The Strategic Leader Podcast with Brian Holmes

This message was shared at the 2023 Fall Imagine Conference in Frisco Texas. In it, Brian challenges the listener to know ... Who You Are What God has Made Available to You How To Shatter What is Holding You Back How to "Bury Your Dead" How to be Unlocked and Unleashed into Your Full Potential This was a deeply spiritual and powerful presentation, and is sure to minister to you in this season.

? Not too long ago I noticed my computer was slowing down a bit. In fact, simple clicks on commands were causing this little spinning beach ball (a.k.a. “the wheel of death” to show up on my screen, and things were at a stand still! After a while, it dawned on me that something was amiss. Upon investigation, I determined that my computer’s hard drive was at 99% capacity, and because of this, my machine was struggling to process all I needed it to do. Solution? – Make ROOM! That’s what I did. It took me investing a good bit of time, but I cleaned off my hard drive, deleted tons of files, transferred others to storage, and even defragged my hard drive. You may say, what does this have to do with anything? It has EVERYTHING to do with you and me. In order for new, beneficial things to be added to us, and for those things to function efficiently, we must make room for them. In this episode, I’m talking about Making Room for the Magnificent. Two objects cannot occupy the same space, right? Yet, we constantly try to add to a really full container. In some cases, we become hoarders. We freaking keep everything … trash, pain, failure, disappointment, trophies, leftovers, etc. Relationships that (long ago) became liabilities rather than assets Old mindsets and beliefs Even jobs we hate, and careers we get no joy out of. We say yes to everything, and in doing so, we say NO to our preferred future. At some point, we have to STOP, invest time, and figure out what stays and what HAS TO GO! Not everyone who has been in your life till this point can go with you to the next level. Not everyTHING you’ve collected along the way can go with you to the next level. You have to Make Room for the Magnificent You need to create space/bandwidth for the greatness, the joy, and the new things God has in store for you. Next Steps: 1. Subscribe to our weekly email update on brianholmes.com 2. Continue this conversation on Facebook! Subscribe to the Podcast If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe: Subscribe to our updates at www.BrianHolmes.com Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, Blackberry, Zune, or other services. Share the Love I’d also be grateful if you would RATE OUR PODCAST ON iTunes. That helps tremendously with making my podcast visible, so people who have never heard it can discover it. I’m grateful. Share this with your friends and associates on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, etc. Until next time, remember … You were made in His image, designed for a purpose, and are destined for greatness. The world is waiting for the REAL YOU to show up.  God Bless! The post #385: Making Room For The Magnificent appeared first on Brian Holmes.

Every aspect of life is governed by principles.  Money Health Success Prosperity Relationships While there are various dynamics in play with all of these, for the most part, if you follow basic, time-tested principles, each of these areas will manifest in a very positive way. Whatever the category, the reality is that, in most cases, we know what to do in order to succeed and prosper. The million dollar question is … WHY DON’T WE DO IT? That is what I intend to explore with you in this episode! When I was fresh out of high school I was introduced to a company called A.L. Williams. Art Williams had founded the company (and movement) in order to educate families on how to protect their family, invest wisely, and insure generational wealth through the Magic of Compound Interest. I learned that if I would (by the age of 22) invest $2000 per year for 6 years and earn between 10-12% interest on that money, I would accumulate $1.3 million by age 65. I learned this at age 18. Did I do it? NO! This but ONE example of the things we KNOW to do, but somehow never get around to doing them. Here are some other areas: Health and Weight You know, stay away from carbs and processed sugars, eat healthy, exercise several times per week, and you will likely feel good, look good, and live a long and prosperous life. I’ve had numerous doctors and professionals share their programs with me over the years. Have I done it faithfully? NO. Marriage/Family Spend quality time with loved ones Speak kindly Affirm and build others up Be present I have a wonderful family, but if I could go back 15 years, I would do so many things differently. Leadership/Business/Success Find a need Meet it/solve problems Work hard Write that book Lead well Invest in others  Bible speaks to this … When I would do good, evil is present … OR, To him that knows to do good and does not do it … SIN As I continue this “searching”, I see several areas I need to revisit and re-commit to: Morning Routine Exercise Reading Devotions Prayer Quality time with my spouse Eating right Working smart and diligently What about YOU? What do you KNOW you should be doing … NOW? NEXT WEEK: Next week, I will be sharing how to “Make Room For The Magnificent”. Next Steps: 1. Subscribe to our weekly email update on brianholmes.com 2. Continue this conversation on Facebook! Subscribe to the Podcast If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe: Subscribe to our updates at www.BrianHolmes.com Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, Blackberry, Zune, or other services. Share the Love I’d also be grateful if you would RATE OUR PODCAST ON iTunes. That helps tremendously with making my podcast visible, so people who have never heard it can discover it. I’m grateful. Share this with your friends and associates on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, etc. Until next time, remember … You were made in His image, designed for a purpose, and are destined for greatness. The world is waiting for the REAL YOU to show up.  God Bless! The post #384: I Know What To Do, So Why Don’t I Do It? appeared first on Brian Holmes.

Socrates once said … “The unexamined life is not worth living.” He also expounded on the idea that if one is to be successful in life, he/she must, as he put it … “Know Thyself.” Few ever take the time to really understand how they are put together. For several weeks we have been discussing the value of stepping back, disconnecting, and re-evaluating your life’s focus and work. For me this has already been a very valuable exercise. In this episode, I want to talk to you about The Process of Self-Identification. How do we really laser in on WHO we are, WHY we are here, and WHAT our Unique Ability really is to the world? Over the last few weeks, I have been putting myself through the paces and exploring my own wiring. There are several factors that I have been especially focused on: Personality (Disc Profiles)  Strengths (Strength Finders 2.0) Passion (s) (What do you love?) Archived Dreams (Unfinished business) Original Vision (Before it got morphed by life) UNIQUE ABILITY (Dan Sullivan) There are other tools and resources you can use to fine-tune your awareness. The key is to understand YOU. NEXT WEEK: Next week, I will be sharing “I know what to do, so why don’t I do it?”. Next Steps: 1. Subscribe to our weekly email update on brianholmes.com 2. Continue this conversation on Facebook! Subscribe to the Podcast If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe: Subscribe to our updates at www.BrianHolmes.com Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, Blackberry, Zune, or other services. Share the Love I’d also be grateful if you would RATE OUR PODCAST ON iTunes. That helps tremendously with making my podcast visible, so people who have never heard it can discover it. I’m grateful. Share this with your friends and associates on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, etc. Until next time, remember … You were made in His image, designed for a purpose, and are destined for greatness. The world is waiting for the REAL YOU to show up.  God Bless! The post #383: The Process of Self-Identification appeared first on Brian Holmes.

