We are celebrating our second anniversary! Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your leadership journey for the last two years. On September 9th, 2012 I published my first Aspire blog post, which I wrote while I was traveling to Manhattan. Leading up to that first post, the website had been ready for months, but I did not have the courage to start writing and posting.
What if I had nothing to say on a consistent basis??I thought.
But I started?
And with the help and encouragement of many, I was able to remain consistent. Last year I listed a few people whom I wanted to thank for participating with me on this journey. These are the same people who have continued to stick by me. I want to thank them all for believing in me and in the message Aspire aims to share. Thank you for the personal texts saying, “I loved today’s blog.” And thank you for emailing me about how you forwarded certain articles to key people you thought would benefit from reading them. I want to especially thank Andria Bicknell and Amy Rawle for their tireless work in making each blog read well and look as sharp as possible.
I am in San Diego as I write this post. I am visiting my friend and mentor, Dr. Tony Baron, who is a professor of leadership at Azusa Pacific University, and the author of many books on leadership including The Art Of Servant Leadership.?This morning, I was privileged to attend the first service of a brand new church pioneered by Dr. Baron’s son. At 27, Alex is pastoring a group of wonderful families, and today they met for their first official service at a local pizza restaurant.
As I sat there next to my friend Tony, and his wonderful wife Bobbie, I reflected upon this momentous inaugural service. I thought how inspiring it is to see leaders of all ages aiming to impact their circles. Even though I do not know Alex very well, I could tell that today was a big day for him and his leadership team. He must have thought about it for a while. He must have had moments of reservation. He must have prayed and sought the counsel of others.
But at the end of the day, he started. Today was his day to start.?With a measure of reflective humility, I simply want to ask you and myself this question today:
What have you been waiting on to start?
And I will continue?
Dr. Baron reminded me on this trip that I should always write about what I am passionate about. He also reminded me that passion is what we are willing to suffer for. Passion makes?the message worth the effort. How true. Whether it?s writing a blog, leading medical practices, or pastoring a brand new church, the second question before us today is this:
Are we living in our passion?
Look for that. Because it will stir you up to continue. Because it will keep you charging forward when times are tough. I know Alex will continue. I could see it in his eyes. I saw the promise of a young pastor who will go forth giving his life to the people and God he loves and to the message for which he is willing to suffer.
I am more passionate than ever to help grow leaders!
Looking ahead…?
As promised, a selection of the more popular blogs I have written have been grouped topically into nine chapters, and will be released in a hardback book entitled, Healthy Leadership: A Doctor’s Prescription for Becoming a Better Leader. This book is foreworded by my friend and mentor, Rick Merrill, the president and CEO of the Cook Children’s Health Care System. Please stay tuned for announcements regarding its release and for details regarding our book launch event.
Over the next year, I plan to continue blogging twice a week on leadership, on Mondays and Fridays. Additionally, over the next six months, a few key leaders in my inner circle will write guest blogs to be posted occasionally on Wednesdays. These are people I highly respect and value, and I know you will learn from their perspectives and experiences.
We are also in the early planning stages of an online leadership course. The concept is to take leaders through a systematic study of leadership. Also, our podcast trial went really well. So in the next few months, we will be re-launching the podcast, most likely at a rate of once per month. And finally, in the coming weeks, we will be publishing a survey for our readers, in order to gain feedback as to how we can shape and improve the content and delivery of our material.
Keep Pressing Forward…?
My friend, life is short. Make it count. 
Thank you for coming along with me and for?being a part of the Aspire community.
Your Friend,
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