Category Archives: Passion

Passion and the Why – Is it good or bad?

15 Friday Jan 2021

Posted by in Actions, Agenda, Attitude, Authentic, Character, Choice, Deciding, Decisions, Emotion, Know Your Why, Leader, Leadership, Motivation, Passion, Perception, Value

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In last week’s blog, I wrote on “Decision Making – Emotional or Factual?” One of the three areas where I believe decisions are made is with passion. A few people commented on it enough that I thought I would just use “passion” for our topic this week.

Going along with the title, is your “passion” for what you believe in good or bad? How you answer this, I know, is based on one’s perception and relativeness. However, I also know that putting perception and relativeness aside, your passion is defined by your values and even more by your core values. One of my great mentors at Mississippi College stated, “Values are what you believe in, core values are where you draw the line in the sand.”

A few friends emailed or stopped by to discuss “passion” as they see it regarding making decisions. Here are a few specific comments…

“To take positions we have to take for our clients, I must not only believe in the “rightness” of that position, but I need to have some passion for advancing that position… There are sometimes I do not believe in the “rightness” of what they wanted me to advance. The facts didn’t ‘geehaw’ with my core beliefs.”

“My experience is that some measure of passion for your positions on issues and core beliefs is necessary; otherwise, you come across as passive and lack genuineness.”

“It’s when passion is inappropriately expressed does it become detrimental. However, when you can exhibit passion properly (non-inflammatory), can passion help your cause.”

These are “spot on” with my belief as well on passion. Our passion has to be for the right thing. The “right thing” is where it gets fuzzy… I would say that the “right thing” depends on your “why”… the outcome you want (tangibles and intangibles), goals, motivation, attitude, etc… Is it for good or bad? Do you want revenge or to promote unity? Is your passion for selfish reasons, or is it being for others? Mostly, what is your agenda? I believe these are underlying thoughts as to what “fuels” our passion.

Upon a little digging… “The root of the word “passion” is found in the Latin word “passio.” From the late 1500’s “passio” began to take on the meaning of emotion and, in some cases, controlled emotion. And now we know why passion can help or hurt… it all depends on the “why” and if it is controlled.

Go be a great educator and leader today… Our future needs it…

Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…

©2021 J Clay Norton

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The Call of Teaching: Desire

10 Friday Aug 2018

Posted by in Attitude, Authentic, Desire, Heart, Ideals, Inspiration, Integrity, Leader, Leadership, Passion, Sacrifice, Servant, Teachers

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“Vocation” comes from a Latin word: VOCARE. It means “to be called”. I don’t work. I live my calling. Everyone’s calling has messy parts and costs them something, but when you are called there is no option not to answer it and pay the price to do what you love. That’s living. –        Brian Kight

Well, here we are again… The start of a new school year. I hope each of you had a great summer and are ready to tackle the next 180 days of the next ten months as we embark on another journey of educating the future.

As the faces of students and teachers change, one thing stays constant, the ideal of what teaching should be.

As we start today’s blog, let’s ask this question, “Can the high calling of teaching be placed on a pedestal?” At some point, we are all called to teach. We do it every day, conscientiously or not.

But, a teacher (and I am talking about those that are great at what they do) makes a significant contribution to the lives of their students.

great-teachers

Who are these teachers? Instead of giving you one long list of reasons why in one blog post, today I would like to provide you with one of four thoughts for the first part of our school year. Each idea is significant and can stand alone. However, when you put the whole list together, you get a powerful example of what the call of teaching can look like.

They are the ones who…

Have an overwhelming desire to do the work of teaching.

The one thing a teacher does on a daily basis is they step out of their own families to another family for eight hours a day. By the time a teacher gets home, eats, does homework, go to ball games, the time with their own families is very limited.  I say that to say this…

Teaching is a step forward to serve (I find it more and more that many teachers want to be served). Their passion to teach is so strong that the pull of the outside world and it’s negativity is negated inside classroom walls with the belief that yes, a student can learn and be successful even when that student does not do their part. A real teacher feels so strongly about their involvement with education that it is not merely something they want to do, but something they must do. This is what a desire to teach encompasses.

