?If I would have known then what I know now.? How many times have we heard that statement or maybe even said it ourselves? It?s usually in response to something that an older or more experienced person sees as a bruise to their past or a learning curve from their previous years. The truth is, the older we get, the more we know. There?s something about life experience that teaches us great things with hard teaching methods. Life has a way of humbling us and teaching us along the way.[quote]Life has a way of humbling us and teaching us along the way.[/quote]
As a young leader, it?s often tempting for me to look at my lack of life experience and bruises and see it as a blockade to achieving success now. It?s like I think I have to fail a bunch and get kicked in the throat to be a successful leader or person. Life is a great teacher, but as a young person, you and I have incredible opportunities in front of us now that a future ?us? will be mad we let slip by. While our life experience is lacking, we have other great opportunities and traits that make success a current possibility and not some fleeting fantasy.
Passionate Living
If you want to see someone live and lead a passionate life, look at a young person with a fresh vision of what could be. Passion is the thing that swells inside of us that makes us turn ideas into action. Passion is the thing that helps us take thoughts like, ?Man, I wish someone would see that,? to, ?I?m going to do something about that.?[quote]Passion is the thing that swells inside of us that makes us turn ideas into action.[/quote]
As young leaders, our passion meter is sky high. You see, sometimes that life experience that is so great for knowledge and handling people and conflict can kill some of the passion as the years go by. As young leaders, our lack of experience can be overshadowed by our passionate pursuit of what God has placed inside of us.
During the summer months, I love grilling out in the back yard. I have what seems to be a newer grill, but the igniter switch on it fell by the wayside a summer or two ago. Anytime I light my grill now, I have to turn the gas on and hold a lighter inside the grill. The combination of the propane gas and my long lighter sends a quick flame up the grill burners. Our passion is just like that lighter in our leadership. The passion we have, when used correctly with a vision from God, can ignite a life-changing, world-shaking, community-reaching spark.
Social Relationships
As young people, we often get a bad rap for our determination to build relationships online. Sure, some of it is legitimate and deserved, but our ability to build relationships in a variety of ways gives us unique and excellent opportunities. Never before has a generation or a group of people had the opportunity to form relationships with so many people in so many parts of the world. Never before has our voice been able to carry as far as it does today. Sure, we can?t just shout from our corner of the Internet, but social media gives us great opportunities to network, share, and connect with a vast array of people around the world. It starts with a connection online or with a connection at a meet-up and soon, we young leaders have become acquaintances, colleagues, or even friends.[quote]Our ability to build relationships in a variety of ways gives us unique and excellent opportunities.[/quote]
Invaluable Time
Time is valuable. We all have the same amount each day. But how we use it is what really sets some apart and leaves others ineffective. As young leaders, we often have more time than our more experienced peers. Never before has a generation stayed unmarried longer. Many of the young leaders with spouses don?t have children yet and those that do have young ones. We have an incredible opportunity to maximize our time. If we?re willing to steward our time well and capitalize where our schedule allows, we?ll see an impact and success that pushes our generation forward.[quote]We have an incredible opportunity to maximize our time.[/quote]
As young leaders and as young people in general, we have to recognize how blessed we really are. There?s no reason that our generation can?t change the world. There are incredible opportunities and resources in front of us. The question that remains is will we recognize the opportunities and capitalize on them?