In our last session we talked about the very real need we all have (at times) to rest, pause, reflect, and reset our focus. It is so easy to get caught up in performing to everyone’s expectations, keeping up appearances, or just doing what we’ve always done. I am personally taking time this month to go deep; to take an assessment; to re-discover my ‘zone of genius’ and reset my focus for the journey ahead. A part of this process for me has led me to ASK some important questions. Before I share those with you, let me say that unless you are willing to ask the HARD questions, and mine for the deep answers to those questions, you will likely be stuck living an unfulfilled life and making a much lesser impact than you are capable of making. In this session, I want to share with you 5 Questions I Am Pondering, and why answering them is so important. Here are 5 questions I am going deep on this month: 1. What Is Unfinished? What goals, projects, dreams, and ideas have I started, and not finished? What have I given up on, made excuses for, or not fully said YES to? 2. What Is Unacceptable? (What am I tolerating that is no longer acceptable?) Weight/health Toxic relationships Poor work environment Limited opportunity on job Living beneath your potential Unhappy doing what you are doing 3. What Is Dad Saying (for this season)? Sometimes we struggle because we haven’t taken the time to simply ask the Creator and Designer (DAD). You have not, because you ask not. Ask and you shall receive What does He have in mind for you? What has He already said about you? What has he granted you in this season? 4. What Do I Want? The Bible says that God gets pleasure out of giving us the desires of our heart. Therefore, WHAT I WANT must be important to Him! Can you clearly articulate what it is you want out of life? Can you describe the dreams, goals, and vision you have? 5. What Must I Let Go Of In Order To Have It? I must leave behind anything and everything that is hindering me from stepping into the greatness of my tomorrow. NEXT WEEK: Next week, I will be sharing “The Process of Self-Identification”. Next Steps: 1. Subscribe to our weekly email update on brianholmes.com 2. Continue this conversation on Facebook! Subscribe to the Podcast If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe: Subscribe to our updates at www.BrianHolmes.com Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, Blackberry, Zune, or other services. Share the Love I’d also be grateful if you would RATE OUR PODCAST ON iTunes. That helps tremendously with making my podcast visible, so people who have never heard it can discover it. I’m grateful. Share this with your friends and associates on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, etc. Until next time, remember … You were made in His image, designed for a purpose, and are destined for greatness. The world is waiting for the REAL YOU to show up.  God Bless! The post #382: 5 Questions I Am Pondering appeared first on Brian Holmes.

? It’s a brand new year, and we have SO MUCH to look forward to. If you are like most people, you are constantly being bombarded with external forces vying for your attention and focus. It is so difficult to stay on point with those things that are truly important. In fact, we can be so BUSY or DISTRACTED that we totally lose focus on the very reason we exist … to serve, to lead, and to make a difference. Sometimes you just have to push PAUSE, let the dust clear, and examine your heart regarding what is important. There is a very real need to rest, pause, reflect, and reset our focus. In this episode, I share that I am embarking on such a project … to clear the board, take inventory, and examine my own heart. I am spending the entire month of January (and maybe more) to do just that. I am spending this time to truly evaluate who I am, why I am here, and how I can most effectively make a difference in my world. Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing some of the key things I am pondering and evaluating. For now, let me share with you “My Personal 30-Day Reboot”. The enemy of “GREAT” is good. The enemy of ‘BEST’ is the status quo. A friend of mine once shared this … “Good, better, best. Never let it rest; until your good it better, and your better is best.” The biggest obstacle to my very best future is the success of my past. That’s right, we can become complacent and lulled to sleep when we settle for yesterday’s best. So many people wind up peaking LONG before they ever reached the top of their potential. In a little over a week I turn 52 years old. I am determined to NEVER SETTLE. So how can one insure that that don’t get (or stay) stuck in the quagmire of an old level of success and blessing? You have to step back … take time … search deep … and re-set on what matters most. This is what I am doing right now. I call it My Personal Reboot 30-Day Project. Let me be clear … I am not confused, disillusioned, or otherwise offline. I am simply taking time to rest, pause, reflect, and reset my focus. I invite you to join me. NEXT WEEK: Next week, I will be sharing “5 Things I Am Pondering and Asking” during this season of reflection. Next Steps: 1. Subscribe to our weekly email update on brianholmes.com 2. Continue this conversation on Facebook! Subscribe to the Podcast If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe: Subscribe to our updates at www.BrianHolmes.com Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, Blackberry, Zune, or other services. Share the Love I’d also be grateful if you would RATE OUR PODCAST ON iTunes. That helps tremendously with making my podcast visible, so people who have never heard it can discover it. I’m grateful. Share this with your friends and associates on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, etc. Until next time, remember … You were made in His image, designed for a purpose, and are destined for greatness. The world is waiting for the REAL YOU to show up.  God Bless! The post #381: My Personal 30-Day Reboot Project appeared first on Brian Holmes.

? From the Holmes family to you and yours, may your Christmas be filled with joy and laughter, and your new year blessed beyond your wildest dreams. Much love to you and yours. The post Christmas Greeting from Brian Holmes appeared first on Brian Holmes.

