My Trip to Gemany. You will never know unless you try!

I was given an incredible opportunity three years ago.  One of my friends/mentors does leadership training.  He was doing an intense  leadership training for the Daimler Financial Top Executives and he asked me to be a part of it!  How could I say no. Yes, I was excited about the opportunity to learn and work with him but I have to admit I was more excited about going to Germany, staying at a five star hotel and flying fist class! 

As excited as I was that dang doubt started entering my head!  Seriously, what the heck did I have to offer?  I was never an executive for a company nor have I worked long at a corporate job for longer than maybe 6 months!  Now, that I'm thinking about it I don't really know if I ever had a corporate job!!!  There was a moment I was eating dinner with the CFO of Daimler and all the executive and the entire time I kept telling myself, "don't open your mouth to talk. If you do, they will know how air headed you are and how much you really don't know." I don't use any big elaborate words, still learning about politics and haven't worked at "real" job in I don't know how long! I knew they really didn't want to hear about diapers, teething, or cartoons!    (If you know me, keeping my mouth shut is not an easy thing to do!)  After all the crazy thoughts that entered my head, it ended being a great experience on many different levels and plus I was asked asked to come back!  I was able to go to Germany not once but twice!

Here are a few lessons I would like to share with you.

*sometimes there will be people put in your life that will see something in you before you ever do.  I thank my friend  for believing in me even when I didn't. ( I'm thankful for the many people who believed in me when I didn't believe in myself!)

*.  Its so important to know you are and whose you are.  God doesn't want you to be anybody else but you!  Stop beating yourself up because you are not like your friend, your boss, your co-worker, your neighbor, etc., He needs you to be you so he can work through you!  Its not about you. It's all about Him.

* Stop trying to be everything to everyone!  We can't do it all and we need to stay focused on the  unique dreams and talents God has given each one of us.  As much as I loved the experience, corporate training really isn't my thing!  Yes, I can do it but my true love is helping women.  Teaching on leadership in the home.  Teaching about relationships, marriage, kids, families, people skills (which not everyone has!!!), communication, money and fear.  When I'm in my zone I come alive and the same is true for you.  There will be things we will have to do that we might not like so we can learn and get to where God wants us, but there are some places we don't belong and that is OK too! 

* Don't let fear stop you. Let God help you figure out where your fear is coming from.  Don't let the enemy get in your head either!  I've come to realize the bigger the dream, the closer you get the more the enemy will try to stop you and it doesn't have to be some big ordeal to stop you either. It can be as little as a little pecking at you telling you how dumb you are, you have nothing to offer, who do you think you are. The enemy will know your weakness and try to stop you.  Its so important you know God and pray through it!  trust me, every time I start taking more steps and moving in the right direction it happens to me every time!  Thankfully, I can recognize and keep moving forward!  I know the only reason its happening is because God has something big planned for my life!

*Enjoy the ride and don't be afraid to laugh at yourself!  If you really knew me and the air headed things that come out of my mouth sometimes or things I do, you would shake your head!  Its me and its fun being me!  If you make a mistake, just get back up and laugh!  It will make you feel better and know you are not alone! 

*who cares about status! -we are all people and we all have baggage and are more alike than we are different. It doesn't matter what job someone has, the house they live in, car they drive or money they make. It doesn't matter what you do but what you do with what you have and who are doing it for.  Its not about who knows your name or how big you are in your company or church!  Its about doing all that God has given you for him and only him!  So, when you are talking with your pastor or CEO of a company, don't look at their name but their heart!  Remember they are more like you than you really know...Just be YOU!

Don't be afraid to try something new-You will never know unless you try! What is the worst that can happen?  If you are doing it for God and end up screwing it up, he will help you make your crooked path straight!