The gravity that pulls me under The last blog spoke of buoyancy upthrust. Today we examine the gauges that indicate weight that pushes one under. What pulls you down?I call these things depleters. It took about six months to accumulate the list of things that drain my buoyancy. Here are eight depleters I have identified. Conflict I don’t run from

How is your buoyancy? Buoyancy is the ability to float. Also, it’s the cheerful and optimistic attitude or disposition. It’s your verve, your vim, your va-voom. In floating terms, there are two forces at play, weight that pulls down and buoyancy that is upthrust. One of the 5 key gauges to keep watch on is your emotional well-being. This measure

How healthy are your key relationships? Healthy key connections are essential for emotional well-being. This is true for all people of influence irrespective of the title of a leadership role. Mums and dads are people of influence. Emotionally healthy people and leaders proactively build enduring relationships. On a recent trip to the country to visit family, at the end of

Flowing on the last Building Healthy Key Connections—Experiencing Belonging and Connectedness. They experience a strong sense of connectedness with their key people. Being secure in themselves, they interact securely with those close to them. They are comfortable being close and getting close. Their connectedness ensures they consistently experience a healthy sense of belonging. Trust exudes from them and their strong

How healthy are your key relationships? Healthy key connections are essential for emotional well-being. High emotional health makes healthy key relationships. When we are not well emotionally, key connections will be impacted and unhealthy key connections also affect us emotionally.This is true for all people, irrespective of the extent of their influence, whether they have a title of leadership or

Being the spouse of a person going through burnout has its own difficulties. (Today’s guest blogger is my wife Adrienne. In Aug 2019 we celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary. I am proud to say Adrienne is editor of these blogs. See her article on How I became Don’s Editor) Indeed, how do we even approach the topic with our spouse

Back when Don and I met, long before the internet and its immediate correspondence, we wrote a letter to each other once a week. Later, letters became tagged ‘snail mail’, partly because of the time it took to travel to its destination and partly because, if it lay in a damp letterbox overnight, the snails would eat holes and leave

Today’s video blog I am chatting with Dr Chris Adams, Associate Professor and Executive Director, Center for Vocational Ministry AZUSA Pacific University. I met Chris when he was presenting in the “Health of a Leader” D.Min class at Fuller Seminary. Chris shares from his extensive research keys to flourishing in ministry. We flourish through growing self-awareness. How to build self-awareness?

KEITH FARMER’S STORY – burnout, recovery and mentoring Today’s guest blogger: Dr Keith Farmer. I had been in full-time ministry for 11 years (in two churches in Sydney) when I accepted a dual ministry in Melbourne (half-time as an Associate Pastor in a local church and half-time as a Faculty Member of a Theological College). My teaching areas were Pastoral