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Our culture is craving leadership.  Every area and every section of our culture is looking for leadership.

The bad thing is that many times we have men and women who are in leadership positions that really have no clue what it means to be a leader.  Just because you have a title does not mean you are cut out to be a leader.

I think we all need to understand something first.  There is a battle going on right now between the person you currently are and the person you could potentially become.  The battle exists is excellence vs. mediocrity.   And in our culture, there are many who say just learn to live with mediocrity.  Don’t strive too hard because life’s short, just do stuff that makes you happy because life is all about being happy, right?   

That is a lie!  Life is not about being happy!  Life is about finding and having a purpose!  We were all created to have purpose, to have meaning! I can promise you this, once you do find purpose and you move to that next level of purpose, you’ll find some happiness, but the sum total game is not about happiness!

Here are three ways I think we all can become better leaders and find that purpose!

1. Attitude is everything.

Having the right attitude is the most important aspect of all.  I know so many people who have such a negative outlooks on so many things, and everything is doom and gloom. These people have what I like to call the Eeyore complex.  When given a project, task or mission they look at it as the glass is half empty.  This never helps anything.

Nine times out of 10, that attitude completes things and make the air in that environment toxic. Attitude is everything. We need more people who have an attitude of joy!  I love being around people that are joyful.  You do too!  That person that looks a trial or problem with optimism, even when it’s not a pleasant task.

Everyone has problems and trials in their life.  What would it look like if we all started looking at those ‘problems’ like they were a gift! Yes I said gift!  A gift to help mold and shape you into someone better!

Look at this:

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4).

I do understand that there are moments when the joy is not there, but I think when we strive to find that joy in all areas of our life that’s when things change!

2. Dreams are good, but goals are better.

I’m all for people “having dreams,” but in all reality, just having a dream never changed the world.  Putting legs on that dream is what brings things to life. Setting and achieving goals is how we transform and change the world.

We need more goal setters.  We need more goal achievers. Having a goal in your life truly gives you purpose.  Figure out what brings you to life and start there!

3. Write your goals down.  

A goal is just a DREAM until you write it down.  Put your vision on paper and start to focus on that. When your mission is visible to you and you can see and read it out loud, there is a strange activating agent that happens when you have your goals on paper!  What you focus on is what you become.

If you say things like: ‘I’m just an angry person, I’m just genetically inclined to be fat, ‘ you start to become that person, because you’ve made that agreement with yourself.  STOP THAT!  Make agreements with yourself that are beneficial.  Make agreements that really tell the truth.  ‘I’m a child of the THE KING.’  ‘I am actually worth something.’ Those agreements change stuff! I honestly think these three things can revolutionize your life!

As I said in the beginning, there is a battle, and only you can determine the path you’re going to walk on.   Are you going to give into the path of mediocrity or are you going to strive for excellence?