Little Foxes of Distraction Steal Your Fruit!
The wise king Solomon had some wise words about “foxes.”
“Catch for us the foxes, the little foxesthat ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.”
What might be these ‘little foxes” in our lives? They are what we think, what we say, and what we do that distract us from the fruit our our work, our relationships and reaching our full leadership potential. These three distractions can ruin the harvest of goodness in your life.What we think determines our attitude and motivation. Negative little foxes in our heads can wreak havoc when it comes to achieving our full potential. Some of the more damaging ones include:
“I am never good enough.”“It is too risky.”“ I am bitter over __________.”“Everyone seems to be better than me.”“What if I lose face, look bad?”“All I get is bad luck.”“I can’t trust anyone, I might get hurt.”“How can I take revenge on so and so?”
What we say are the little foxes that break the vine of healthy fruitful relationships in our daily lives. Fruit cannot grow to harvest when they are separated from the branches. So too with us, we cannot achieve our potential without healthy relationships. A loose or acerbic tongue is toxic to healthy relationships. Review your day today and count the number of times you are a “Recognition Miser,” a “Damning Judge,” a “Picky Critical Policeman,” or, an “Affirming Friend,” a “Caring Listener,” a “Constructive Feedback Giver.” As Tim Elmore asks “Are you more ‘brick’ or ‘velvet?’”The little foxes also steal the fruit of our time and actions. What daily “foxy activities” steal from your success? Too much Facebook, surfing the web? Laying in bed when you should be up exercising? Procrastinating by dabbling in the irrelevant? Or possibly even an unhealthy habit or addiction? List out the activities and habits you list to change. Then do what I did, read the book “Triggers” by Marshall Goldsmith to guide you on eliminating the little foxes in your head, in your words, and in your actions that stealthily destroy the potential success you can be.Have a great week as a fruitful healthy leader!