When God wants you to follow a particular path, God will clear all obstacles from your way.

This belief has occupied my mind these past few weeks. In this short span of time, we managed to get our current house under contract and have an offer accepted on our top home in Austin, TX. So, as of August 1, we will be official Texans and Austinites.

Yet, even though most of these things easily fell into place, we did (and still do) experience some nail-biting and gut-wrenching episodes surrounding financing and repairs on our present home. I must admit that there have been more than a few times when my wife and I looked back on our decision to move and asked whether it was the right decision. Was our determination to move to another state 1500 miles away justified? Or was it a semi-delusional dream for new adventure and a better way of life? Of course, these are the questions we ask in our darker hours…but, when we reenter the light we know that this is the right path and that Austin has always been preparing to accept us. In the end, we recognize that these past few months have been an exercise in faith.

Still, it’s almost impossible to not obsess over all the details and the potential areas where things could go wrong. Fortunately, I received a trackback from Halina Goldstein who writes a blog called The Inner Travel Journal. Wandering through her blog, I discovered a post called Obsessions that really spoke to me. She writes of how we neglect the present by overfocusing on the past and the future:

Each moment is potentially exploding with energy, creativity and significance. Exactly how this I cannot say — but I know that it’s true. And the more I’m willing to let go of empty thoughts about something in the future that may or may not come true (and they will never come true exactly as I’ve imagined them anyhow), the more I’m willing to simply RESPECT THIS VERY MOMENT, NOW, the more I will enjoy my journey.

It’s a beautifully stated reminder for us to slow down, breathe, and get present. After all, that’s all we really have that’s real.

My wife brought me a lesson yesterday evening that really hit home. She was chatting with a friend from a past job who had some interesting news about a former co-worker. Turns out he got fired for both not adhering to clearly communicated working policies and thinking he was above those rules as an assistant manager.

Well, that’s really not why he got fired…that’s merely why he landed himself in some pretty hot water. What got him booted from his job was being defensive and indignant and rather unapologetic about his actions.

As an assistant manager or senior director or any position of organizational authority, we are all leaders. And as leaders with power, we have a greater set of expectations and must model a higher set of values for those around us. As Uncle Ben famously tells Peter Parker, “With great power comes great responsibility.” That’s responsibility that cannot be abused.

However, we all stumble from time to time…it’s human nature. How we react after those stumblings reflects on our own sense of leadership character. What should we do when we fall?

Take full responsibility. Not a little, not three-quarters, but full responsibility. Leaders don’t shirk their own accountability. If you crossed a line or broke a rule, come clean about it. And even if you feel partly justified in your action, ask whether that justification comes from your own pride and ego.

Ask for forgiveness. As hard as it is to say “I’m sorry,” there are few words in the language that have as much power. Make it honest and sincere, make it from the heart.

Seek to understand how to earn trust and respect back. This is usually the part that gets missed and yet can be the most valuable.

Act. Now, show your contrition by making the most of the moment. Your character is on the line. How will you respond?

Ever have the thought that the sooner you find your purpose in life, the happier you’ll feel? It’s kind of like our unique sense of purpose is the final piece to the puzzle of life and once it locks into place…well then we can check that one off the list and then really start living.

I admit this trap is hard not to fall into at times. And when you do, it’s always nice to have someone help you climb out. For instance, I like what Patricia Soldati writes in her article, Finding Purpose: Don’t Let It Get You Down:

Purpose is not a thing, or a goal to be achieved. Maybe it’s your work…or maybe not. It lives on no one’s timetable and defies any systemic approach that says, “At the end of this lesson, you will be able to…”

In fact, the more you hard-core it – set your mind to finding it – the more elusive it becomes. You end up chasing away that which you most want to embrace in your life.

She then lists four ways to reconsider the journey of finding purpose. My big takeaway? Number 2: Find it outside of your own needs. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in my own sense of self-exploration, I forget that the answers to the really big questions just might exist outside of myself.