?? We began last week talking about the 4 quadrants or pillars of Leadership. Personal leadership Family leadership Community and civic leadership Vocational leadership or influence In this episode, we look at the importance and power of community involvement, and how your JOB/CAREER positions you for significant influence in the marketplace. What does it look like for a man, for a woman, for a young person to be engaged in impacting the culture around them? What does it mean to exercise leadership and influence in culture, government, neighborhoods, and the business arena? Let’s explore this together. I was raised in a very strong Christian church type environment. One of the things that we were taught maybe indirectly but still it was there was that when you become a Christian, when you become a church person, you sort of abandon all the other elements of culture. Entertainment … not your concern. Hollywood … not your concern. Business … not your concern. Government … not your concern. In a sense, the people that should be administering high levels of influence in these various spheres of culture have abdicated their responsibility and just isolated themselves just doing the deal over here as good Christians. I want to challenge you today to think about something. The world is going to look exactly like the influence you give it. If you disengage or choose not to be the leader in your community, civic organization, government, or whatever sphere you’re called to administer influence in, what happens? If you choose just to say, “No, that’s not my deal … I’m not going to worry about that,” then you abdicate your responsibility, and we give that over to other powers and other ideas and other special interest groups, and they’re going to influence that sphere, and it might not be the way you like it. Here’s the piece. You can’t complain about policies and laws being passed in Washington, D.C. if you’re not involved in the process. You can’t complain about what’s happening at your son’s high school or your daughter’s high school if you’re involved in the school board or if you’re not inserting yourself into the mix, if you’re not letting your voice be heard. You cannot complain about what’s happening around you in culture or on TV or in Hollywood or in the movies and all of those things, you can’t complain about those things if you’ve chosen to remove yourself from the game. I talk a lot in my work about the seven spheres of cultural influence. Very simply, they are religion, the family, arts and entertainment, business and finance, communications, government, and education. These areas are the foundation; the epicenters of where everything happens in culture. Nations are built around those seven cornerstones. Somebody is influencing the thinking. Someone is leading in those spheres. Someone is setting the agenda for where those parts of culture are going to head. Why not you? If we’re going to have the life we want, the future we want, if we want our grandchildren to be guaranteed and assured a wonderful nation, a wonderful future wherever you are in the world, I’m telling you it’s time for you and I to accept our responsibility and re-engage these areas and become leaders in our communities, leaders in our nations. We must take on the responsibility in order to see the change we desire to have happen. LET’S TALK ABOUT VOCATION The prevailing mindset for 100 years has been … Go to high school, get your diploma, go to college, get your degree, get a good job, pick a career, and just stick with that the rest of your life. If one looks at the evidence, it would seem that way of thinking has not produced great results in this world, whether individually or culturally. I tend to subscribe to the idea that you identify your passions, your dreams, the things that really get you excited, and those things drive the direction you go. But here’s the thing. That passion, that drive, that interest most often is going to be related to a certain people group. When I talk about your vocational leadership, what I’m really asking is: What people group are you called to serve? In my case, I’m really drawn to serving entrepreneurs and leaders; anyone who is aspiring to be an influencer. I really feel like God’s equipped me to come alongside of them in various seasons of their life and pour into them and help them to become bigger, to grow into a greater capacity, to be launched into a different place of influence. That’s what I do, and that’s what I love doing. What people group am I called to serve?” My vocational leadership emphasis is always applied to those leaders that need what I have. As yourself these questions: What do you have to offer? What people group do you feel as though you’re called to serve? In your past experiences, where do you see the highest and best results? If you think about the people you’ve served and helped along the way, what are some of the big testimonials that rise to the level of, “Okay, man, when I did that thing, that worked. It made a difference”. I want you to be thinking about your vocational leadership in the context of those three questions because it is a combination of the passions, the gifts, the talents, the skills, the dreams you have with the people you seem to be drawn to the most. Put that together, and you’ll begin to understand more about your leadership as it relates to vocational leadership. I hope this series has helped you. Here’s what I want you to know. There are four pillars to leadership. Don’t focus just on one. You have to look at the entire picture. Deal with you first. Lead your family. Serve them well. Be involved in your community, in your nation, and in the broad scheme of things culturally. Then look especially at what people group am I called to serve and how can I best serve them. Here’s the deal. The world needs you. You are a leader. You say, “Brian, I’m not a leader.” No, you are a leader. There is someone you’re called to serve, and you’ll do it well. NEXT WEEK: Next week, I will be sharing the power of community and vocational leadership! Next Steps: 1. Subscribe to our weekly email update on brianholmes.com 2. Continue this conversation on Facebook! Subscribe to the Podcast If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe: Subscribe to our updates at www.BrianHolmes.com Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, Blackberry, Zune, or other services. Share the Love I’d also be grateful if you would RATE OUR PODCAST ON iTunes. That helps tremendously with making my podcast visible, so people who have never heard it can discover it. I’m grateful. Share this with your friends and associates on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, etc. Until next time, remember … You were made in His image, designed for a purpose, and are destined for greatness. The world is waiting for the REAL YOU to show up.  God Bless! The post #380: How To Lead In The Marketplace and In Your Community appeared first on Brian Holmes.

Leadership IS influence … and influence is everything. Mine and your ability to impact the world around us is directly proportional to the effectiveness of our leadership. Leadership, however, is not a linear thing. There are angles and insights and yes, BLIND SPOTS! What we need is a 360° Leadership Approach. That’s what we are talking about in this session; “The 4 Pillars of Personal Leadership”. When you’re driving your car, you’ve got side mirrors and a rearview mirror. I don’t care what kind of vehicle you’re driving. It’s got a blind spot somewhere. If you’re like me, you’ve probably entered into the lane before over here and had somebody lay on their horn or possibly almost have a wreck or an accident because you weren’t paying close enough attention, and somewhere over here you just couldn’t see one angle. This is because in vehicles you don’t have a 360-degree view. You’ve just got too much metal and too many obstacles and things that are there and angles that don’t work. Life is like that … Leadership is like that. If we’re going to have a successful life and really make a massive difference; if we’re going to have a strategic type of an influence in our culture; then our leadership has to be approached from a 360-degree perspective. We’ve talked in the past about your circle of influence and having the right people around you, and why that’s so important. In this series, I want to talk about what I’m going to call the 360-degree leadership matrix. It looks like this. Personal leadership Family leadership Community and civic leadership Vocational leadership (or your purpose leadership) Over the course of the next few weeks, we will talk about all four of these, but in this session, I want to deal with personal and family leadership because it really does begin there. PERSONAL LEADERSHIP Here’s the deal. You cannot lead anyone — not your wife, your husband, your kids, your friends, your Sunday school class, on the job – you can’t lead anybody if your life is a red hot mess, or if you don’t have your own stuff together. There is this tendency we all have to fake it until we make it, to throw up the mask, smoke and mirrors, and that sort of thing, but I’m telling you right now that only lasts so long. There’s a point at which you can no longer fake it. When I talk about personal leadership, I’m talking about your internal health, your external health, and really your leadership mindset. It begins, first of all, with personal healing. You know that everything I do begins with personal healing. I cannot lead someone where I have not myself been. If I’m broken, if it’s going to be very difficult for me to help someone who is broken. If I don’t have the right perspective or belief systems in place, I might lead somebody in the wrong direction. Personal leadership begins with a deep evaluation of what’s going on on the inside. It’s painful to start digging out old wounds. It’s painful to go looking in those dark closets where we’ve stuffed things away. It’s not always easy to go back and revisit tragic events or difficult times. But it’s necessary. If I’m going to lead those around me, I have to first begin with me. Personal leadership begins with personal healing. Personal leadership then asks these and other questions: Am I growing, or have I plateaued? Am I growing my mind? Am I reading books? Am I learning things? Am I taking courses? Am I being educated? Am I learning from my experiences? Am I surrounding myself with wise people so I’m gleaning from their wisdom? Am I in a constant state of personal growth?” If I’m not growing personally, I’m going to reach a ceiling at which point my level of influence or the potential of my influence stops. I simply cannot lead someone else where I haven’t been. Personal leadership is all about personal healing, personal development, and then, of course, really having a grasp on who you are and why you’re here. How many people do you know — I’m not talking about you; I’m talking about somebody else you know — how many people do you know that are just doing life, but they haven’t really gotten a hold of, “Who am I? Why am I here? What is my purpose in this world? What has God uniquely designed and created me to do? What is my contribution to mankind?” These are questions we just don’t get asked much, and we don’t ask ourselves. Personal leadership begins with taking care of you. Yes, you. You cannot pour from an empty vessel. You cannot give from an empty tank. You can’t be fueled up and geared up and ready to go anywhere and your car be broken down. You’ve got to deal with you first. I can’t love my wife beyond my own capacity to be loved. I can’t pour into my children’s lives beyond my own capacity to grow and to be developed and nurtured. I have to deal with me before I can deal with the real world. Personal leadership is the first PILLAR of the 360-degree leadership matrix, and I want you to consider: What are you doing to take care of you? • What do you need to do to take care your personal care to the next level? FAMILY LEADERSHIP The first corporate entity ever created was the FAMILY God said, “It is not good for man to be alone”. Then, He commanded the man and woman to reproduce and multiply. There is an implied mandate here for what I call generational expansion and proliferation. Each succeeding generation should be stronger, wiser, wealthier, and have more influence than the previous one. We’ve established that our ability to impact the world around us is directly proportional to the effectiveness of our leadership. That leadership begins with YOU … but then extends to those closest to you. Personal leadership is vitally important. We must take care of ourselves, deal with our own internal struggles and issues, be constantly in a state of growing and developing our own capacity. As we grow, it increases our capacity and our leadership potential with other people in our world. We live in a time where there are a lot of broken homes, divorced families, absentee fathers, and various abusive and dysfunctional situations going on. It’s so unfortunate because if you have a broken leader in a home, you are going to have a broken child. That brokenness may not show up in their childhood, or even in their teenage years. It may show up later in their adult life. I promise you this … my leadership in the home is paramount to my children’s and my grandchildren’s success and wellbeing. I take leadership in the home very seriously. Just because you are able to procreate doesn’t make you a father. Just because you are a contributor to the idea that someone can become pregnant and have a baby doesn’t mean you’re a great mother. It simply means that you have the biological capacity to procreate. The title “dad” doesn’t make you a good father. The title “mom” doesn’t make you a great mom. That’s why I go back to personal leadership. A family is only as strong as the individuals that make up the family. That’s why it’s so important that mom and dad are always working on themselves … their own personal development … their own personal growth … their personal leadership; because the quality and the health and the wholeness that they’re experiencing in their own lives comes together in this beautiful thing called a marriage and a union. Then the health and the vitality and the strength and the blessing and the beauty of what that is then bleeds over into those precious children, and they get to see what a real marriage looks like, what a real relationship looks like. They get to benefit from love and care and encouragement and honor and dignity and all the things that a family should have as a part of its matrix. Family leadership is so important, and it is missing in so many parts of our culture. I’m going to dive in here for a second and say that what we are seeing portrayed on television, the line we’re being fed by Hollywood as it relates to what family looks like is a pile of crock. I can make it more colorful, but I shouldn’t because I might get incriminated here. The point is this. We have to take back family. We have to take back the sanctity and the joy that is what the family unit should look like. It begins, sir, it begins, ma’am, with leadership in the home. Dad, listen to me. Please listen to me. Just because you go to work and you provide and you come home with a paycheck, a pocket full of money doesn’t mean that your family is right. You can’t just go lay back on the couch, hit the remote, get a TV dinner, and do the deal. You can’t be present AND be absent. You can’t be there geographically and theoretically but not be engaged at a heart level with those that you are called to lead in your home. Mom, the same thing goes for you. You can’t get caught up in Facebook and Twitter and all this stuff and do the deal and have all these pseudo relationships and then not be fulfilling your God given responsibility to lead, to nurture, to give in the home, to your husband, and to your children. Family leadership. It’s a big deal. I’m calling on you guys to re-evaluate, to consider, “Am I engaged in my home? Am I giving life to my wife? Am I giving life to my husband? Am I giving life to my children? Am I teaching them the ways in which they should walk? Am I teaching them character and morality? Am I teaching them principles that will follow them the rest of their life that will do them justice and do them well? Or am I giving them an example of just being present but not present?” Family leadership. I’m really challenging you to think about your level of engagement and your level of commitment to those that really matter the most. NEXT WEEK: Next week, I will be sharing the power of community and vocational leadership! Next Steps: 1. Subscribe to our weekly email update on brianholmes.com 2. Continue this conversation on Facebook! Subscribe to the Podcast If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe: Subscribe to our updates at www.BrianHolmes.com Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, Blackberry, Zune, or other services. Share the Love I’d also be grateful if you would RATE OUR PODCAST ON iTunes. That helps tremendously with making my podcast visible, so people who have never heard it can discover it. I’m grateful. Share this with your friends and associates on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, etc. Until next time, remember … You were made in His image, designed for a purpose, and are destined for greatness. The world is waiting for the REAL YOU to show up.  God Bless! The post #379: How Personal and Family Leadership Determines Your Legacy appeared first on Brian Holmes.

