I didn’t mean to start a company. Actually it was the very last resort in the plans that I had for my life right now. All the risk and vulnerability that came along with doing such a thing was not attractive to me in the least.

The idea of trying to “market myself” and promote my ideas or services still makes me a bit nauseous. But in the end, my passions and purpose intersected in a place called entrepreneurship, and the heart of the mission won out over the fear of the mind.

Early on in this process, I met a business leader doing something similar to what I wanted to do. As I listened to their current projects, and heard about their passions, I got extremely excited. I had found a kindred spirit. I wanted to hear about their stories, and learn from their years of experience. After hearing all that they were doing, the questions now turned to me. “So what do you do for a living.” I began to talk passionately about my new business and hopes for the future. I talked about how I would love to learn from this person, and my excitement to have met someone like me. Before I could get too far, I was interrupted with a cold, “I don’t think so. This is a business, and you are my competition.” The conversation ended there, and so did the hopes of building a relationship.

After that conversation, I began to feel the enormous tensions of business agenda and doing a work birthed from the passions of the heart. I knew in my heart that I didn’t want to be that kind of leader that I had just crossed paths with, even though I understood some of the wisdom in their comments. The reason I started this was to build something beautiful. Together. For the good of the world. To develop leaders and watch them soar. To align passions with purpose, and to empower artists and creatives around the world.

I began to realize the greatest asset to my company would be ME grounded, rooted and creating out of a place of Leadership Peace versus Leadership Fear. Which led me to seeing the difference in the two was in cultivating the habit of Gratitude vs Greed.

The habit of greed, cultivates leadership fear and insecurity.
The habit of gratitude cultivates leadership peace, legacy and love.

Greed focuses on the lack of.
Gratitude focuses on the abundance.

Greed focuses on the competition and finding “more” and “better” fields.
Gratitude focuses on community and the possibilities of the fields you’ve been given.

Greed’s focus is money and power.
Gratitude’s focus is love and legacy.

Greed has us looking out at what we don’t have.
Gratitude has us looking at what we DO.

Greed is based in fear that “I don’t have enough.”
Gratitude sees that I have more than I could need, ask for, or imagine.

Greed creates out of a heart of performance.
Gratitude creates from a heart of authenticity.

Greed looks at the crops of someone else’s land and compares it to your seeds. It tries to steal the finished product, without putting in the work to plow the field.
Gratitude breeds generosity- in your leadership, in your resources and in your mindset.

Greed leads you to believe that you need to hide and protect what you have- not developing leaders under you and hoarding your resources for you alone.

Greed is focused on SELF vs others. MINE.
Gratitude is OURS. WE > ME.

Greed brings distraction.
Gratitude helps you to stay the course and not turn to the right or left. Drives focus, mission and vision.

Gratitude is the difference between growing a field of oak trees vs a field of half mature plants.

Gratitude leads to PEACE. Inner peace. Peace with self, peace with others, peace with the world. Because you are not trying to TAKE, but are able to RECEIVE the ABUNDANCE around you, in you, for you. Cultivate the HABIT of GRATITUDE. Silencing the angst of greed.

And I heard the still small voice of the Lord saying to me, “look around at the plentiful harvest that is in your land. There is much to be harvested and seeds you have been planting for years and years. Good and faithful servant, it is now time to watch them grow.”

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us. Ephesians 3:20