Sometimes the only way home is through the one place we would never choose to go: The Wilderness. I have found that there are two ways to get to the wilderness. One, you can decide to take yourself there out of pure, unbridled obedience. Someone else is sending you and you know in your heart that you have to go. If you opt for this route, be prepared. A lot of people in your circle will think you’re crazy. But I’m here to tell you that you are most
We all have deeply held things we believe in that are in our DNA. For the most part, you and I know what’s right for us, but acting upon it on a daily basis can be challenging. Distractions are a big part of the problem and there are a lot of those today, aren’t there? I heard recently that if you are a knowledge worker you are interrupted every 11 minutes on average by some form of communication. I would guess that number is not far off the mark
Margin in our calendars means having or creating extra time in our lives to do something other than the things we are currently doing. The problem is that most people think that creating margin is a matter of time management and delegation strategies. Although some of that may be required in our journey toward joy, the real challenge lies deeper in our hearts. The problem with an efficiency paradigm toward margin is that while it helps us do what we are already doing faster, it is not helping us
After more than a dozen years of coaching people through the Halftime Institute, I see a trend, an obvious and recurring barrier to a life of joy, impact and balance: a lack of focus. The truth is, we all struggle with focus on a daily basis. It’s not a stretch to say that there are more available distractions in our lives now than ever. Did you know that the average knowledge worker in the U.S. is interrupted every 11 minutes by some form of communication or another? In this
Success in the halftime journey doesn’t just happen. It takes planning and persistence, and it has several elements that are critical to your success. Let’s zero in on three of them for the time being: A personal board of directors, a strong mission statement, and coaching. Personal Board of Directors The first time I heard Bob Buford mention a personal board of directors, I thought to myself, “I’ve got that.” He was talking about a panel of trusted family, friends, and colleagues—people to speak truth into our lives.
“You don’t always have to search for what God wants you to do. Sometimes, it’s right in front of you.” Mark Barfield’s Halftime journey began shortly after retiring from RadioShack Corporation. Mark had a desire to create low-income housing opportunities in the Fort Worth area, but his initial housing endeavor resulted in a “false start.” Then, Mark’s new part-time CFO position temporarily turned into a full-time occupation. As a result, Mark “turned his dreamer back off” – until the day he received an email from Cornerstone Assistance Network (CAN)***
We’ve been given a great gift: More time on this planet than our forefathers. Lots more time. On average we’ll live thirty years longer. The big question is: What will we do with this tremendous gift of time we’ve been given? At the turn of the 20th Century, the average life span for men and women was around 50 years. For many of those men and women, that half century was grueling: hard physical labor was the common experience and there was very little concept of “retirement.” Life was
"Most of all, I want to arrive in heaven all used up, skidding in broadside with a big “Wow!”" Greg Murtha’s opportunity to discover and live out his calling has come and gone, yet his influence continues today. I had the privilege of walking with him over the past twenty years, as he took full advantage of that opportunity. Last Thursday, Greg went home to heaven after more than five years of struggling with cancer. I cried as I flew through the night from NYC to Sweden, praying
How Your Schedule Could Be Sabotaging Your Parenting It’s about to be Father’s Day again, but in a way, every day in a family is Father’s Day. Fathers play a critical role in how the next generation turns out, and these days there are a lot of dads who are just not doing their duty. They are good people and they have the greatest of intentions, but the follow through is lacking somehow. I understand. I know the struggles firsthand. In some ways, the more successful you are, the
“How I know for sure that I’m in the season Halftime?” I’m going to let you in on a little secret: there are 5 Indicators to help you discern if you’re in halftime. Every day I speak with men and women trying to discern if they are in the season of Halftime, and I listen for these indicators to know if we’re a good fit for them. When I was in the season, I was so confused and frustrated that I actually came running to the Halftime Institute