This session represents the first in a new series on Leadership and Strategic Influence. My intention is to challenge you to accept the challenge to LEAD your generation. You see, I want you to know that the life you are currently living is NOT all you can have. The circumstances taking place in your personal world, and the world around you are the result of someone’s leadership … maybe not your own. Someone has determined that this is where you should be, and because we are all people pleasers in one way or another, we tend to GO ALONG to GET ALONG. Well I am here today to say that is not going to cut it. It is my desire today to shake you up, and call you out. In this NEW series, we’re going to look at LEADERSHIP, Influence, and Why the World Needs YOU! Matthew 5:13-16 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. The world in which we live is in desperate need of true leadership … transformational leadership. Governments are failing us. Religion has become void of relevance More and more people are looking elsewhere for answers. Moral climates are being transformed by small groups of people Business models Educational models Financial systems and ideas A handful of people are determining the future of nations, while the masses just follow along, not realizing that they are simply falling into line; settling for the status quo. “The status quo, you know, is Latin for ‘the mess we’re in”. – Ronald Reagan The methods, the ideas, the philosophies that have brought us to this place will not serve us in this next season. While there are spiritual laws and principles that never change, the season we are in today requires a certain kind of leadership to challenges the norms, and leads a generation to a more fruitful and productive place. “The significant problems we face cannot be solved on the same level we were on when we created the problem”. – Albert Einstein You’ve heard it before … “If you keep doing what you’re doing, you will keep getting the same results”. As I like to say … “If NOTHING CHANGES, NOTHING CHANGES”. If we continue to simply maintain what we’ve been told is normal, we will continue to be relegated to the measure of results that someone else has defined for our lives. If the blind lead the blind, we all fall in the ditch. Right now we are faced with the choice of a lifetime. Continue to follow the masses, and be content to live in mediocrity and settle for something LESS than what God intended, OR, Answer the call, and be the leader that creates the change we desire. How do we do this? How does one become a leader who challenges the status quo? Every person has the capacity to become a leader that challenges the status quo and makes a significant difference in their world by following these 5 simple steps. Decide – Decide that average and ordinary is no longer acceptable to you Determine – Determine that YOU will BE the leader that challenges the status quo Describe – The change you desire to see, in whatever area of influence you are called to Design – A plan and a strategy that is teachable and can be implemented NOW Do It – Lead by example, be out in front, because … If you’re not the lead dog, the scenery never changes! Closing: The whole earth is right now awaiting the revealing of the sons of God Will you answer the call? Will you BE that leader? Will you rise up, even in the face of criticism and persecution? Will you take the challenge, and begin today to BE THE CHANGE Will you be the one who refuses to settle for the status quo? I believe you can! I believe you will! I believe we must … become leaders who challenge the status quo! NEXT WEEK: Next week, I will be sharing how all Leadership begins with YOU! Next Steps: 1. Subscribe to our weekly email update on brianholmes.com 2. Continue this conversation on Facebook! Subscribe to the Podcast If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe: Subscribe to our updates at www.BrianHolmes.com Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, Blackberry, Zune, or other services. Share the Love I’d also be grateful if you would RATE OUR PODCAST ON iTunes. That helps tremendously with making my podcast visible, so people who have never heard it can discover it. I’m grateful. Share this with your friends and associates on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, etc. Until next time, remember … You were made in His image, designed for a purpose, and are destined for greatness. The world is waiting for the REAL YOU to show up.  God Bless! The post #378: Leadership, Influence, and Why The World Needs You appeared first on Brian Holmes.

