The One Where he Doesn't Talk Law

I am going to take a break from talking about law and crisis planning. We all need a break from our own stuff every once in a while.

No, today we are going to talk about balance. So often we hear that we much establish work/life balance, but nobody ever says what that is. It is 50/50? 60/40? As a recent convert to running my own life, I can tell you that some days it is 100/0 while others it is 0/100. The point is that it is an average, right?

Maybe the secret is that the danger lies in assuming there are two sides to this coin rather than just “life.” As if you have a work life and a life life.

But I don’t and I assume you don’t either.

What I do have is a whole-life view of what I am doing. Early in this process I sat down and created a vision of where I wanted to take my family (with their input). It wasn’t two visions, one for work, and the other for life. It was ONE and it is epic. My daily list isn’t split in two. Fold the laundry is on the same list as follow up with the client. Going on a date with my wife is on the same long-term list as saving for college. Nothing works without being together. I am one person.

If you are caught in the cycle of trying to maintain “work/life” balance, perhaps you should consider jumping off of that bandwagon and on to the one that combines everything into on balance with one long-term vision. You are worth it.

The Speakers Collaborative Update

I am slowly getting my ducks in a row to get back on stage and speak. I have a great team looking for opportunities for me. This gives me a renewed sense of energy to get The Speakers Collaborative back on the docket.

I started the Collaborative to give aspiring speakers the skills and collateral needed to become a professional. We spend six weeks together, working through the logistics and details needed to be on stage. The final week is a fully produced community event for the speakers to give their talks. They walk away with everything needed: professional footage, headshots, testimonials, audience feedback, a relationship with an agent, and a newfound sense of accomplishment. Check out our alums here.

I am now recruiting for the next round of speakers. This fall I hope to produce collaboratives in:

• Raleigh (Cary)

• Denver

• Philadelphia

But I am also looking to expand beyond these cities. If you are interested in bringing the Collaborative to your town, let’s talk!

What I am reading:

Unoffendable by Brant Hanson

It turns out giving up your "right" to be offended can be one of the most freeing, healthy, simplifying, relaxing, refreshing, stress-relieving, encouraging things you can do. It's a radical, provocative idea: We're not entitled to get offended or stay angry. The idea of our own "righteous anger" is a myth. It is the number one problem in our societies today and, as Dallas Willard says, Christians have not been taught out of it. But what if Christians were the most unoffendable people on the planet?

In Unoffendable, you will find concrete, practical ways to live life with less stress, including:

• Adjusting your expectations to fit human nature

• Replacing perpetual anger with refreshing humility and gratitude

• Embracing forgiveness and beginning to love others in unexpected ways

Newly revised with two brand-new chapters on forgiveness and what Hansen has learned since writing his original book, this updated edition of the bestselling book is a must-hear for every Christian. In a humorous and conversational style, Unoffendable seeks to lift religious burdens from our backs and allow us to experience the joy of gratitude, perhaps for the first time, every single day of our lives—flourishing the way God intended.