A few weeks ago I was headed back to Jacksonville after working with Scott Howard on a project proposal in Dallas. While I would have liked it to have gone better, there did not seem to be a great meeting of the minds with this client and our proposed approach. The CEO of the company made the statement that he “got it,” understanding what we were proposing and how it could help his company, but he was not sure his company was prepared for what we are offering. Conceptually, he felt there was work that they needed to do before they could take what we were offering and put it into action – mainly because of the complexity of the process. If this were the first time I had heard this comment it might have surprised me, but it wasn’t. Over the past few decades, I have heard the comment over and over again when I try to explain how people metrics can be applied.
The science of using human data to understand individuals and help them find joy and satisfaction in their lives seems like a fairly straight forward concept to me. However, most people consider it complicated or spooky that someone can look at data and understand how they think, reason and approach their lives and work. Most people are not that concerned about what makes others “tick” as they are focused on their own life and issues – which is normal, human nature. However, when you think about the fact that God’s role is similar – considering others and literally shaping life events in order to help them see what is best for them. That concept becomes overwhelmingly “spiritual” to me. The work I am devoted to is about helping others discover and apply their assets and gifts to be what they were created to be. To me, that is simply helping people help themselves by glorifying God.
The challenge is that communicating that concept is not always easy, especially to those who are not believers. Sometimes these concepts are not comprehended well by believers either. What produces a high level of frustration is the fact that I complicate things to others. I am not clear or concise. I do not get the importance of the message across. I cannot seem to articulate it in a way that makes others embrace what I am offering. I even thought that once I had researched and validated studies proving the value of my work, everyone would accept it – boy was I wrong. It became academic and more complicated to many.
So it is with the Gospel. Christ validated his work by rising from the dead, yet many refuse to accept the truth of His ministry. My heart then turns to the story of Lazarus and the rich man’s cry to send someone back from the dead to minister to his family (Luke 16:19-27). However, we have scriptures. Those examples remind me that for some, no amount of proof will satisfy some people. It also reminds me that that the mind of a child is what we must aspire to if we are to find rest in His Kingdom.
As humans, it is our nature to complicate things by exerting our freedom of choice and desire to control our lives rather than letting the Spirit “handle it.” To be viewed as an authority, I like many, have complicated my own message. My focus is to help people understand themselves so they can find joy in their lives and work. If they do so life will be simple. When life brings joy the individual is a better employee and helps build a better organization. It seems that just being yourself has become complicated.
Kids, simple is good. Simple is essential to your personal success. Simple is God’s way of communicating and getting things done. Oh, if we could only be simple – and happy too!
Love Dad