The Monday Memo from John Stanko

624: Power Pig

I want power, as much power as I can possibly muster! I want to be the best at what I do!  I want to be a world leader in the purpose movement, if there is such a thing!  Now, you may be thinking: "That John Stanko, he is so self-promoting" or "John Stanko is on an ego trip." I am not above or below doing both, but that is not why I have the goal of being a power pig. If you want to find out why, of course you must read on

EMPOWER OTHERS    

I have come to the realization, perhaps it took me longer than others, that if I am going to empower others I must have the power to do so. In fact, I must have power to give away so that others may use that power to find and fulfill purpose or set and achieve goals.

Take writing for example.  I write every day and have a produced a few books. So when I am teaching and I tell someone, "You are a good writer. You have potential," they may take it to heart, more than if they showed a casual acquaintance their work. If that person said, "That's good," the writer may say "Thanks" and walk away, not thinking much of it. If that writer says to me, "Can you help me write and publish?, I can then take the power I have and empower them to do what I have done.

That's why I am a power pig.

GETTING POWER

The kind of power I am referring to is not positional or authoritarian. It does not come from a title or corner office. It comes from one or all of three sources:

1. Wisdom. Wisdom is knowledge applied, so if I have wisdom that comes from experience and productivity, then that wisdom is powerful to empower others.
2. Knowledge. Knowledge around a particular topic or skill, such as purpose or coaching, has its own power, and teaching that knowledge to others will empower them.
3. Credibility. If I have empowered others, then others will think, "He did it for them, he can do it for me!" They can then draw on what power I have to empower themselves.
4. Service. When I am willing to serve others, it means I am doing for them what at that point in their life, they cannot do for themselves. If that service is grounded in love, then there is power to inspire and motivate others, which is a form of empowerment.
5. The Holy Spirit. God can entrust me with power to use to empower others, as Paul stated in 2 Corinthians 13:10: "This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority—the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down."

I would think another word for authority would be power. I want God to authorize me to build up others! God I want power. I am a power pig!

So now you know why I want power - so I can empower others. I want to give my power away as fast as I get it. Of course, the Lord will only give me more if I do that, so the best way to satisfy my piggish desires is to give my power away, every day. I hope these Memos empower you and I pray as I give them to you that God gives me ability to write more effectively with greater insight, which of course will play right into my greedy hands of being a power pig. Have a great week!

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KENYA: I have posted several new updates from Kenya that discuss the recent terrorist attack, the crisis in finding sanitary feminine products there, and the progress Peter is making in equipping the children in Banana. You can read them here, and then please act to help me be a blessing to the people there when I go on October 7. You can contribute through my website or by sending a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882.  Thank you for your help!

IN KENYA: While I am in Kenya, I will be conducting training to certify people there in the DISC profiling system along with a three-day training in cognitive learning (TPI). If you are interested in either training, please contact me and let me know.

623: Random Reflections

I was reflecting on a lot of things this week. I was warned this would happen as I got older and now both the older and the reflection are on me. Here are some thoughts:

1. My purpose is to create order out of chaos; if I had a byline, it would be: a transformed life that in turn transforms others for good. 
2. I am transformed by the renewing of my mind. In other words, if I don't change my thinking, I don't change - period. I can't rely on the Spirit to do what I am supposed to do (with His help).
3. I am a power pig. I want as much personal power as possible through knowledge, experience and insight.
4. I in turn want to give my power away. I cannot empower others if I don't have the power to impart in the first place so they have personal power.
5. This power is for personal transformation - my own and others - not for authority or wealth.
6. Authority and wealth are byproducts of empowerment, for you and others - I think.
7. Fear is always present. Don't be surprised or deny that it's there, just go looking for it in your life.
8. Fear takes on the form of rational thought and explanations, so it is often not recognized.  Fear is smart. You have to be smarter to find it.
9. I give myself permission to be me. I give you permission to be you.
10. I am having fun doing more than I thought I could. It's become a game and with God's help, I am winning.
11. One day, my strength will fail and I will lose that game. At that time, I trust the Lord to help me make the adjustment and transition.
12. I am excited about my next project, the purpose Bible commentary. I figure I can finish it in 10 years.
13. If all goes well, I will publish five books this year, mostly in ebook format.
14. I am more and more intrigued with the concept of what I call Garden Work. Jesus came to restore the conditions found in the Garden before the fall and part of that was purposeful work. The cross is not just for the forgiveness of sins, but also for redemption from meaningless work.
15. I love Africa! I love Africans! I love African Americans! I just had to share that.

Well, maybe I will write about some of these things in the coming weeks, or maybe not. Anyway, I feel better now that I have gotten those things off my mind, out of my journal and into your world. Have a blessed week!

