You Are Significant

Our friend Chip Madera titles himself as “Leadership Lion – The Speaker with a Heart of Bold!” But really, when you get to know Chip, he’s more like a giant teddy bear! Whether you consider Chip to be a lion or a bear, he has great leadership wisdom and a “bold way” of sharing it with others.

Chip says, “We gain confidence when we know WHO we are and what makes us significant. That is the essence of our true value.” What exactly does that mean?

Well, here is the crazy way he helped us learn this lesson. At a Lessons In Leadership event, he had the whole room of 300+ people stand up and shout…,“I am a leader! I am a person of influence! I am a problem-solver! I am a people developer! I AM SIGNFICANT!” When the crowd finished, Chip said we were not convincing enough so we did it again. We all screamed as confidently as we could, “I AM A LEADER! I AM A PERSON OF INFLUENCE! I AM A PROBLEM-SOLVER! I AM A PEOPLE DEVELOPER! I AM SIGNFICANT!” It sounds crazy but Donna and I both agreed that we left feeling very confident about ourselves.

We chatted on the way home about how we are significant. Each of us is a person of influence. We are both purposeful in making a difference in other’s lives. You are significant and a person of influence, too! You have people that you have influence over in your everyday life. How are you using your influence?

Chip encouraged each of us to look in the mirror every morning and say (with boldness!), “I am a leader! I am a person of influence! I am a problem-solver! I am a people developer! I AM SIGNFICANT!” Donna and I believe in the power of positive words. We have seen over and over how people can make positive change in their life by changing their thinking. They learn to replace the lies with the truth about who they really are!

We decided to take positive words to the next level and share it with our loved ones. The next morning Donna walked into the kitchen where her kids (both under the age of 10) were getting breakfast. Instead of focusing on what needed to be finished in the limited time before school with her hurry-hurry tone and attitude, she looked over at her son and screamed, “TY, YOU ARE AWESOME!” She then turned to her daughter and screamed with complete confidence, “DEANNA, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!”. Then she turned to finish getting ready for her day. What she noticed… her children picked up the pace, smiled, laughed, and managed to get ready not just early but 20 minutes early!!! That is the power of positive words – it brings out the best in others.

I tried this same tactic that afternoon when my husband, Rick came home from work. I could hardly wait for him to come through door. As the door handle turned and he set his first foot through the door, I screamed, “RICK HOLBERT, WONDERFUL HUSBAND OF MINE – YOU ARE AWESOME!” He was startled and dropped the mail but it brought an immediate smile to his face!

In our previous blog, we talked about how each of us as individuals has the ability to influence and energize others in a positive way with our words. The greatest self-help, self-image, self-esteem book gives us proof of just that! We encourage you to speak with boldness into the mirror each morning as you remind yourself that you are a leader to others and you are an amazing and significant Child of God!

Devoted:
Proverbs 16:24 – “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”

Individual Insights and Instructions:
As a leader in your career or as the leader of your household, who can you make the biggest impact on with your positive words? What will those words look like? How do you think the recipient(s) will feel?

Prayer:
Oh God before I speak, nudge me to pray. Let my lips speak sweet words that build others up instead of tear them down. Help me to remember that I am influencer who can make others feel significant!

Share