? Relationships are dynamic, and we’ve established in our last session that some relationships are not meant to go with you to your next level. In fact, when dealing with relationships, we must understand the season we are in, and where each relationship fits in the overall plan of God for our lives. Here are some questions we will look at in this episode: How do we navigate changes in relationships? Are all relationships meant to last for a lifetime? What do you do when a relationship is TESTED? What do you do when a relationship’s season has come to an end How do we steward the transitions in relationships from one level to another. Today, we look at the inevitable testing and change that WILL come to every relationship, and how you can steward it in a way that produces a positive and Godly result. Last week we spoke about the 5 Levels of Relationships. The key is how do you define these levels. Friend Acquaintance Tribe Crowd Enemies/Fools Some relationships are for certain SEASONS. Some are covenantal in nature, and are sent by God to be LIFETIME relationships. Others are SITUATIONAL such as business relationships, educational, etc. Most times, these are also temporary. Some relationships are STRATEGIC, and they have to do with your assignment in a particular season. All (healthy) relationships are given by God to be mutually beneficial, and for the common good. Living things GROW; growing things CHANGE Anything that is healthy is in a constant state of flux, and a static relationship becomes stale and of little use. Every relationship will be presented opportunities to grow into another level … a deeper level. There are THREE things that can bring change (positive or negative) in a relationship: Testing Seasons Personal Choice TESTING: A traumatic event An offense Hurt feelings Hard words Betrayal Reaction to any of these can produce an unwanted outcome. A mature individual who truly values relationship will be careful to steward the testing with a hope to graduate the relationship to another level. SEASONS: Not every relationship is for every season. Sometimes God will send a person into your life, and for a month, or several years, that person will have a significant role in your life, BUT, in another season, that relationship is no longer as meaningful. As you move from one season to another in your life, the relationships in your life have to adjust to your new season, grow with you, or be left behind. This is really a tough one. As you move from one level in your life to another, NOT EVERYONE IN YOUR LIFE CAN OR WILL GO WITH YOU! PERSONAL CHOICE: Much like above, when you DECIDE to make significant changes in your life, or in the direction you are going in your life, this creates a demand on your present relationships that must be answered. Your choices and directional changes alter the relationship. People feel as though you have abandoned them, disconnected, moved on, when in fact, you simply answered God’s call to change directions. 7 Things you can do WHEN A RELATIONSHIP IS TESTED: Don’t react … Be Still Pray Look in the mirror and take accountability When your heart is right … go to the person and talk Seek to understand Offer and receive forgiveness Reset 7 Things to check WHEN A RELATIONSHIP seems to be changing: Understand the season you are in Is the relationship ending or changing? What is God requiring of you? Has your change in direction constituted a separation or an adjustment? Is this relationship moving from one level to another? Has the relationship become toxic or limiting to your moving with God in this season? Does this relationship ADD to you, or TAKE from you? QUESTIONS: Are there relationships in your life today that you know need attention? Have you experienced this TESTING and feel as though you left it undone? Is there someone you need to make things right with? Is there a relationship that you know God is requiring you to let go of? Are you willing to trust Him with your relationships? WHEN YOU MAKE SPACE, GOD SENDS NEW THINGS NEXT WEEK: Next week, I begin a new series on Leadership, Influence, and Why The World Needs You! Next Steps: 1. Subscribe to our weekly email update on brianholmes.com 2. Continue this conversation on Facebook! Subscribe to the Podcast If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe: Subscribe to our updates at www.BrianHolmes.com Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, Blackberry, Zune, or other services. Share the Love I’d also be grateful if you would RATE OUR PODCAST ON iTunes. That helps tremendously with making my podcast visible, so people who have never heard it can discover it. I’m grateful. Share this with your friends and associates on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, etc. Until next time, remember … You were made in His image, designed for a purpose, and are destined for greatness. The world is waiting for the REAL YOU to show up.  God Bless! The post #377: What To Do When Relationships Change appeared first on Brian Holmes.

? From our hearts, we wish each of you a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving week. My prayer for you is that you experience great joy, peace, laughter, and fellowship as you spend time with family and friends this holiday season. Happy Thanksgiving from the Holmes family to yours! The post Thanksgiving Greeting from Brian Holmes appeared first on Brian Holmes.

? Outside of relationship with God, there is nothing more vital to our success and happiness than having healthy, life-giving, relationships in our lives. There are many kinds of relationships in life: Family Mentors, Teachers, Spiritual Leaders Friends and Peers Workplace Relationships Casual Acquaintances All of these categories play a part in our ability to become, be, perform, and make the impact we are designed to make. A great mentor and friend shared with me that there are only need two things to succeed in life … Relationships and Resources. He went on to say if you have to choose only one, choose relationships.  You can have all the money in the world, and have no meaningful relationships, then you are BROKE. You can have access to all kinds of resources, but if there is not a group of people that you can exchange life with, you will ultimately be unfulfilled. In this series, we’re looking at RELATIONSHIPS and how they literally determine your rise or fall. The State of ‘Relationships’ I am deeply concerned about the state of relationships these days. While the advances of technology are wonderful, my fear is that electronic engagement has replaced the essence of heart level relationships. This is not the main points of this program, but a friend on Facebook does NOT (and should not) make you feel as though you possess some valuable relationship. Texting does not constitute real conversation that adds value to you or the person with whom you are texting. Another concern that I have is that these kinds of relationship points have become EASY, COMFORTABLE, and cop-out ways to feel as though we are not isolated … alone. GOD DID NOT CREATE US TO DO LIFE ALONE! While each person is uniquely different from another, and may have certain propensities, strengths, talents, personality traits, THIS is what makes life work The eye can’t say to the ear, I don’t need you. The big toe can’t say to the arm, I don’t need you. We are interconnected. We are interdependent. We are designed by God to have meaningful connections, relationships, and to interface with one another in life. Unfortunately, so many people evolve into beings of aloneness as a result of life’s wounds and hurts. Here is a reality … As long as we deal with people, we will be disappointed, we will experience hurt, we will find and engage with imperfection. We cannot, however, allow this to drive us to isolation. This cannot make us people who dis-engage with communities, and friends, and loved ones. We need each other, and our destiny is tied to people! It is imperative that we know WHO WE ARE so that we can accurately and effectively identify where each relationship fits. Many times we call someone a friend who is merely an acquaintance Sometimes we know someone for a very long time, therefore we assume that the relationship merits a certain label or category The Relationships Circle: Self – Know who you are Family – wife, children, mother, father, siblings, etc. Close friends – HOW CLOSE ARE THEY REALLY? Acquaintances/Tribe The Crowd Enemies/Fools The key is how do you define each of these levels. Friend Acquaintance Tribe Crowd Enemy Enemies/Fools A very important thing in Understanding the Value of Relationships is placing the relationship in the correct circle. If God brings someone into your life that is meant to be a friend, and you keep them on the outside in your tribe, then you’ve missed an opportunity to receive and benefit from that exchange of life. Conversely, someone who is in your orbit and is intended to be just a crowd person or even an acquaintance, but you bring them into the CLOSE FRIEND circle, that relationship is destined to be one that takes from you, but ultimately does not reciprocate Worse, is when you allow a FOOL into your inner circle, and their influence, attitudes, lack of willingness to grow, and overall lack of character begins to affect your own ability to pursue what God has for you Every person has the potential for greatness; therefore every person has the potential to add something of value to your life, HOWEEVER … One must use discernment in understanding where that person is in their journey. Not every relationship is right for this SEASON Which brings me to where I want to close out this session: Some relationships are for certain SEASONS. When that season has come to an end, it is not wise to continue to invest into the relationship, as you will drain yourself of the very resources Some relationships are covenantal in nature, and are sent by God to be LIFETIME relationships Some relationships are SITUATIONAL such as business relationships, educational, etc. Most times, these are also temporary Some relationships are STRATEGIC, and they have to do with your assignment in a particular season All (healthy) relationships are given by God to be mutually beneficial, and for the common good NEXT WEEK: In our next session, we will look at … ‘What To Do When Relationships Change” Next Steps: 1. Subscribe to our weekly email update on brianholmes.com 2. Continue this conversation on Facebook! Subscribe to the Podcast If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe: Subscribe to our updates at www.BrianHolmes.com Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, Blackberry, Zune, or other services. Share the Love I’d also be grateful if you would RATE OUR PODCAST ON iTunes. That helps tremendously with making my podcast visible, so people who have never heard it can discover it. I’m grateful. Share this with your friends and associates on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, etc. Until next time, remember … You were made in His image, designed for a purpose, and are destined for greatness. The world is waiting for the REAL YOU to show up.  God Bless! The post #376: The Power and Importance of Relationships – [PODCAST] appeared first on Brian Holmes.

