Leadership

I returned on Friday energized from Willow Creek's Leadership Summit, held near Chicago. What a conference! The theme of the conference was "Lead Where You Are" and it was appropriate. The conference had over 7,000 attendees and featured leaders in the Christian and secular community. Some of the bigger names were Tim Keller, Bono (via video), David Gergen, and Tony Blair (via video). There were others as well, but those were the ones most recognized.

The crowd was massive and Willow Creek put on quite a production. Their stage and lighting were on a professional scale. The sound and video system are to be rivaled. They conference was done very well and I was greatly impressed.

I'll confess that I was not thrilled to be going to the conference. In my mind, a leadership conference hosted at a church whispered of hokeyness. I was attending and expecting the worst. Thankfully, I got the best.

The speakers were experts in their fields. Some are in government, such as David Gergen and Tony Blair. Others are in entertainment, such as Bono. Others lead in the Christian community, like Tim Keller and Bill Hybels (pastor of Willow Creek). There were also leaders in business, such as Jessica Jackley (founder of Kiva) and Wess Stafford (founder of Compassion International).

I can't begin to breakdown all of what I learned, but I will try to offer some highlights:

• Leaders today must mobilize, connect, and support those who follow them (Gary Hamel)
• Organizations are becoming flat and flexible, rather than institutionalized and hierarchical. We must reinvent how we manage and lead to reflect these changes (Gary Hamel)
• "The main thing separating you from God is not your sins, but your damnable good deeds" (Tim Keller). Too often we focus on the good works we are doing and begin to think of ourselves more high and mighty than we should. What motivates your good deeds? Keep that in check.
• Get out of your huddle and BE the game (Harvey Carey). Carey compared the church to a Superbowl. Imagine you buy tickets and attend the Superbowl. The players come onto the field and get in their huddle, planning for the game. They huddle for five minutes, then ten, then thirty, and eventually for 45 minutes. The crowd watches, getting restless. Finally, the huddle breaks and the players leave the field to go home. That's what many churches are like. The members go to church on Sunday, huddle and pray for their communities and world, but never actually go and play in them. They just huddle. Carey's point was this: stop planning, praying, and talking about making a difference and DO IT.
• "Failure is a success to God" (David Gibbons). Our failures are what the world connects with us on. Most of the world doesn't understand success, but all of it understands failure. Don't let your life failures stop you, because God can use them for higher purposes than we can imagine.
• Listen to peoples' stories (David Gibbons)
• We must advocate TRADE and not AID to Africa (Andrew Rugasira, founder of Good African Coffee in Uganda). What do you think of when you hear the word Africa? More often than not, you think of poverty, disease, and malnutrition. Retrain your brain. Africa is a nation of opportunity, entrepeneurs, consumers, and innovators. If we really want to aid Africa, we must help it change from the inside. No successful country has developed from handouts, so why do we keep trying to do it with Africa? We should buy products from Africa and support businesses from there.
• Believe in the potential of one another (Jessica Jackley, co-founder of Kiva)
• Leadership without passion and integrity isn't leadership. Leadership is a gift, given to a leader everyday (Wess Stafford, founder of Compassion International)
• People don't care what you know until they know why you care. God has given us all a story to be used for Him. We have worth beacuse of who gives us worth, not because of what we do (Wess Stafford)
  
• "Maturity is coming to grips with your great flaws" (David Gergen)
• "Who the leader is speaks as loudly as what he says" (David Gergen)
• These personal habits were suggested: self-discipline, make time for people you cherish/social relationships, be physically fit, keep regular habits, and make time for reflection (David Gergen)
• If you want to see change, BE THE CHANGE you want to see in the world (Gandhi, quoted by Gergen)
• Change comes about through buy-in. Big problems can be solved through small solutions (Dan and Chip Heath)
• Be honest and lead with a spirit of humility (Bono)
• Leadership is a blessing and a gift (Tony Blair)
• "Not every reader is a leader, but every leader is a reader" (David Gergen, quoting someone else whose name I didn't catch)

Bill Hybels, pastor of Willow Creek church, closed the Leadership Summit with practical challenges that we can undertake daily:

• Make time to meet with God everyday
• Commit to reading good books at least 30 minutes a day
• Review your replenishment strategy (Romans 8:6)
• Say "yes" to God every time the spirit prompts you
• Stop complaining about the lack of resources you have and equip with what you do have
• Believe in yourself

The conference was one that I will never forget. The highlights above are just nuggets of what was shared. I was spiritually renewed, mentally challenged, and reminded that there is SO much to do out there. Each of us can make a difference and lead where were are. It always starts with one.

Here are some pictures taken after then conference while we were in the airport. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of my boss, but here are two ladies with whom I work that are both colleagues and friends of mine:

Lisa-Jo and Juliene

Lisa-Jo and I

All Quiet on the Eastern Front

It's been a nice evening. The weather was perfect for sitting outside on the porch. Chardonnay in hand, I caught up with a friend. Though the mosquitoes are unforgiving, it's worth the battle to take in the fresh air (minus the lingering bug spray) and enjoy the movement of the city street.

The house is quiet. All of my roomies are gone- involved in their own plans. I enjoy it. I wonder how long I will be living in the group home atmosphere. My heart often longs for solitude and a place to call my own, or at least one to call "ours" without referencing more than two people.

I bid my friend farewell and piddled in the kitchen. Dinner called and I had to answer. I listened to the music as loud as I liked. There was no one else to worry or bother. No one else to worry or bother me either.

The clothes are drying and my suitcase remains empty still. I am leaving for Chicago tomorrow afternoon. There's a conference that my team (from work) and I are attending that will go until Friday evening. I am excited to explore Chicago a bit and hope there is some free time to do so. The conference is from 9-5 during the day, which means our evenings are free. On Thursday night, we'll attend the Blue Man Group. We've already bought the tickets and I am anticipating a memorable performance. From the limited exposure I've seen (on television), it looks like an exceptional show.

I fly home in time to still get a weekend. My flight arrives in DC before midnight on Friday. I'm looking forward to some down time the rest of the weekend.

Next week looks pretty slow at work. We're wrapping up some details on our conference planning before things start jumping again. At the end of the week, I'm looking forward to heading to NC to spend some time at home. I haven't been home since Christmas and am WAY past due. A long weekend with my family will do me some good.

The suitcase is calling. I must answer. Chicago beckons louder.

Quickly

I have caught up on my homework and feel comfortable enough to let it rest for the time being. I am not at my desk, where projects face me. I have a few moments of quiet. Mallory is sleeping in the other room and I am relaxing on her lanai as I begin day two of my vacation in Mississippi and the deep south.

Seems like the pace back in DC has been a little hectic lately. Drew has returned from France and there are now six of us living in the house. The older I get, the more roommates I am acquiring. It seems to go against my nature, but no one ever said that I'd live what I expected. Drew will be with us until the end of August before he moves to NY to finish grad school.

I've had recent vacations to Florida and the NC beach within the past month. Some pictures of Florida have been posted, but the beach pictures won't make it up here until I return from MS and visiting Mal.

Dave is away at bootcamp, so Mallory and I have uninterrupted sister time. Although I love and miss Dave, it's been fun to have my sister to myself. Yesterday I arrived and she gave me a tour of Gulfport, where she is living. I was really surprised to still see a lot of devastation from Katrina. There are many boarded buildings and overgrown lots where people just never returned to their homes or businesses. Signs advertising restaurants and shops stand tall, beatnen by a storm that stole what they represented. In place of the restaurant or store is an empty lot, weeds, and tall grass. Construction is rampant. No neighborhood is immune from Caterpillars, large trucks, and the sound of rebuilding. It's been over five years. I can't imagine what it was like even four years ago.

Besides the tour, we went to a restaurant new to Mallory, but one that she has been wanting to try. It's called Back Bay and it was delicious! We had their shrimp toast, which was slightly toasted bread covered in a creamy white sauce with shrimp, crawfish, red peppers, and mushrooms in it. Mmm. It didn't stand a chance. For our entrees we split pan seared grouper, fried shrimp, sauteed zucchini and squash, and hush puppies. Mal had a glass of wine and I had Abita, which is an amber beer brewed in New Orleans.

After I wake Mal, our plan today is to hit the pool for a little bit. They have a mineral pool in their apartment complex. Don't ask me what all that entails, but Mal seems pretty excited about it. After the pool, we're hitting the road for two days and nights in New Orleans. I am so excited to see Mal in New Orleans and experience the fun city again. New Orleans has always been on my top five places of favorite vacations. I'm excited about experiencing it again after about seven years of having not been there. Mufalettas, Cafe du Monde, Pat O'Brien's, Court of Two Sisters, and Bourbon Street here we come. I can practically smell the coffee and beignets. I can hear the music and taste the sweet hurricane.

Neglect

According to Merriam-Webster (2009), the word Neglect means two things: 1) to give little attention or respect to and 2) to leave undone or unattended especially through carelessness.

It seems a bit harsh and tough to swallow, but I realize this is what My Palette has been looking like lately. I promise to provide some updates soon to include: A Parisian Visitor, Fourth of July, and Vacation updates. I'll also be providing some pics.

Thanks for keeping tabs on me. I love sharing with you guys (all three of my loyal readers!) ;)

Counting Down

I am in official countdown mode for several things:

1. The Scale: I've lost 11 pounds on Master Cleanse so far. Granted, I'll probably gain at least half of it back once I start eating food again, but 11 pounds is a good number to have in nine days.
2. One.Five days: That's how many days (including today) that I have left on Master Cleanse. The fast is supposed to last at least ten days. Tomorrow will be day ten.
3. Three days: FOOD! I can eat it on Saturday. Although I go off the fast tomorrow night, I have to ease back into a normal diet so I don't freak out my body. So, Friday I can have orange juice and water. Whoot whoot. I'm looking forward to drinking something other than lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, and tea. On Saturday, I'm supposed to only drink broths and orange juice. I think I'll start slipping in some fruits later in the day though. At that point I'll be to the fourth thing I'm in countdown for...
4. VACATION! My plane lands in FL in the afternoon and I plan on being by the pool pretty soon after that. I can't wait to see my family again!

I wish I'd kept a detailed daily report of my Master Cleanse experience. It's been an interesting ten day journey. I've definitely noticed how much of my life revolves around food. Whether I am going out with people to eat, having people over for coffee or drinks, or just socializing while snacking, food plays a big part in my life.

The cleanse is supposed to purge my body of a lot of "gook" inside my intestines. So, hypothetically, I'm a lot cleaner inside now. I think I'm going to keep it that way as much as possible. This means shaving out fattier foods from my everyday diet, including those high in sugar, sodium, and grease. In addition, I've detoxed from caffeine and plan on reducing it so I don't become addicted again. I think I have a pretty healthy diet compared to some, but I know there's always room for improvement. This cleanse will be the jump start that I need.

One also can't forget exercise! Now that I'm fitting back into the clothes I wore this time last year (when I was running a lot more), it's motivation to begin running again. I love how my body feels now (minus the hunger pangs) and hope to maintain this look and feel.