Step Up to the Challenge

May 30, 2018Leave a comment

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Our challenges often prepare us for leadership and develop in us a sense of courage, strength and perseverance. Take Mary Crowley, founder of Home Interiors & Gifts, for example. She is considered one of premiere business women in Dallas, Texas. Her life was not an easy journey, but she as a woman with a firm faith in God, she grew and learned through each struggle in her life.

Married in 1932 and with children coming soon after, she and her husband struggled to survive through the Depression. Mary realized that if she was going to be able to feed her family, she would need to find a job. Although jobs were scarce at the time, especially for women, Mary chose a store she wanted to work in, dressed up and armed herself with a confident smile, walked in the doors of the store and got the job!

Without realizing it at the time, this job enabled Mary to develop a shrewd business sense that later prepared her to become head of a multimillion dollar company. Sadly, her marriage crumbled in 1939. She began studying to be a CPA and worked full time at an insurance company. Additionally, Mary suffered from insomnia, yet she turned her problems over to God. She used to pray, “Lord, you know I’ve got to get my rest. You worry about these problems. You’re going to be up all night anyway.” She would then go to sleep, leaving her problems in God’s hands. Her faith in God never wavered, and she found her confidence and strength in Him during those lean years.

In 1948 she married David Crowley, Jr. whom she had met at the insurance company. As a newlywed, Mary wanted to make her home as attractive as she could, despite her limited funds. She took a job as an accountant in a furniture company, and soon she began to notice that as people came to buy furniture, they had no idea how to accessorize their new furniture. Ideas began to dance around in her mind as to how she could help these people, but she also longed to be home with her children. In God’s way and in His timing, He began to put it all together. Several years later, a man who imported gifts and decorative accessories, asked Mary to become his sales manager in a new direct-sales company.

After working with this company for only three years, Mary’s staff had increased to five hundred women selling accessories through home parties. Sounds like a Joseph-type success, doesn’t it? The owner was pleased with the success, but he decided to add cocktail parties into the company functions, and he put limits on the commissions the sales women could make. Mary told him she didn’t agree with these conditions, so he sent her the office furniture that belonged to her and he was done with her position. Mary grieved the loss of being tossed off of that mountain, but she trusted God and knew He had a plan.

It was then that she birthed her own company, Home Interiors & Gifts. Mary followed God’s leading, and she gave Him credit for the success of her company. She knew that it was God who opened the doors, but it was her responsibility to walk through them. Mary’s desire was to help woman and minister to their needs. Many of the women who became a part of her team had never held jobs before and even needed help with their appearance.

Soon Mary’s company was helping women both personally and financially, paying dividends and bonuses. The business continued to grow and in 1962, the sales force recorded one million dollars in sales. Sadly, it was the same year she was diagnosed with cancer. She ended up fighting two bouts (mountains if you will) of cancer, but continued to fight on and bless many women in the process.

Mary was one of the first women to serve on the board of directors of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. She received two honorary doctorate degrees before her death in 1986.[i] Today, the Mary Crowley Cancer Research Centers in Dallas provide hope to cancer patients by expanding treatment options through investigational vaccine, gene and cellular therapies. Despite the setbacks Mary faced, God used her perseverance and creativity to inspire women and bring hope to generations of cancer patients as well.

What can we learn from her story?

Embrace the mountains in front of you and see them as opportunities for growth.
Don’t blame others or make excuses.
Do your work with excellence and integrity.
Be faithful in the small tasks.
Always ask, “Lord what do you want me to learn here?”
Keep your eyes on God’s plan for you.

Personalize It

What mountain are you currently facing in your leadership role?
What is God teaching you personally through this challenge?
How can you thank God specifically for this mountain?

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This is an excerpt from Positive Leadership Principles for Women

Photo by Bruno Nascimento on Unsplash

[i] Mary Trotter Kion, http://www.historyswomen.com/1stWomen/MaryCrowley.html

Turning Negatives into Positives

May 21, 2018May 21, 2018Leave a comment

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Sometimes life hits hard. Circumstances can take a downturn. Frustrations may seem overwhelming. People may be cruel and hurtful. How do we handle the disappointments and devastations? Is it possible to birth something hopeful, when all we can see is our pain?

Being positive doesn’t mean we ignore the pain, but it does mean after we grieve the loss, we ask the question, “How can I grow or learn or make something good come out of this?”

Helen Keller showed us what it looks like to overcome the negatives. Born in 1880, a severe illness left her unable to see or hear. Yet through the patient and persistent instruction of her teacher, Anne Sullivan, Helen learned to read, write and speak. She didn’t stop there! She went on to study French and Greek at Radcliffe College. At the age of 26, she published her life story and became a well-known public figure and humanitarian, speaking in over twenty-five countries throughout the world. Her life and story has inspired countless millions to turn life’s challenges into possibilities.

She wrote, “When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.” Certainly her incredible accomplishments epitomize human potential in the face of adversity.

It’s not what happens to us that define us, it’s what we do with it that matters. Let’s be willing to change our focus. Let’s be creative and look for ways to make the best out of the worst. May each of us find hope in unlikely places.