? Jim Rohn told us that … “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.” Think about that. You will never rise higher; accomplish more; have a greater impact than the average of the company you keep.  In reality, your life will rise or fall to the level of your associations/relationships. Proverbs 13:20 says “He that walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm, (or destruction).” On today’s episode, we begin a new series on “The Power and Importance of Relationships”. We launch this new series by talking about the Law of Associations. A man found an eagle’s egg and put it in a nest of a barnyard hen. The eaglet hatched with the brood of chicks and grew up with them. All his life the eagle did what the barnyard chicks did, thinking he was a barnyard chicken. He scratched the earth for worms and insects. He clucked and cackled. And he would thrash his wings and fly a few feet into the air. Years passed and the eagle grew very old. One day he saw a magnificent bird above him in the cloudless sky. It glided in graceful majesty among the powerful wind currents, with scarcely a beat of its strong golden wings. The old eagle looked up in awe. “Who’s that?” he asked. “That’s the eagle, the king of the birds,” said his neighbor. “He belongs to the sky. We belong to the earth—we’re chickens.” So the eagle lived and died a chicken, for that’s what he thought he was. Proverbs 13:20 says – “He that walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm, (or destruction). Another passage in I Corinthians 15:33 (Amplified) that says … “Do not be deceived and misled! Evil (ungodly) companionships (communion, associations) corrupt and deprave …” Many times, we underestimate the POWER of relationships. When involved with someone in relationship (especially at a heart level), a deep soul-level connection is formed. Not all soul ties are unhealthy, but it is imperative that we carefully examine past and present relationships to see them in an accurate light. Characteristics of Godly Relationships The other person involved in your life is committed to your spiritual growth This person is as concerned about YOUR well being and success as you are You should NEVER be in the position of always having to be the giver The relationship that is GODLY gives and receives with JOY A Godly relationship does not cause you to violate your conscience, or walk against the plan and will of God for your life A Godly relationship does not manipulate through anger or control, but rather, it motivates through love The Law of Association If you want to know where you are going in life, just look at your friends! Matthew 7:16-18 “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.” Who are you YOKED with? A yoke is a wooden instrument that BINDS two oxen together. Its purpose is to cause them to only be able to walk TOGETHER. Imagine trying to move on with your life in a new and Godly direction, being YOKED together with someone or something that is moving in an opposite direction. It creates strife, confusion, guilt, frustration, etc. Who you are connected to really matters … Evaluate your relationships It’s time to increase your averages. NEXT WEEK we go a little deeper in this subject. Next Steps: 1. Subscribe to our weekly email update on brianholmes.com 2. Continue this conversation on Facebook! Subscribe to the Podcast If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe: Subscribe to our updates at www.BrianHolmes.com Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, Blackberry, Zune, or other services. Share the Love I’d also be grateful if you would RATE OUR PODCAST ON iTunes. That helps tremendously with making my podcast visible, so people who have never heard it can discover it. I’m grateful. Share this with your friends and associates on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, etc. Until next time, remember … You were made in His image, designed for a purpose, and are destined for greatness. The world is waiting for the REAL YOU to show up.  God Bless! The post #375: The Law of Association appeared first on Brian Holmes.

Today, we complete our series on The 4 Cornerstones for Strategic Living. So far we’ve looked at Personal Healing, Personal Discovery, and Personal Development. By now I imagine you see the importance of approaching your life strategically and intentionally Now it’s time to get you … Off of the sidelines and into the game of life! In this session, I want to talk to you about deployment. This is the stage in the strategic living process where you are ACTIVATED and become fully ENGAGED in the greater purpose for which you were created. This is a vital part of this building process. Why? Because it is possible to have clarity, plans, and adequate preparedness in place, and yet NEVER PULL THE TRIGGER! So many live their entire life learning, growing, planning, and even scheduling their BIG move, yet go to their graves never having taken real action on their dreams and desires. Let’s dig into this today, and discover what it takes to be activated and deployed! •How many people do you know that have all kinds of big dreams, prolific theories, the best education, and all manner of ideas … but never do a DANG thing? How many armchair quarterbacks do you know who can pontificate and breakdown how everyone else should do something, but they never suit up themselves? Why is this? I believe that any times this paralysis can point back to Cornerstone #1 (Personal Healing). There is something in you that will not allow you to trust yourself or believe that you can trust someone else … dare to risk it all …  really engage the game of life. It is FEAR! Fear of the Unknown Fear of the Unfamiliar Fear of Failure Fear of Success Fear of other’s opinions Fear of the Losing relationships Fear of the Getting hit! • The only winners in life are the ones who GOT IN THE GAME, and went all in! At some point you have to SHIP the product, even if it is not perfect. At some point, you need to start the business, even though your conference table hasn’t been delivered. There comes a time when planning becomes redundant, and one must WORK the plan so the plan can WORK The men and women that served in our armed forces enter the respective branch of service as a newbie . They do basic training, advanced training, tactical exercises, team building. They ready themselves for years, BUT their real value and all that has been invested in them will be of no use until they DEPLOY. It is when they leave the comfort of their three squares a day, their barracks, and the docile environment of the land they call home, and get to their place of assignment that their impact is realized. That is when the world gets to see the GREATNESS and value of the man or woman in uniform. Such is the case with YOU. The world is waiting for YOU to show up in the game. Your number has been called! You are prepared, and what you don’t know, you will learn along the way. What do you have to offer? What solutions will you provide? What lives will you touch and change forever? It is time for your DEPLOYMENT. You know what to do. You know your place. You have worked hard to prepare. Now … GET IN THE GAME! Next Week: Next week we begin a brand new series on The Power of Relationships.   Next Steps: 1. Subscribe to our weekly email update on brianholmes.com 2. Continue this conversation on Facebook! Subscribe to the Podcast If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe: Subscribe to our updates at www.BrianHolmes.com Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, Blackberry, Zune, or other services. Share the Love I’d also be grateful if you would RATE OUR PODCAST ON iTunes. That helps tremendously with making my podcast visible, so people who have never heard it can discover it. I’m grateful. Share this with your friends and associates on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, etc. Until next time, remember … You were made in His image, designed for a purpose, and are destined for greatness. The world is waiting for the REAL YOU to show up.  God Bless! The post #374: Off of The Sidelines and Into The Game appeared first on Brian Holmes.

? This episode is the 3rd in our series on The 4 Cornerstones for Strategic Living. So far we’ve looked at Personal Healing and Personal Discovery, and we’ve discovered that EACH cornerstone plays a vital role in the process of building one’s life. In this episode, I share with you one of my favorite cornerstones … Personal Development. There is no personal growth without the intentional process of training, learning, and development. Just ask any athlete, thought leader, singer, or artist. You cannot “get better” without discipline and practice. If you don’t “get better”, you cannot compete at the highest levels in life. If you don’t compete at the highest levels, it is likely you will never reach your maximum potential, and make you greatest impact. If you study the most successful people in the world, you will find they all have one thing in common; they all are committed to Personal Development. In this episode, we are talking about this vital key … “The Pursuit of Excellence Through A Lifestyle of Learning” I grew up listening to all kinds of personal development and motivational programs. Great teachers like … Zig Ziglar Brian Tracy Paul J Meyer Les Brown Earl Nightingale And so many others These great men (and the principles they taught) had a profound impact on life. In fact, in recent years, I have gone back and re-acquired many of these programs and am enjoying them immensely. The principles they share in these programs are timeless, and this kind of input is certainly a powerful part of any personal development program. In our last video, we talked about DISCOVERY. Once a person has lasered in on WHO AM I, and WHY AM I HERE, now he/she can customize their personal development program based on their specific, God-given design. Examples: A person with a passion for sports or athletics A person who has an idea about starting a business A person who wants to be a writer A person who wants to be a speaker A person who wants to have a better marriage A person who wants to be a Real Estate Investor No matter the focus, a personal development program will guarantee the individual will succeed and grow. 7 Key Ways You Can Pursue Personal Development Pursue knowledge (books, online courses, seminars, etc.) Surround yourself with people who are where you desire to be Hire a Personal Coach/Mentor Attend Conferences related to your dreams and interests Listen to audio programs that challenge your thinking Next Week: Next week we look at Getting Off of The Sidelines and Into the Game.   Next Steps: 1. Subscribe to our weekly email update on brianholmes.com 2. Continue this conversation on Facebook! Subscribe to the Podcast If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe: Subscribe to our updates at www.BrianHolmes.com Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, Blackberry, Zune, or other services. Share the Love I’d also be grateful if you would RATE OUR PODCAST ON iTunes. That helps tremendously with making my podcast visible, so people who have never heard it can discover it. I’m grateful. Share this with your friends and associates on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, etc. Until next time, remember … You were made in His image, designed for a purpose, and are destined for greatness. The world is waiting for the REAL YOU to show up.  God Bless! The post #373: A Lifestyle of Learning and The Pursuit of Excellence appeared first on Brian Holmes.

?? Who Am I, and Why Am I Here? This is the million dollar question … one that so many never find the answer to. My premise is that every person is born with a unique and God-given purpose/destiny, and inherently possesses the capacity to realize it in their lifetime. The challenge is that LIFE tends to teach us what we can and can’t have. It systematically conditions us to expect LESS THAN what we were born to achieve. Over time, it regulates the very real possibilities down to an erroneous and limiting mindset. So What About Discovery? In order to reclaim our design and destiny, a real life RE-BOOT may be in order. This is the process of inventorying and investigating what we have available to us, and re-setting our beliefs and expectations to the FACTS as God knows them. In this session, we look closely at The Process of Discovery, and how Personal Identity plays a determining factor in our success in every area of life. 5 Key Parts to the Discovery Process: Understand Your Wiring (Personality Style) Understand Your Strengths (Own and embrace your passions, talents, skills, abilities, and core competencies) Identify your core values (What drives your behavior) Clarify and Cultivate Your Vision Strategic planning and execution Someone once said … “KNOW THYSELF” How can we expect to ever live an uncommon life if we never take the time to discovery who we really are, and why we are here? Tips: Hire a coach Take online profiles Do a personal vision retreat Take time to know YOU Over the next few sessions, we will be looking in depth at EACH of these. I look forward to exploring this further with you. Next Week: Next week we look at the The Pursuit of Excellence Through A Lifestyle of Learning.   Next Steps: 1. Subscribe to our weekly email update on brianholmes.com 2. Continue this conversation on Facebook! Subscribe to the Podcast If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe: Subscribe to our updates at www.BrianHolmes.com Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, Blackberry, Zune, or other services. Share the Love I’d also be grateful if you would RATE OUR PODCAST ON iTunes. That helps tremendously with making my podcast visible, so people who have never heard it can discover it. I’m grateful. Share this with your friends and associates on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, etc. Until next time, remember … You were made in His image, designed for a purpose, and are destined for greatness. The world is waiting for the REAL YOU to show up.  God Bless! The post #372: Who Am I and Why Am I Here? appeared first on Brian Holmes.

