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If given the opportunity to choose our path in life, most of us would pick the easier road with less bumps, pot holes and challenges. I know I would. Simply put, few of us would deliberately choose a difficult journey in life, one riddled with heart ache, pain and loss. Yet in a way, if we choose to be compassionate people, we are choosing to join into someone else’s pain. The word compassion actually means “with suffering.” The root word passion comes from the Latin word “suffering.” If we want to be compassionate people, then in a way, we are inviting suffering into our lives – the suffering of another person. How far are we willing to go to reach out and touch the life of someone else?

Recently I heard the results of a study by the Cato Institute stating, “Poverty is perpetuated through poor parenting.” That statement stuck with me. I must admit, my heart grieves for “at risk” kids who have little hope of breaking through the cycle of poverty. As I began thinking about what I could do to make a difference, My mind was flooded with the thought, “Karol, you go all over the nation teaching men and women how to be positive parents, why aren’t you going to the impoverished communities in your own city?”

That prompting led me to write a discussion-style curriculum for parents. The lessons enable moms and dads to recognize their responsibilities in raising their families, and guide them to positive action steps. With the concept in place, my next step was to figure out where to implement this unique parenting class. I didn’t know where to go, so I prayed and asked the Lord to show me. Funny thing, I opened up the newspaper and saw an article about Buckner Children and Family Services of North Texas. Buckner has an outreach program in one of the housing developments in Dallas. With a little bit of fear and trembling, I emailed them and asked if they were interested in parenting classes.

They said yes! Oh my, now I had to take a step of faith and step out of my comfort zone and into the lives of men and women that I had never met. I knew that I didn’t understand what their lives were like, but God did. So I prayed for God to love through me and make this a fruitful and meaningful time together with the parents. He answered that prayer! Since our start 4 years ago, God has done an amazing work and has allowed me to build bridges through loving relationships with the parents in the community. I call the program ENGAGE Positive Parenting Initiative, and we have trained over 60 volunteers and have touched lives in 12 different locations around Dallas and Fort Worth.

It’s time to build back the strength of the family in communities across the nation. I feel like a woman on a mission! Where is God calling you to take a step of faith and step out of your comfort zone?

If you would like to join in our mission through volunteering or praying, we invite you to join us:

www.EngageParenting.com

We are participating in North Texas Giving Day on Sept 22. Here is the link and be sure to choose Engage Parenting in the Organization box. http://womensnpa.wpengine.com/donate/north-texas-giving-day/

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September 13, 2016September 13, 2016Leave a comment

typorama-20

When we walk in a room and switch on a light, we can be thankful for an unlikely genius named Thomas Alva Edison. Moving pictures and audio recordings are also a result of this one man’s perseverance. With very little formal schooling, and numerous mishaps and failures, few people expected young Thomas to amount to anything at all. But…he had a mother who looked past his shortcomings and saw his potential. He spoke with affection about her, “My mother was the making of me. She was so true, so sure of me; and I felt I had something to live for, someone I must not disappoint.”

Thomas was a curious boy and his mother had every reason to be discouraged about his actions. He burned down the family stable and was kicked out of school, yet his mother Nancy, a devout Presbyterian with a formal education ,was able to put her education to good use by teaching “young Al.” Thomas was an ambitious entrepreneur and started a small business selling newspapers on a local train, but he lost his job because he nearly blew up one of the train cars with his science experiments. His life was marked by many other failures and mishaps, but oddly that’s not what we remember about him. We remember him for his successes. Aren’t you thankful for the influence and leadership of his mother who taught him to look at each failure as an opportunity to learn and grow and discover new things.

Edison had a unique drive and perseverance that kept him learning and growing despite his mistakes. He didn’t allow discouragements to linger, rather he pushed forward with curiosity and commitment. On the 50^th anniversary of the electric light bulb, Henry Ford organized a celebration of his dear friend Edison. President Herbert Hoover spoke about the variety of ways that the electric light had made life better, “It enables our towns and cities to clothe themselves in gaiety by night, no matter how sad their appearance may be by day. And by all its multiple uses it has lengthened the hours of our active lives, decreased our fears, replaced the dark with good cheer, increased our safety, decreased our toil, and enabled us to read the type in the telephone book.”*

The light bulb represent countless hours in the laboratory filled with failed experiments and frustrations. When asked by a reporter with the New York Times about the seemingly incredible difficulties associated with developing the light bulb, Edison responded, “I have not failed 700 times. I’ve succeeded in proving 700 ways how not to build a light bulb.” What an extraordinary perspective! Can we look at our mistakes as successes, or are we so caught up in the disappointments and frustrations that we can’t see the positive aspects of our failures? As leaders, let’s determine to look at life with and attitude that includes the joy of learning and the opportunity to discover the lesson behind each challenge and mistake.

