thankful: Cisco Webex

Today, I am thankful for the on-demand webinars that Cisco Webex hosts. I am currently in the process of compiling some teaching sessions for a church staff retreat and was glad to have these free resources available. I listened to a webinar: "Don't Let Your Ego Hijack Your Career" with David Witt and Randy Conely. The speakers spoke with great insight on the topic. I highly recommend spending an hour listening to this webinar from The Ken Blanchard Companies. 

Here are a few highlights. First, a quote from Ken Blanchard "The human ego gets in the way of people becoming their best selves." So true! Because the ego: 1) distorts relationships; and 2) separates people by getting in the way of people forming mutually beneficial relationships. Secondly, a key solution is increasing "self-awareness" while holding three attitude: 1) humility; 2) curiosity; and 3) veracity. And lastly, it is crucial that you "be kind to yourself while you grow because too little ego is just as bad as too much ego."  

Have you ever though about how your ego may be getting in the way of your growth? To be honest, I haven't ever really directly confronted my own ego. Sure, there are times that I wrestle with certain issues in my personal life or in some interpersonal relationships but I never really directly attributed this to my ego. I used different names like my pride, my selfishness, or even my sinful nature. What I enjoyed about this webinar is that it helped me gain a greater understanding of the place of ego when it comes to leadership and interpersonal relationships while helping me to see that my ego is more complex than I originally thought and most importantly that if you approach your ego honestly and humbly it can be directed (with God's help of course) towards our good. 

We really are fearfully and wonderfully made by God and very complex beings. But, also fallen beings distorted by sin. But, nevertheless God in His mercy still loves us and calls us into relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. Here is an excerpt from Psalm 139:13-16 (NIV): "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."