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KENYA: I have a new update from Pastor Peter on my blog. As you may know, I am going over to Kenya on October 7, and I need your help to take money over for our computer center, for food and other essentials.  The computer center will be our money-making project for the library. Please read the post and then give generously before I go on my website or by sending a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882.  Thank you for your help.

LEADERSHIP TRAINING: I begin to teach classes this January (local only) at CUBM that lead to an associate degree in leadership. Who wants to join me?  Write and let me know.

I AM ON THE RADIO: I have two online radio shows now, one for my church and one for the masters of organizational leader program in which I teach. You can access the archives and listen to any and all of my past shows. I also have my Saturday morning show on my website, but I need to update the show's archives. 

622: Concourse E

A few years ago, I was heading to Zimbabwe and was in Concourse E in the Atlanta airport. I had very little time between flights, but I realized I did not have enough reading material for the flight over. I ran into a bookstore, saw a book I thought would interest me and raced to my gate. The book was by Pat Lencioni entitled The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. It turned out to be a pretty easy read, for Pat writes in parable format, telling a story to impart business truths.

I was in Zimbabwe for about three months and didn't want to carry that book home, so I gave it to my friend Sue to read, since I felt it could help her with some of her organizational challenges. A month or so later, Sue came to the States and was reading the book on a plane. The man next to her asked her if it was a good book, to which she replied that he was. It was then that he said, "I'm glad because I wrote it.  I'm Pat Lencioni!"

When he asked how she got the book, she told him about me. Fast forward to several months later when Pat delivered a speech about 50 miles south of Pittsburgh where I live. He decided to ask his limo driver if she by any chance knew a man named John Stanko. She replied, "Yes, we go to the same church."  Needless to say, Pat was blown away, moreso when he returned home to northern California to find an email from yours truly, since Sue had given me Pat's contact information. We have been friends ever since.

This Tuesday I will be at a retreat where I will use the information and material from The Five Dysfunctions, and have used Pat's insight and material many times over the years.

I share this story because I was in Concourse E last Sunday and thought, "Concourse E changed my life." That's not really true, for God changed my life in Concourse E by guiding my steps when I wasn't even aware He was doing so!  He led me to a book and then through a set of circumstances that changed my life forever. When I think of Concourse E, I always reflect on what Jacob said when he awoke from a dream as he fled from his family: "Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, 'Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it'" (Genesis 28:16).

Have you had any Concourse E moments?  If so, you know they are pretty cool experiences. But what's the lesson from Concourse E?  First, God is guiding yours steps, whether you feel like it or not. Second, you must pay attention to those moments.  If I had not sent the email to Pat, perhaps he would not have followed up to the limo driver's comments. Third, you need to put your faith in God to lead you exactly where you need to be and pray accordingly: "Lord, guide my steps today and open my eyes to the opportunities you present."

This is critical for your purposequest, for God may be guiding you to your purpose discovery, only to have you miss the moment because you are not paying attention or dismiss the moment as irrelevant. May God lead you this week in your own Concourse E moment, and may you follow through with aggressive faith to make the most of the event. Have a blessed Concourse E-type week!

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KENYA VISIT:  I am departing for Kenya on Monday, October 7 for a 10-day visit. I would like to take some Christmas food money over to the Each One Touch One Orphanage, Upako Center and several other of our friends there. The Sophia Fund was established five years ago to feed orphans and widows there. Every dime I receive goes right to food and does not pay for any overhead expenses.  Can you find it in your hear to give an early Christmas gift to the poor in Kenya?  You can give through my website or by sending a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882. We still are in need of undergarments and money for feminine products, a request I receive regularly.

Our warehouse here is full of stuff we have collected to send over to Kenya before year's end, and that includes books, shoes, and educational resources. The money I collected earlier in the year from the baseball game will be used to ship the goods to Kenya (last year we spent $9,000; this year it could be more). We have also collected 20 laptops for computer centers in our libraries, but I must invest some money (about $2500) to get them ready to work in Kenya. The remainder of that money will go toward the shipping costs within Kenya of the resources we send over. I say all that so you know what we are doing with the wonderful blessing we received this past summer from the baseball game. That is why I am asking for money in addition to what we already have.

Thank you for your generous support of those in need in Kenya.

621: A Fat Duck

Every two years, I reprint one of my favorite Memos entitled 'A Fat Duck." I sense it's time to bring it out of the archives, so I present it to you again for your reading enjoyment and purposeful consideration.

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I read this quote many years ago from Ralph Waldo Emerson:  "Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be."  That is what I have tried to do through the Monday Memo and my purpose teaching: Inspire you to be who God created you to be, who you have always wanted to be.  I have found, however, that some resemble the duck described by the philosopher Soren Kierkegaard.  I hope you aren't like this duck, but just to make sure you aren't, you had better read on.