Do you know these types of teachers? Yes? No? Guess what; they are both out there. Some are giving oxygen and life while others are taking oxygen and life from what teaching should be.

As the new school year begins, only you know where you are with your attitude of teaching and what it should be. Better yet, if you are in denial about the whole idea, then do not worry… There are plenty of teachers who “get it” and understand the way it should be. All you have to do is start asking the students, they know.

Also, never lose sight of this as well…  Really good teachers are leaders.

For those who want to know what the next three topics to “The Call of Teaching” are, here you go.
Week 2: Gift
Week 3: Character
Week 4: Crisis for Good (not sure about this title yet…)

Remember… THINK LEADERSHIP!

©2018 J Clay Norton

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The CANNOTs of Leadership

06 Friday Apr 2018

Posted by in Actions, Attitude, Authentic, Balance, Choice, Clarity, Culture, Decisions, Humility, Ideals, Inspiration, Integrity, Leader, Leadership, Momentum, Opportunity, Passion, Perseverance, Power, Purpose, Servant, Team, Trust, Understanding, Unity

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“Leadership is an aspect of power, but it is also a separate and vital process in itself.” – James MacGregor Burns

Society has done a terrific job and an injustice of conditioning the minds of many leaders to be shallow and superficial. It distorts our thinking and our ability to make decisions. In some sense, it becomes a drug that is killing the future of what great, quality leadership should be.

Leadership-Featured.jpg

Photo Credit: gettingsmart.com

Unless there is a radical change in our thought process of the way we view leadership, to be for others and not ourselves, leadership will simply fade away.

Here are a few thoughts that we CANNOT allow ourselves to do…

  • We cannot simply flow with the societal trends of leadership.
  • We cannot elevate our leadership and at the same time not hold to the foundational truths of leadership.
  • We cannot promote our leadership by not living out what we say our leadership is.
  • We cannot fall victim not acknowledging that leadership requires humility.
  • We cannot fail to realize that leadership requires enthusiasm.
  • We cannot abandon our desire to want right leadership.

Today’s leadership models promote so much focus on self that we lose sight of serving others. It is self-absorbing. To make matters worse, we buy into it. We accept it as the norm. We allow it to become part of our inner being… ME FIRST!

Our defense against leadership, that is worldly and weakens right influence, relies on distrusting our ego to the point that we must separate the error it causes in our thinking.

Remember… THINK LEADERSHIP!

©2018 J Clay Norton

Follow me on Twitter at TheBookChamber

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The Cross and The Grave

29 Thursday Mar 2018

Posted by in Easter, Freedom, Heart, Heroes, Humility, Leader, Leadership, Passion, Power, Purpose, Sacrifice, Servant

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“… Why do you seek the living among the dead?  He is not here, but has risen…” – Luke 24: 5-6 ESV

Empty tomb

Printer Friendly version click here:  The Cross and The Grave

The Cross and The Grave

O Death where is your sting?
O Hell where is your victory?

There is none of either,
For it is Easter!

For it pleased God to bruise His heel,
And by His stripes, we are healed.

A Savior… beaten, flogged, spit upon, ridiculed.
Humble through it all.

On that rugged cross, the blood of Jesus dropped.
Securing our salvation, once and for all.

Carrying the sin of humanity upon His heart,
Crying to the Father, forsake me not.

A cry of “It is finished.”
Fulfilling prophecy that Satan could not stop.

Buried in a grave, not His own
Sealed by a stone, Dark.

Three days later.
The grave could not hold Him down.

God, looking down, said…
“Arise, My Love.”

Bursting forth, Light.
The stone was rolled away.

The Son of God, Jesus.
Sin, Death, Hell all have been defeated.

Easter…

The Day that Christ rose from the grave,
The moment captives of sin were set free.

That includes you and me.
Christ is risen, indeed!

Our God is not dead; He is ALIVE.

 

Remember… THINK LEADERSHIP!

©2018 J Clay Norton

Follow me on Twitter at TheBookChamber

Subscribe via email to my blog at the top of the page