Back in the day, when I worked for Mercy Ships - a non-profit which runs the largest civilian hospital ships in the world - people would sign up in advance to talk to me, during my short visits to the ship.
I was always surprised by that.
I'd arrive to the ship after a million hours in the air and find my dance card already full of crew members wanting to talk.
And I don't think it was because I'm extraordinary, I think it's because I know how to listen - to hear things people are not saying. To ask about them.
But even that is just top water.
The real reason I think folks wanted to talk to me is, I was known for saying, "I don't know what you should do, have you talked to God about it?"
The answer was usually no, so we'd just stop talking and pray about it instead. The answers were reliably forthcoming and helpful.
I pray a lot these days.
Because I calm down. It makes me think higher and whatever my sense is after I say amen, I try to act upon it.
Often that falls in the category of encouragement.
Either to encourage my own weary heart or someone else's. So I just do that and I feel better after. Always.
So I thought we might do that here - encouragement as a guiding principle of Firestarter.
Especially as our world wobbles, I think what I, and perhaps you too, need most is encouragement.
- To know what is yours to do and act.
- To know what is not yours to do and be still.
- To nurture and protect your hopeful center while the world careens.
- To act bravely in the face of uncertainty.
- To set your lines and hold them.
After eight years in personal development, I have a million strategies for helping you advance things that are important to you - especially as you build your happy second half.
But some things are just more true than others.
This is a place for the most true things.
Thanks for being here.
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