Don Blohowiak at Leadership. Now. has a kick-butt post called Boomers on Holiday, and while the focus was on my dad’s generation it still resonates with me as a Gen-Xer. Here’s a taste:

Most boomers are weary…They’re weary to the bone of a career that has been predicated on one word: More. As in ever-more work to meet ever-rising expectations — their employer’s for productivity, and their own for consumption.

I can’t think of anything more depressing than the thought that we’re all going to be expected to continue to keep up this pace for more. It will come at the price of our very souls.

Yet, that takes the power out of our hands. It’s as if our businesses and organizations are winged monsters unable to be corralled and brought back to earth. Boomers may indeed be weary, but Don also offers a bright spark in that this generation still has the music and a move or two left:

We’re about to rediscover our music. And ourselves. We know we aren’t handing to our children the world we envisioned. That’s true. But we’re not done yet. Chances are that once freed from the shackles of being wage slaves, legions of former idealists will roll up their sleeves and get to work on work that matters, working part-time or as volunteers on causes they believe in.

Hell, yeah. Something tells me that we just may be on the cusp of a quite revolution where we reinvigorate ourselves and our work. Where work is not something to be feared or assumed grudgingly, but a full effort of our unique selves. If boomers are weary, its time for us youngsters to step up and lend a hand. It’s our time.

Perusing other career blogs today, I came across this post at Recruiting.com. The idea that companies might do credit checks on new hires isn’t exactly a new concept. I have to admit that after my last foray into the self-employment world a year or so ago, my credit isn’t as sparkling as it used to be. Good enough to get a decent mortgage on a home, though.

What gave me reason to have a good laugh is this quote:

“Typically, people who manage finances well manage their lives well and are less stressed, likely to be more honest and more in control of their workday and their home life,” said Maxine Sweet, a spokeswoman for Experian, one of the nation’s biggest credit bureaus. “A credit report is not only reflective of your financial position but your character.”

Gee Maxine, I sure hope you said that with your tongue firmly planted in cheek. Anyone know how to get their hands on Ken Lay’s or Tom DeLay’s credit rating? I’d like to put Ms. Sweet’s theory to a rigorous test.

Double bonus points for reading the comments at the end of the post. It’s good to know your legal rights.

When you talk about love in the workplace, most folks think of inter-office romances or tawdry office affairs. At the very least, our culture teaches us that love should not be part of our workplace vernacular. That’s unfortunate since it is love which energizes us toward new heights and gives us courage to take authentic action.

Over the past couple of days, I’ve been reflecting on what Dennis Bakke in Joy At Work says about love and its place in our worklives. Rather than running away from love because it’s “mushy” or “soft” or simply “inappropriate,” what else is there?

It is love that allows us to give up our power of control. It is love that allows us to treat each person in our organization with respect and dignity. Love sends people around the world to serve others. Love inspires people to work with greater purpose.

As for when we feel attacked or misunderstood in our work, Bakke continues with his own experience:

Love helps me understand why some colleagues, supervisors, board members, and subordinates did not subscribe to my theories or behave in a manner consistent with our highest principles and values. Love makes it possible for me to forgive those who derided my views and caused me so much pain. Because love is directed toward others, it allows for the possibility that my critics were right and I was wrong. And, if I was wrong, I would hope that love would enable my detractors to forgive the forceful way I pushed my philosophy. (italics mine)

And as for why bringing love to our workplace is so important:

I continue to believe that love is the final and crucial ingredient in a joy-filled workplace. It is a state of mind that requires no extra costs and no difficult trade-offs against competing organizational goals. It does not demand higher compensation or fancy offices or sophisticated information systems or more specialized staff people. Yet love is perfectly consistent with even the most aggressive economic goals.

Some folks may bristle and disbelieve that last statement about the compatibility of love with making a profit, but I share his faith. In today’s world, profit is really easy come, easy go. Even those companies and non-profits who have enjoyed consistent growth can’t accurately predict the future or increasingly fickle customers. But, love is always there for us, always within us to bring to our work and those we work with. That’s the challenge, though…often it takes courage to bring that love to places where love may not always be present or to folks who don’t believe it belongs in a professional office environment.

Today, keep the Beatles in your heart and sing, “All you need is love, love, love is all you need.”