When Being A Champion Turns To Arrogance & Pride
Last week I sent out an email that gave some tips on how to pace oneself and how to arrive at our goals, without destroying our life. With thousands of replies to this email saying it was just what our clients needed, I was reminded of this simple fact:
If you reach your goal of financial independence and a successful business in 5 years rather than 5 months, it's still worth it. Because if you don't? Than that means in 5 years you'll be in the same pit looking for a new solution. No one wants to be where they are now, in 5 years. So pace yourself. Give yourself time. It WILL be worth it.
Truth be told, many people who have made more than a million dollars, have accomplished incredible things in fitness, done something beyond what the average person will ever do and have gone to the 2% in anything in life can typically share the 'opposite story' of what it's like to accomplish our goals and ruin everything. Most have their "I gained it all and lost everyting story" and then they share their "I learned to live" victory. I've had mine and have shared it regularly. This could be why that email reasonated with so many people.
We hear the story of the young sales executive who aspired to be the next 'greatest' motivator and set out on the task to be the best of the best. The one who is gifted and used to winning everything in life without much effort, makes a goal to outpace the current idol in the realm of success, and makes a covenant with oneself to go the 'long haul' and win the race.
They will study and memorize and even become obsessed with what it will take to be the next ONE who changes history. Partnering with all manner of evil, being willing to 'play people' and 'get close to whoever' it takes to reach their goal.
Before they know it the leaders in their life are their opposition and the path becomes very dark. They'll be whoever they need to be even if it's just a role they play, because reaching the goal is the ultimate representation of Champion. At least in their small deceived mind it is.
I recently heard someone say, "If you do these things you will be a part of the elite few who have done so. By continuing to do them, you'll be elevated even higher and this, my friends, is what a true Champion is."
This statement took me by surprise. The person who wrote it obviously had some very arrogant and egotistical views of what it means to be a Champion. I don't remember God ever saying in His Word that becoming a part of the 'elite few' is what we should aspire to and I don't remember Him saying that to be elevated is our focus.
Don't pull out the religious card on me and think that I'm saying it's wrong to be prosperous, successful or to accomplish your goals. I'm not. HOW you get there is the issue in question. What I am saying will reasonate with you, if learning to pace yourself, and being willing to work TOWARD your goal, makes more sense than pushing ahead while destroying your life!
If you are anointed by God to climb to the top in anything, the first thing He will REQUIRE and I mean require, not suggest, not think it's a good idea, He will REQUIRE of you is humility. He'll ask you to die to yourself, to your notions, plans and schemes and He'll take you on a journey that will do just that… IF you let Him.
It's not an easy journey. It's one that will demand we lay aside all the evil partnering we've ever done. The focus on being the best, the drive to outpace every competitor, the obsession to perform farther, go higher and climb to the status of elite. And ironically? He might just make you a multimillionaire in the process. He could cause you to soar to the top. He might break a world record through you. Think on that.
You see, the love of money is the root of all evil, it's not money itself that is wrong. But the love of having it all, being it all, carving a place out in history for oneself so that everyone who comes after you NEVER forgets who you are, is the problem when it's all self focused. Learning to serve, live, press through and obey God, this truly is the richest way to live.
I've seen people get so upset that they didn't hit their goals in 6 months or 2 years and they conclude that they are a failure. What is their measuring rod for this assessment? What everyone else is doing. They compare themselves with Super Star Mark and Super Elite Jane and if their list, their Facebook followers, their Twitter feed is not where the other so-called expert is, they conclude that THEY must be a loser.
I have one question for us all today, "WHAT ARE WE DOING?!"
The journey of #BEMORE is not about outpacing others, becoming a part of the elite few and carving a place out for ourselves in history, elevating ourself higher and higher. It's about being MORE so others as well might become MORE so that we ALL might benefit and we all might live! Jesus died a horrific death so that I could truly live. I GAINED by His suffering. I GAINED by His death. This is the pathway of true leadership and it demands we look farther than just the next 6 months in our lives.
It requires we learn to truly serve and understand what the pathway to HONOR really looks like. What we do, is done for all. It's done for those who have gone before us and it's done for those who will come after us. It will affect our family, our neighbors, our clients, our industry and even strangers who will never know us! HONOR, it's a path that requires we lay aside our own dreams so that GOD's dreams can come to pass through us.
I see so many faith based people laying aside their dreams, or so they think, and they 'die to themselves' and give up all they aspired to be so that they can finally 'just learn to be a servant'…. or so they say. And ironically they end up the most miserable cantankerous whining example of Christianity I've ever seen. But they BELIEVE this is what God had called them to. It is my belief that this is what self-effort, arrogance and pride will do.
What if they had taken their dreams and laid it on the altar and asked GOD to fulfill the things He had designed through them?
What if they had renounced, rejected and repented for all their 'I am going to be the elite few' agendas and allowed God to be great THROUGH THEM.
This is what changes history. THIS is what creates a move of God that affects us all.
The William Wilberforces and the William Wallaces and the Rosa Parks and the Martin Luther King Jrs and the Martin Luthers and the Joan of Arcs of this life never aspired to be a part of an 'elite few'….. rather, they aspired to be used by God to the least of these and GOD HIMSELF used them in a way that changed history, forever.
I love you.
Pace yourself.
Chase something bigger than your own dreams.
I'm here to teach you the practical business steps of social media, marketing, leadership, blogging, copywriting and more. Beyond that….. never forget God and the fact that YOU are much greater as He works through you.
#BEMORE
With love,
Sandi Krakowski
