Making Your Life Count - Fulfillment through Influence

FULFILLMENT IN LIFE AND INFLUENCE GO HAND IN HAND
 
Last week, and continuing this week, the focus of The Weekly Trio has been, and will be, about the power of influence. 
 
There is no fulfillment in life without influence.  Your influence potential determines your leadership potential.
 
“Give me a lever long enough and I shall move the world.” 
Archemedes
 
3 - KEYS TO FULFILLMENT IN YOUR LIFE
John Maxwell, best-selling author, speaker, successful entrepreneur, and leadership expert says that Fulfillment - making your life count, is determined by three key factors:
            1. Your ability to influence people

            2. Your understanding of true success

            3. Your commitment to live a life of significance

A person of influence: a) has integrity with people; b) has faith in people; c) connects with people; and d) communicates from the heart.  To explore each of these elements further — keep reading!

Integrity Insights: 

Commit Yourself to Countability.  Teammates must be able to count on each other when it counts.

Decide ahead of time that you don’t have a price.  (”Few people have the virtue to withstand the highest bidder.”)

Years ago, when the Tylenol contamination issue happened, within hours of that crisis hitting, the president of Johnson and Johnson ordered all capsules off the shelf, knowing it was a $100 million decision.  When reporters asked how he could decide so easily and rapidly on such a major decision, his reply was, “I was practicing what we agreed on in our mission statement - it is always easy to do right when you know ahead of time what you stand for.”

Faith in People Insights:
When you believe in people you encourage them, you believe in them before they succeed, you emphasize their strengths, you instill confidence when they fail, you help them visualize their success in advance, and you expect them to grow to a higher level of living.

Connecting with People Insights:

Be the initiator — initiate movement toward them

Look for common ground

Find out their hopes, dreams, aspirations and goals

Communicate from the Heart Insights:

Leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand.  “If you would win a man to your cause, first convince him that you are his sincere friend.”  - Abraham Lincoln

Capture their heart with the depth of your passion and conviction, before you try to influence them with the height of your logic.

DAILY PRAYER 
A model for connection is Our Father as detailed in Deuteronomy 10:1-11:25.
> God communicated His powerful nature, but also His personal love for the descendants of Abraham (10:12-22)
> God reminded the people of the miracles He performed to rescue them from Egypt (11:1-7)
> He also predicted continued blessings if the Israelites would remain faithful (11:8-17)
> God emphasized His plan to bless Hebrew families and possessions
 
Father, thank you for modeling the power of connecting to others.  You don’t simply demand obedience without giving sufficient reason — you cast a vision, a reason why.  Help us to do the same in the process of influencing and leading those in our lives — and finding fulfillment in our own life.  In Jesus name, Amen.
 
 
For a total of 4 days we have discussed the principles and strategies of influence, tomorrow we examine tactical approaches to influencing others.
 
Grace and peace multiplied to you.