Powerful, truly God-inspired and something you will want to keep, from my good friend, coach Julie Poland.  Julie is the author of the game-changing book on leadership and organizational development, Changing Results by Changing Behavior: The Process Every Leader Needs to Know to Create Sustainable Improvement.

Pray The Leader’s Prayer again and again that it may be your Truth and Guiding Light.  A prayer such as this takes you to The Intersection of Purpose and Now.

Let me stand
Supported firmly by the foundation of my values
And in the greater purpose that calls me forth
Let me stand for the uncompromising truth
That compels me to stretch beyond
My prior expectations for myself and my contribution

Let me see
The distant hills that are my destination, our destination
The lessons of the tall old pines that grow fruitful even after fire
Let me see the effect of the river that, over time,
Can cut and mold a landscape
Even while flowing softly and serenely through a verdant valley.

Let me speak
In words that cascade like diamonds
Onto someone’s shoulders, enriching them
Let me speak in tones that wrap
Like fur, warming and soothing
On skin that has been scarred and roughened by conflict.

Let me serve
With head bowed in humility
Because I know my gifts are truly not my own
Let me serve especially in times
When I am not yet ready
And in places that call for skills I have yet to discover.

Let me shake hands
With brothers and sisters everywhere
Knowing that we share our humanity if not our opinions
Let me shake hands
And look the other directly in the eye
And see the dignity and the noble intent within them.

Let me celebrate
The abundance that is already before me
That I did not create, but that has been given to me
Let me celebrate
The glimmers that light the next steps on the path
And show me that the impossible just might not be so.

Let me step out, step up
And shake the clots of mud off of my shoes
To respond to the call of the world
Let me step out, step up
And in my own way, by whatever means I can
To make a mark, a signpost for the ones who come after me.

SPECIAL NOTE: I chose the Bonsai tree as art for this post for a special reason I hope you might recognize on your own. Here’s a bit more explanation from http://www.bonsaisite.com/: 

“In Japanese, bonsai can be literally translated as ‘tray planting’ but since originating in Asia, so many centuries ago – it has developed into a whole new form. To begin with, the tree and the pot form a single harmonious unit where the shape, texture and colour of one, compliments the other. Then the tree must be shaped. It is not enough just to plant a tree in a pot and allow nature to take its course – the result would look nothing like a tree and would look very short-lived. Every branch and twig of a bonsai is shaped or eliminated until the chosen image is achieved. From then on, the image is maintained and improved by a constant regime of pruning and trimming.“

Get your copy of Julie’s book at Amazon.com using the link below:

http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=msturgell&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=1442132744&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr