12/24/2023
While moving into our new home has been exhausting, stressful, and very exciting at the same time, I find moments like this to be transformative and eye-opening. I randomly found this note to myself that I wrote on 8/21/2018 as I started on my leadership and growth journey. I was still a recovery coach at the time at a local IOP when I began receiving leadership training from the executive director at Rivermend Health. The first book he had me read was John C. Maxwell's "The 5 Levels of Leadership." This introductory text taught me about the difference between positional leadership and pinnacle leadership, where people follow you because of who you are and what you represent. I wanted to share this because this work is so important and valuable to do. I started this specific and focused leadership work about six years ago, and today I have a great job where I get to be a servant leader of a team here in Atlanta.
This is the method that I took to level up, and I am currently undergoing another level up as I also build a side business while constructing a career with The Recovery Village Atlanta.
- Seek a mentor that embodies what you want to become in life. Watch how they act and start to take suggestions. You can have multiple mentors and multiple areas of expertise. Focus on one or two at a time tops so you can soak up their knowledge as an expert.
- Listen to their suggestions and follow through with action. Most successful people are eager to share their experience and knowledge with someone who is hungry.
- Read books in self-help, leadership, spiritual, and business. These are the only areas that I focus on, and I usually listen to one book on Audible while reading another, two books at a time. Do what works for you. Prior to getting sober in 2014, I never completed an entire book; in the last 10 years, I've read hundreds of books.
- Write down your goals; write down the specific big dream goal as clearly as possible and consult with it regularly. Create smaller goals that will move you in the direction of the bigger one. Pray for clarity and bring God into it.
- Meditate daily. Learn breathwork and meditation to help you get clear on your purpose in life. This will help you stay on track and grow spiritually, the most important part of my journey.
- The power of belief is everything! If you can believe, then you can achieve it.
- Exercise! Movement is so important on this journey. Strengthen your body, and the mind will follow!
- Sacrifice bad habits as you elevate and break patterns that keep you stuck.
- Gratitude! Your attitude will open up more doors than a degree any day. Having a positive attitude will open the doors of opportunity.
- Surround yourself with people that support you and encourage your growth. Look around you! The people that you surround yourself with will show you the direction of your life.
- Remain teachable. Learn from everyone and open your mind to new possibilities. Know-it-all-ism is detrimental to your full potential. Having the beginner's mind is very helpful for me.
- Stay creative. Think outside the box and put action to the plan. A million-dollar idea won't get anything unless you put action behind it. Talk is cheap!
- Learn to love the journey. The joy is definitely in the journey and building a life that's worth living.
- It's all spiritual in the end. We all have choices every day to learn, evolve, and grow spiritually or choose the alternative. Pick your path. Life is your spiritual teacher.
Just thought I would share. Hopefully this motivates someone to change their life as this information has completely transformed my life. Very grateful for God, my recovery, my family, and my new home! 🙏 I hope everybody has a merry Christmas 🎄 Truly grateful for the life that I get to live today!!!!