We are continuing our series on The 4 Cornerstones for Strategic Living In our last session, we looked at the importance of building your life strategically and intentionally, and doing so on a solid foundation. To review, the 4 Cornerstones are: Personal Healing Personal Discovery Personal Development Personal Deployment Today, I will share with you “The #1 Key to Unlocking Your Full Potential”. Over my many years of coaching, counseling, mentoring, and pastoring, I have found that most individuals find themselves performing at a level below what they are truly capable of, AND, experiencing results in life far beneath what God intended. Why? There are unreconciled, unresolved areas in their heart and life that must be addressed so that they can be unlocked, unleashed, and unhindered in their pursuit of fulfillment and meaning. In this episode, we will look at this critical cornerstone called Personal Healing. Personal Healing often the most overlooked and most misunderstood as it relates to success in life. There is an ancient text that says … “We will prosper and experience health and vitality proportionate to the condition of our heart”. (See 3 John 1:2) Said another way, I will prosper and know wellness to the degree my soul (or internal governor) prospers. There are countless examples of talented and gifted people who succeed in their lives to a point, only to implode and self-destruct, many times losing everything. Why? – Because the condition of our inner self will ultimately determine the level to which I attain. My emotional, mental, and spiritual condition becomes the ceiling for my rising, and the peak from which I fall. It is the unresolved and un-reconciled issues of the heart that haunt a man or woman, and sabotage their ability to grow, build, achieve, or succeed at life. This is true in EVERY AREA of life. Relationships Marriage Family Career Business endeavors Finances/Wealth Leadership When these types of occurrences or conditions go unattended or not addressed, they are like an infectious disease that slowly erodes away your personal power and capacity to succeed 7 Steps to Personal Healing: Acknowledge  – You can’t change … Confess  – Bring it into the light Resolve – Be willing to deal with the pain of the root Forgive and Release – Let them go so you can be free Pray – Ask Father to meet you in the moment Receive – Receive healing, forgiveness, and restoration Live and Become – Become the person God created you to be, and live out your true destiny by His grace If you are dissatisfied with your current condition or state, I challenge you to consider that your HEART may be in need of personal healing. If you keep hitting the same ceiling over and over, and can’t seem to achieve the next level, I encourage you to examine your life, be willing to bring up that old thing one more time, and reconcile it once and for all. Over the next few sessions, we will be looking in depth at EACH of these. I look forward to exploring this with you. Next Week: Next week we look at the The Process of Discovery and Personal Identity.   Next Steps: 1. Subscribe to our weekly email update on brianholmes.com 2. Continue this conversation on Facebook! Subscribe to the Podcast If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe: Subscribe to our updates at www.BrianHolmes.com Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, Blackberry, Zune, or other services. Share the Love I’d also be grateful if you would RATE OUR PODCAST ON iTunes. That helps tremendously with making my podcast visible, so people who have never heard it can discover it. I’m grateful. Share this with your friends and associates on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, etc. Until next time, remember … You were made in His image, designed for a purpose, and are destined for greatness. The world is waiting for the REAL YOU to show up.  God Bless! The post #371: The #1 Key To Unlocking Your Potential appeared first on Brian Holmes.

This podcast episode is the first in a series of sessions on the “The 4 Cornerstones for Strategic Living”. In this series, we will introduce you to the concept of Strategic Living. Specifically, we will be looking at how you can build the life you were designed for and want, with the tools you already have. It’s really about setting a solid foundation. Today, I begin with  … A Proven Framework for Building a Life of Impact and Significance. The Problem: Most people live their lives on auto-pilot; never really taking the time to process through the key elements of what it means to live strategically or intentionally. They graduate high school, go to college, get a degree, get a good job, work there until your vested, retire, and die. What’s crazy is this “PLAN” is no plan at all! It’s what everyone else is doing … and they are unhappy, unfulfilled, often depressed, and usually broke at retirement. They never experience the joy or satisfaction of finding, fostering, forging, and finishing the THING for which they were designed and created. So many have gone to their graves never having engaged their God-given design, or ever having benefited from the fruit of their labor. Most people spend their days making a living, not making a life, and certainly not leaving a legacy. In this series, I want to challenge you to reject the status quo, choose a full and prosperous path, and pursue what we call STRATEGIC LIVING. What does it mean to live strategically? In short, it means to live your life intentionally It means to live having discovered who you really are, and why you are here It means engaging in the intentional process of growing, becoming, and actively pursuing the very BEST that life has for you  How does this apply to me? It applies to every area of your life: Relationships Marriage Family Career Business endeavors Finances/Wealth Generation Leadership Your success and fulfillment in life is not a matter of chance or accident. Good things come to people who live on purpose and by a plan. I want to share with you a high level overview of a concept I call … The 4 Cornerstones for Strategic Living These are the foundational elements that are required of every man and woman if they intend to build a life of significance and meaning. They are the cornerstones for successful and strategic living, and are paramount to our manifesting our fullest potential The 4 Cornerstones: Personal Healing Personal Discovery Personal Development Personal Deployment Over the next few sessions, we will be looking in depth at EACH of these. I look forward to exploring this with you. Next Week: Next week we look at the #1 Key To Unlocking Your Full Potential.   Next Steps: 1. Subscribe to our weekly email update on brianholmes.com 2. Continue this conversation on Facebook! Subscribe to the Podcast If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe: Subscribe to our updates at www.BrianHolmes.com Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, Blackberry, Zune, or other services. Share the Love I’d also be grateful if you would RATE OUR PODCAST ON iTunes. That helps tremendously with making my podcast visible, so people who have never heard it can discover it. I’m grateful. Share this with your friends and associates on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, etc. Until next time, remember … You were made in His image, designed for a purpose, and are destined for greatness. The world is waiting for the REAL YOU to show up.  God Bless! NEXT SESSION:     Personal Healing The post #370: A Proven Framework for Building a Life of Impact and Significance [Podcast] appeared first on Brian Holmes.

There are some exciting changes happening at BrianHolmes.com and Strategic Influencers, LLC. This year we have hosted TWO workshops, paving the way for our new focus on training, development, and group coaching. Most of you know that my background is that of a teacher/trainer. In fact, for more than 25 years I have been in classrooms, on stages, and in training environments developing leaders and influencers from all walks of life. TEACHING IS WHAT I DO. There is really nothing that energizes me more than training, mentoring, and coaching people. As we enter the 4th quarter of 2018, I am gearing my work towards doing more of what I do best … teaching! This will apply to: The Strategic Living Podcast Strategic Influencers. LLC Our workshops and seminars Online coaching groups And our VIP Coaching Programs Let’s talk about the podcast. By now, you are aware that we have changed the day of the week that our program is published. (WEDNESDAYS). Hopefully, you’ve noticed that we are now offering the podcast in both audio and video formats. Beginning NEXT WEEK, we will begin publishing series-based training on the Strategic Living Podcast. As a rule, we will choose a topic, and spend several weeks diving deep in more of a systematic way. In other words, our episodes will not be one-offs, but rather a sequence of sessions unpacking a single topic or area of development. I believe that this will lend itself to more effective learning and personal development. Possible Topics: The 4 Cornerstones for Strategic Living The Relationship Factor Transition Strategic Influence Ministry and the Marketplace The Identity Factor Overcoming Limiting Beliefs The Prosperity Mindset Your Unique Ability And so much more My desire is that THIS podcast becomes the #1 sought after source for leadership and personal development    Next Steps: 1. Subscribe to our weekly email update on brianholmes.com 2. Continue this conversation on Facebook! Subscribe to the Podcast If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe: Subscribe to our updates at www.BrianHolmes.com Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, Blackberry, Zune, or other services. Share the Love I’d also be grateful if you would RATE OUR PODCAST ON iTunes. That helps tremendously with making my podcast visible, so people who have never heard it can discover it. I’m grateful. Share this with your friends and associates on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, etc. Until next time, remember … You were made in His image, designed for a purpose, and are destined for greatness. The world is waiting for the REAL YOU to show up.  God Bless! The post #369: What’s Ahead for the Strategic Living Podcast? [Podcast] appeared first on Brian Holmes.