GROUNDED

The story has it that there was a duck flying with other wild ducks when they flew over some tame ducks in a barnyard.  The wild duck decided to stay with these tame ducks for a while.  He stayed for an hour, a day and then several months.  Finally, his wild duck cohorts flew overhead one day and beckoned the wild duck to rejoin them, which he gladly did.

He found, however, that his barnyard living had made him so soft and heavy that he could not fly high enough to join his former mates. So he dropped back into the barnyard, promising that he would get in shape to join them the next time. The next time he heard them, he flapped his wings but could not even get off the ground.  Finally, after many attempts, wishful thinking and a lot of broken promises, the wild duck became a domesticated bird that looked good but never went anywhere.

FLYING HIGH OR NOT AT ALL?

Did you dream of flying high at one time?  Better yet, did you actually taste the heights you had determined to reach?  Then where are you now?  Are you still flying high or content with the safety and provision of the barnyard full of chickens and goats?

I am almost 64 years of age and I still have a lot of flying I want to do.  I have recently announced my 10-year plan to produce a purpose commentary Bible. I now teach at the university at both the undergraduate and graduate level eight to twelves hours every week. I oversee discipleship at my church. I do three weekly one-hour radio shows. I still produce online Bible studies that I began in 2001, as well as writing a daily devotional and the Monday Memo. I want to fly high so I refuse to forsake the heights of productivity for the safety of the barnyard, with its regular rations.  I listen to music that inspires me, go to places that move me and read books that engage me.  I want to fly high and far and I do things that contribute to those objectives.

Flying high can be dangerous, but the view is fantastic!  This week, ask yourself some tough questions.  Do you talk about flying, or do you really fly?  Are you content with barnyard chatter and routine, or are you ready to flap your wings to see how high and far you can go?  I hope you are ready to fly and that you will take others with you on the journey. I look forward to seeing you in high places. If you settle for the barnyard, we won't be meeting any time soon. Have a great week!

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RADIO SHOW: I was interviewed on a show I host this past Friday about leadership and how my writing and travels have impacted my teaching and vice versa. It's a 60-minute interview, and you can listen to it here. I hope you listen and learn something about me and my mission in life.

KINDLE BOOKS: I now have five of my books available in Kindle format to read on your e-reader. You can see those five and order them through Amazon.

620: The Big Project

This is Monday Memo number 620; that seems like a lot of Memos! Every week I am amazed that I have something to write, but God is faithful to bring something to mind and away I go! I hope you still find these relevant and enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing them.

Over the last several weeks, I have alluded to a special project I have in mind, one that will probably take a decade or more to complete. Next year, I turn 64, so that means it will keep me occupied until I am 74, unless the Lord takes me or returns.

What is that project, you may be asking? Before I tell you, let me share some background. When I began teaching on purpose, there was little material I could refer to. There were some Buddhist books, and of course I questioned why this was so. Was purpose not biblical, or was it in the beginning stages of our understanding of the subject? I turned to the Bible with one prayer: "Lord, if it's not there, don't allow me to make believe it's there. Don't allow me to say or see what's not in Your Word."

Of course, I was delighted to find purpose in the Scriptures and now I have been teaching about purpose for almost 22 years, gaining new insight all the time.

A few weeks ago, I consulted the Leadership Bible, one of many topical or themed Bibles on the market today. Suddenly it dawned on me: There is no Purpose Bible. So that's my new project - a ten-year study and compilation of insight about purpose, book-by-book, chapter-by-chapter if need be. I am so excited!

I have no idea how I will do this, how to publish it, how to build a team to do it, or how to finance it.  How's that for a plan!? But I know it will be fun and think of the legacy I will be leaving from a lifetime of purpose work and teaching.

If you have any insight or encouraging words, or you want to contribute money or insight to the cause, then feel free to write me this week, or any week for that matter. In the meantime, I am finishing up this year's Purpose Pearls projects, publishing Faith Files; Volume 3, A Daily Taste of Proverbs, What Would Jesus Ask You Today? and a special anniversary book for the school where I teach - all before the end of the year.  Then it's on to the Purpose Bible along with my next book, Life is a Garden: Can You Dig It?  That should keep me busy for a while, don't you think? Feel feel to write me about your big projects so we can share them with others and encourage them.  Thanks, and have a blessed week!

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KENYA UPDATE: I just posted a very good report from Kenya. I hope you will read it and then give generously to the cause there. I am off to Kenya on October 7 and need to take some resources with me to help prepare for the summer holiday season there.  You can give through my website or by sending a tax-deductible check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882. Pictured at left is our little orphan Mary, who returns to boarding school from the slums today, thanks to your help. There are many more Marys in Kenya and, while we cannot help them all, we want to help as many as possible.  Please help us do just that. Thank you and God bless you!