*Herbert Hoover: “Address on the 50th Anniversary of Thomas Edison’s Invention of the Incandescent Electric Lamp.,” October 21, 1929.

This is an excerpt from Positive Leadership Principles for Women.

Eyes That See Beyond

September 6, 2016Leave a comment

In the middle of the city of Chandigarh, India, is a quite unusual garden. It is an amazing testament to the artistic value of trash. That’s right, trash. Celebrated artist Nek Chand used materials people discarded as trash and formed them into an artistic wonder called the Rock Garden. Chand considers it an expression of his hope for humanity. While others may look at trash as a problem that needs to be hidden away, the artist saw it in a different way. He saw the trash as objects that could be creatively transformed into art.

“It all started out of personal curiosity,” says Chand, who started building the garden in the 1950s using urban and industrial waste. He began by clearing a little patch of jungle in order to create a small garden area for himself. He collected boulders, metal pieces, lag stones, overburned bricks, broken pots, chinaware, rags, plastic dolls, battered hats, broken bangles, shoes, bottles, you name it! All of it was used in his work to transform trash into a grand mosaic of treasure and beauty. There was no limit to what he could envision and create out of the trash.

Gradually his creative art display developed and grew, eventually covering several acres that displayed hundreds of sculptures. For the first eighteen years of his project, he had to work in the secrecy of night, fearing he would be discovered by the authorities. The funny thing is, when the government officials did discover the garden, they were confused as to how to handle the situation. The art garden was illegally built on a forbidden area, which meant they had the right to demolish it, but they recognized its beautiful and unique qualities. So instead of demolishing the sculpture garden, the city decided to give Chand a salary to allow him to work on the garden full time. They even provided a workforce of fifty laborers. The garden was finally opened to the public in 1976. Today there are more than twenty-five acres with thousands of sculptures set in large mosaic courtyards, linked by walled paths and deep gorges. There is also a series of interlinking waterfalls.

The Rock Garden is now admired as one of the modern wonders of the world and is considered one of the greatest artistic achievements seen in India since the Taj Mahal. Currently they have more than five thousand visitors a day. Carl Lindquist, who works with the international program at Arkansas State University, described it this way, “Built of industrial waste and thrown-away items, the Rock Garden in the city of Chandigarh is perhaps the world’s most poignant and salient statement of the possibility of finding beauty in the unexpected and accidental.”

Amazing! Objects that were once considered trash were turned into a beautiful work of art. I love Lindquist’s phrase “finding beauty in the unexpected and accidental.” Nek Chand didn’t see trash; he saw treasure. That’s what God sees in our lives! He holds the broken pieces of our life in his hands and fits them into a beautiful mosaic for eternity. We may see a mess here, a mistake there, a tragic loss, or an unfortunate incident, but God sees potential. Singularly a piece of trash isn’t so lovely, but like Chand, God sees the wonderful work that can be formed. As we draw close to him and hear his voice, we begin to hear the whisper of the Master Artist saying, Trust me. I can make something good come from this.

This is an excerpt from Thrive, Don’t Simply Survive

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What Makes a Great Leader?

August 29, 2016August 31, 2016Leave a comment

Child superhero portrait

Over the years, I’ve become fairly perceptive at recognizing qualities that make a poor leader. It’s probably because I’ve placed one too many people in leadership positions, and realized they were doing more harm than good. Thankfully we can learn and grow from our mistakes. Here’s my short list of characteristics of a not-so-great leader.
Generally speaking it’s not a good idea to choose a person for leadership who:
• Tends to gossip or look down on others.
• Complains rather than finds solutions.
• Has no initiative and can’t make decisions.
• Doesn’t work well with people.
• Is a discourager rather than an encourager.
• Is self-centered – in it for themselves.
• Is constantly wondering what people think about them.
• Has an aversion to hard work and serving others.
• Lacks determination and drive.

What would you add to the list? It’s easy to think up a list of negative qualities born out of our own experiences, but it takes a little more thought and insight to come up with a list of positive leadership qualities. One characteristic that seems to surface in great leaders is their ability to motivate others. For some, this intangible ability to inspire and influence seems to come naturally, while other leaders discover their ability to impassion people through the School of Hard Knocks. How can we unleash our inner influence and ability to inspire?

