.
 
My Father in Heaven.
 
Our Father.
 
I come to the close of another day.
 
I am weary and spent.
 
I know that tomorrow holds countless opportunities to touch and be touched and to produce fruit for Your Kingdom of Grace, and that the rest I am about to get is necessary to prepare me.
 
I am restless as dreamers often are. Yet, it is Your dream that is alive in my heart whether I am sleeping or waking. Conform what is in my heart to Your glorious dream for all that is. May I desire what You desire.
 
Fashion me in my sleep.
 
I fancy myself a master who must manipulate the circumstances and control the variables. Yet, I am but as link or a cog or whatever You need me to be in the moment as part of Your master design. I can rest well, knowing that You are in charge and that You will be awake all night tending to the laws of the cosmos and the people You love.
 
I cannot love them any more than You already do and I entrust them to You.
 
You are Lord of the universe and Master of my life.
 
My hope is in You.
 
My faith and my trust are in You and Your care.
 
I can rest now.
 
There is nothing to keep me from slumber.
 
I place my body, my mind, my spirit, all that is me and all that is mine in Your gracious loving hands and ask that You awaken me in the morning, whether I awaken here or in Your presence and That I might be found useful to You.
 
In Jesus' Name,
 
Amen

One more thing ...

I went to a graduation today and I realized one thing about myself.

I cry at graduations ...

... especially during Pomp and Circumstance.

I am 52 years old and I am too old to be embarrassed by that. I know what a struggle it was for some of those kids and parents and I am proud of them.

It's their party and I'll cry if I want to.

I may reflect more on that later.

- Tom out  ... and I think I mean it this time.

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