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Photo by Sara Kauten on Unsplash

Courage

May 14, 2018Leave a comment

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God has a unique plan for women in this world. He designed us with a distinct purpose in mind, using our unique feminine strengths, as well as some of our personal weaknesses. Throughout history we read about women who played a role in shaping culture and defining new standards.

For the next few weeks, I will be highlight women who used their God-given strengths to make a positive difference in their culture. Today, let’s look at a strong and courageous woman named Deborah whose story is found in the book of Judges in the Bible.

According to Edith Deen’s book, All the Women of the Bible, Deborah was the “only woman in the Bible who was placed at the height of political power by the common consent of the people.” Deborah’s courage, like that of Joan of Arc 27 centuries later, was based on her faith in the Lord. She was a counselor, a judge, and a brave advisor in time of war. When other leaders were afraid, she led the nation of Israel into battle and on to victory with these words; “Go! This is the day the Lord has given Sisera (the enemy) into your hands. Has not the Lord gone ahead of you?”*

The victory was won because of the leadership of one brave woman who didn’t let obstacles or fears confine her. Her faith guided her and gave her the courage to move forward. Where do you need to step out in faith and courage? What fears do you need to overcome? Where do you find your guidance for your next steps?

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Read more in The Power of a Positive Woman. Click here for more info.

*Judges 4:14

Photo by Karl Magnuson on Unsplash

10 Principles of Positive People

May 8, 2018May 9, 20181 Comment

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How would you describe a truly positive person? My personal definition includes someone who is both realistic and optimistic – a person who is an encourager rather than a discourager. Positive people don’t ignore the frustrations and the downsides of life, they just choose to look at them in light of the possibilities, not the problems.

The question is, can anyone become a more optimistic thinker, even the cup-half-empty sort? Recent studies in neuroscience tell us yes, people can change the way they think. Often when we get in a rut of negative thinking, we continue to play the same patterns of thought over and over again, but it is possible to start new patterns. When we change our thinking habits and focus on what is good and hopeful, our brains create new neuropathways. We can develop a new pattern of looking toward the opportunities, rather than dwelling on the obstacles.

Generally speaking, there are a few common characteristics I have observed in those people who live with a sunny disposition. Positive people tend to:

Focus on the potential in both people and circumstances.
Consider the needs of others, looking for ways to bring joy into someone else’s life.
Practice daily gratitude to God and to others.
Let go of past hurts and bitterness, and live with a forgiving heart.
Choose to learn from their mistakes and mishaps.
Grieve when they need to.
Smile and laugh often.
Maintain a healthy lifestyle, recognizing the benefit of exercise and eating well.
Speak with love and kindness to everyone, no matter the position or role they play.
Pray daily, giving cares and worries to God.

What about you? Are there any new habits you want to start forming?

Photo by Eduardo Dutra on Unsplash

Choosing Happy

April 30, 2018April 30, 2018Leave a comment

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Have you ever considered the ingredients that tend to make people live with a negative and grumbly attitude? Not too long ago I discovered a humorous list of “The 10 Commandments for an Unhappy Life.” It serves as a reminder of the choices we face every single day: Will we embrace both the gifts and the challenges life brings, or will we complain and be miserable through the process? Will we be people with a purposeful and positive mindset or people with a “poor me” mentality? Here’s the list:

10 Commandments for an Unhappy Life

Thou shalt hold onto bitterness, hatred and anger.
Thou shalt never get too close to anybody. Keep all of thy relationships on the surface level.
Thou shalt wear a glum expression on thy face at all times, and guard against laughter.
Thou shalt inflict blame and condemnation on all who disagree with thee.
Thou shalt complain about the small stuff, forgetting the bigger picture.
Thou shalt think of thy own needs and focus on thyself rather than thinking of the needs of others.
Thou shalt hold regular pity parties, inviting others to join thee.
Thou shalt not take a break, exercise or relax. Never allow thyself to be still, pray or meditate on truth.
Thou shalt expect the worst in all situations, shame those around you and dwell on the feebleness, faults and fears of others, while never seeing thine own.
Thou shalt attempt to control every situation without flexibility. *

I don’t know about you, but in the great adventure of life, I want to experience joy in the journey – not misery in the muck! I want my life to move in a positive direction and bless others, and I think you do too. Let’s be honest, no matter what our circumstances or background look like, we can choose our attitude and outlook in life.

In the next few weeks on this blog, I plan to examine the principles of a positive person. Even if you are the “cup half empty” sort of person, you can begin to change your attitude and thought-life today. Let’s take some time to look over the “10 Commandments of an Unhappy Life” and consider any of the qualities that may apply to our own attitudes. Let’s also make a conscious decision to reverse our thinking and start a new pattern.

If you were to write, “10 Commandments for a Happy Life,” what would you include on the list? I’ll show you my list next week.

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The positive message from this blogpost can be found in The Power of a Positive Woman. To learn more about Karol’s encouraging books Click Here

*The 10 Commandments for an Unhappy Life” was adapted from Edward Rowell & Bonnie Steffen, Humor for Preaching and Teaching (1996)

Photo by nick beswick on Unsplash