No one intends to become emotionally depleted. It’s a scary place. I’ve been there and don’t want to ever go back. This blog helps explain what that place is and how to help others who find themselves there. If you feel emotionally empty take some comfort in this: “You will get better. Your tank can refill. You have a shepherd

What would happen if you hit another crisis? On top of dealing with COVID and the normal challenges of life? Would you go under? If so, what can you do to strengthen buoyancy? Yes, verve can be lifted. My big encouragement here is to find someone to help you build emotional well-being. That person’s role is to help you see

1. What level is your emotional tank? How are you doing emotionally? Is your tank empty, just some in the tank, or full and ready to assist others? Yes, I am repeating myself.The key to maintaining your emotional well-being is firstly to take time to regularly reflect. This is wise. You should ask this question at least weekly: what level

Here is the benchmark: Healthy Christian Leaders Maintain Emotional Well-being. What does that look like? It’s living life with vigour and vim, not just keeping one’s head above water, but swimming with strength and ability sufficient to rescue others. One of the great keys to building emotional well-being is self-reflection which builds self-awareness. Another outcome of building self-reflection is self-moderation.

The main two things that develop self-reflection:Asking the right questionsPractising these questions How to practise?—Set a recurring schedule for reflection. Yes, this practice needs to be regular. So, make a diary entry for self-reflection. Mine is Mondays 9:00-11:00am. I label it ‘Reflect and Refocus’ and set the location to my home study and the beach. What time will you allocate

Here is a benchmark of healthy leaders: they practise self-reflection. You make assumptions. What happens when this is missing? You make assumptions about what is happening and react badly. Unhealthy leaders complain and blame, like Adam who when not in a good place, said to God, “The woman you gave me…”, like a pastor who says to God, “The people

1. To see what you don’t see, and take actions you are not taking. Do you set a regular time for self-reflection? It that time effective? You can see effectiveness in the action you take from the insights gained. (See my last two blogs.) This practice is one of the things that separate good from great leaders. You will see

What does self-reflection give you access to? The key to open the door of self-reflection is practice. What’s behind the door? Where does it take you? The practice of self-reflection builds self-awareness which then empowers you to take action on the insights you gain. A catalyst for change Self-reflection helps you see who you are i.e. become more self-aware (see

Here is a benchmark: “Healthy Christian Leaders practise self-reflection. Why? Self-reflection is pausing from other activities to observe what is happening in your thoughts, emotions and behaviours. It is essential to build self-awareness. Like any other skill, it becomes most effective when it is practised at least weekly. How regular is your practise of self-reflection? Daily? Weekly? Occasionally? Do you