Jeanne Mayo | SIGNIFICANT QUESTIONS
I recently received an email from a member of my Cadre who was wondering, "Am I asking the right questions?" Sadly, not too many people pause to ask those kinds of questions.
Though the word-game has become trite, his questions are now beginning to shift from "success" to "significance." I realize the worn out nature of those two words; but they aptly describe the transition he is wanting to make.
"Success" questions mostly deal with short-term goals and rewards (i.e. "How can I raise the budget?" and "How did this year compare to last year in accomplished goals?")
"Significance" questions mostly deal with INTERNAL DEPTH, MULTIPLICATION, AND LEGACY.
Let me give you a few of my "Significance Questions" through the years.
INTERNAL DEPTH:
MULTIPLICATION:
LEGACY:
As I type these questions, I'm reminded of the shallowness of what the church calls "success." As always, success and internal fulfillment remain an "inside job."
Though the word-game has become trite, his questions are now beginning to shift from "success" to "significance." I realize the worn out nature of those two words; but they aptly describe the transition he is wanting to make.
"Success" questions mostly deal with short-term goals and rewards (i.e. "How can I raise the budget?" and "How did this year compare to last year in accomplished goals?")
"Significance" questions mostly deal with INTERNAL DEPTH, MULTIPLICATION, AND LEGACY.
Let me give you a few of my "Significance Questions" through the years.
INTERNAL DEPTH:
- What part of my character am I purposefully focusing on to grow at this season of my life?
- Where, internally, am I still "wearing skins?" (Jacob/Esau parallel..."skins" being the parts on my inner-person where I'm secretly trying to be someone I am not.)
- Who in my life is genuinely allowed access to the deepest parts of me and is deeply listened to when they "tweak" and reveal what they see?
- What is honestly my deepest fear and is it quietly motivating me or crippling me at this point in my journey?
MULTIPLICATION:
- What are the islands of strength in my life that have now become clear that I should focus on in order to create maximum impact?
- What should soon be put on my "NOT To-Do List"? In other words, for maximum multiplication of my strengths, what am I doing now that someone else could do and allow me more time to focus on my strengths?
- Who are the key people in my life that I am giving myself deeply to (aside from my immediate family) people who have enough leadership and influence aptitude to "multiply the multiplier"? My son, Josh, once said to me, "My life listens deeply to yours." So by whom else might that authentically be said?
LEGACY:
- What are the 5-7 words I want people to honestly be able to describe me with at my funeral?
- If true success is that "those who know me best, love me most" (my personal definition) then how, in brutal honesty, can I be a better wife and mother (husband and father)?
- Gandhi's words are simple but profound: "Be the change you wish to see in the world." With that in mind, what is beginning to emerge in my life as the "slice of change" I would like to create through my life? This will be tweaked and perhaps totally changed as the years go on. Mine began as an internal mission to "Motivate and mentor Kamikaze Christianity into practicing and potential kingdom champions." Then as the years progressed, another "layer" began to emerge which will probably be my deeper legacy, "To encourage, equip, inspire and instruct the youth leaders of this generation." To me, those words are so much more than trite mission statements. They become "umpires," calling in and out the decisions and priorities in my life.
As I type these questions, I'm reminded of the shallowness of what the church calls "success." As always, success and internal fulfillment remain an "inside job."