In his book, Visioneering, Andy Stanley described a great leader in the Bible, Nehemiah: “He was just a regular guy who caught a divine glimpse of what could and should be. And then went after it with all his heart.” In reading the story of Nehemiah, there are several themes that continue to surface again and again. These seem to be the key to Nehemiah’s inspiring leadership abilities. I would encourage you as a leader to read the story of Nehemiah yourself and discover the powerful lessons of his life. Here’s the principles I glean from his example:
• He possessed a personal and heart-felt passion for the project.
• He was committed to the mission and determined to see it through.
• He was persistent despite the challenges.
• He sincerely cared about the protection and well-being of the people.
• He appealed to people’s hearts and core motivation, not just the external.
• He put the right people in the right positions, utilizing their gifts and talents.
• He wasn’t swayed by the opposition or people’s opinions.
• He empowered the people to do their jobs well.
• He prayed for God’s direction throughout every twist and turn.

We can all use an example to inspire and teach us when it comes to leadership. Nehemiah is one of my heroes. Who inspires and teaches you?

Positive Leadership Principles for Women: 8 Secrets to Inspire and Impact Everyone Around You

By Karol Ladd / Harvest House Publishers

As a woman you have the chance to make a positive difference in your family, community, and society. In Positive Leadership for Women Karol Ladd uses examples from the lives of people in the Bible to highlight eight godly leadership principles and attitudes that will inspire you to grow in your role as a godly influencer.

Seeing People – Seeing Potential

August 22, 2016Leave a comment

City Business Women

Think about the countless people you encounter each day…

…At the coffee shop.

…In the checkout line.

…During work.

…At the playground with your kids.

…Around the neighborhood.

…In your home.

Now ask yourself, “Do I really see these people as valuable individuals, or do I see them simply as figures passing through my day?” It’s easy to become focused on what we need to accomplish and miss the very present opportunity to interact and engage with the people in our path.

Several years ago, I was getting out of my car for an event at the Dallas Arboretum. The valet recognized me and said she had read some of my books. Trust me, this doesn’t happen very often, so understandably I wanted to visit with her. That encounter at the car led to an opportunity to mentor this positive and gifted young woman, and we are close friends to this day.

What made that connection work? It began by opening our eyes. She saw me as more than just a customer, but rather as a possible mentor. I saw her as more than a valet – I saw a smart girl filled with great enthusiasm and potential. What do you see as you observe the people around you?

How do we open our eyes to the treasure in others? What are some practical ways we can train our eyes to see beyond the immediate? Here are a few tips:

Strengthen your observation skills. Every time I’m in an airport waiting for my flight, I enjoy watching the people shuffling by me. I try to figure out where they are going and why, simply by observing what they are wearing or carrying. I employ a bit of imagination, but this little game helps me to pay attention to the details and improves my vision. Every person has a purpose or a reason for their journey, it takes a watchful eye to truly see.
Know their name. Savvy customer service companies are keenly aware of the power of a name. A thank you goes a whole lot further when it is accompanied by the person’s name and a smile. Often the name is easy to find because someone is wearing a name tag or handing you a credit card. If the name is not so obvious, introducing yourself only takes a moment. Use a name twice, then make a mental note of it, and you are more likely to remember it next time. Earl Nightingale put it this way, “Of all things people want, recognition is number one. And recognition means a name. It’s the sweetest sound a person can hear, even though you’ll never get them to admit it.”
Ask a question. The right question, at the right time can unveil a possible connection, a future opportunity or even a deep hurt or need. Recently, I was buying flowers at the grocery store and the customer next to me pushed aside the veil of isolation by saying, “Those are beautiful flowers. Are they for a special occasion?” What a great way to open up a conversation, when normally we would just stand there looking at our phones, waiting for our turn at the register. Questions are keys to unlock conversation and can be as simples as, “How are you doing today?” Or what about asking a waitress or a teacher or an Uber driver, “How can I pray for you?”

I know it’s a challenge for each of us to slow down, take our eyes off our agenda and pay attention to the people around us. Yet at the end of the day, what is more valuable than investing in another person’s life. It takes just a little extra effort to really see the person in front of us and care about his or her story, and certainly the reward is worth it. When we think about every individual as a beautiful creation of God, rather than just simply someone we pass on the street, it changes our perspective and makes every encounter shine brightly with potential.