My Single Largest Expense
It’s bigger than my car payment. Bigger than my real estate taxes. Bigger than my house payment.
In fact, it’s bigger than all of those combined!
What is my single largest household expense?
Fuel.
Just add it up.
For starters, I’ve got fuel for our vehicles and mowers (gasoline), my home (natural gas & electric), and our bodies (food & drink).
Some may see this as nothing more than a necessary burden that simply lurks below the surface of real life.
We hardly even think of fuel in a broader context. And we rarely talk about it as a combined expense category (outside of seemingly obligatory complaints about inflation).
But let’s scratch just a little bit deeper. Why is fuel such an incessant need, and therefore a significant expense?
Because it is constantly being “burned” in the natural process of achieving some desired outcome. And for us to continue to obtain those desired outcomes, fuel must be consistently replenished.
No fuel in the tank? No attainment of desired outcome.
What does this mean for us as leaders?
One of the most significant contributions you and I make to our world – our families, our churches, our communities, and our vocations – goes well beyond our physical ability to show up.
Our greater impact is engaged when we expertly engage our mental, emotional, and spiritual capacities.
These are the arenas of differentiation. They are what define us as a “leader.”
Our physical health is vitally important. The “vehicle” must be in good working order.
But the fuel we burn as leaders goes well beyond the physical nutrients we consume in our food and drink.
You and I, if we are to lead in a healthy, God-honoring way, are required to fuel our hearts (EQ), our minds (IQ), and our souls (SQ) as well as our bodies.
And I would argue…as frequently as our bodies.
You may already appreciate this reality at one level or another, but here is my challenge to you…
Our heart, mind, and soul fuel tanks need constant and consistent refilling!
We fuel our bodies, stereotypically anyway, three times a day.
Why? Because our bodies burn energy constantly. We must feed the engine on a regular basis, or it will cease to perform.
I challenge us all, in the spirit of The H3 Leader (Humble | Healthy | Holistic) to feed our heart, soul, mind, AND strength engines every single day – maybe even multiple times a day.
Because the world needs you. Your people need you. The Kingdom needs you.
Whether they realize it or not, the world around us is crying out for Kingdom minded leaders that have the stores of energy needed to build into them as we shape a better tomorrow.
Stores of energy in all four of the key arenas of our existence: Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength.
Blessings to you, my friends!
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This Week’s Resource Recommendations:
“I Dare You!” – William H. Danforth
“Square One” – Joseph Maroon, MD
Deep down in my spirit, I have a book brewing. I’ve got a few boxes to check before I “go there”, but when that day comes, my book will likely sit on a shelf next to these two.
Personally, I believe the greatest command speaks to our need to “Love the LORD your God with all your [entire being].” Our heart, soul, mind, and strength represent the entirety of our being. As such, these are the “key arenas of our existence” that deserve consistent focus and attention.
“I Dare You!” is the expression of Danforth's personal philosophy of "Four-square" personal development. This brief book will provide you with the roadmap for success as well as a jolt of energy encouraging you to follow that path and fulfill your potential. Danforth believed that four key components (or "squares") – the mental, the physical, the social, and the religious – needed to be in balance in order to achieve fulfillment and success in life.
A rapid series of losses and setbacks led Maroon into a baffling new reality – and straight into the darkness of depression. His unexpected savior was a slim, leather-bound book titled “I Dare You!”, which taught him how to address four key areas so important to rebalancing his life. In “Square One: A Simple Guide to a Balanced Life” Maroon combines deeply personal anecdotes with illuminating scientific explanations to help readers consider their own priorities. With keen insights into what it takes to avoid burnout and to seek more joy and creativity, Maroon guides readers from all occupations and professions back to "square one" so they can lead more balanced and truly successful lives.
MMS 24-02
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Blessings to you, my friend!
