The Perfect Storm

My blogging has temporarily slowed a bit. I'm working to find my life rhythm again, and I will find it.

I just started a Masters Degree Program with Regent University. I'm working toward a Masters in Organizational Leadership (MOL). It is challenging, to say the least, and it is stretching me in places that I did not know could stretch.

I think I've created the perfect storm...job transition...starting a major academic pursuit...and everything else that is floating around in my head that I want and need to do. I'm very, very good at creating perfect storms. Sometimes I ask myself why I don't just find a lawn chair and sit on the sidelines for a while...you know, just watch the game for a quarter or two.

I just can't -- don't want to.

Reminds me of the story that you've probably heard of the guy named Larry who was sitting around his yard without much to do (this story is true, check out the details at snopes) and he got this wild idea to tie a bunch of weather balloons to his lawn chair, strap himself in, and see if he could get airborne.

Larry anchored the chair to the ground, attached way too many helium filled weather balloons, and armed himself with a BB gun so that when he wanted to come back to the ground he would shoot the balloons out one at a time until he drifted back to earth.

When he was ready he strapped in, pulled the cord on his anchors, and to his surprise he shot up like a bullet to more than 10,000 feet. He was so startled that he did not have the presence of mind to take any action and once he was so high up he was afraid to shoot any of the balloons. He was even spotted and reported by a commercial airliner when he drifted into the flight path of L.A. International Airport. (I'm sure that was an interesting radio conversation!)

Eventually he gained the courage to shoot out some of the balloons and he made it back to earth unharmed.

Of all of the things that a guy could do, why would you do something so stupid. When asked that question his reply was simply:

Hey, a guy can't just sit around.

I hope that I've thought things out a little better than Larry did but I've got to echo his insight...a guy can't just sit around.

If you stop learning you stop leading.