March 2019
Silicon Valley, CA
I work in high technology in Silicon Valley, and it’s not for the faint of heart. When I was new in the field, I used to leverage my high capacity of sheer willpower (a finite resource, to be honest, but I would’ve never admitted that). Don’t get me wrong—I once “knew” I could do well on my own (and from the outside looking in, it sure seemed like that was the case), but without hope, without being rooted in the person of Christ, I had a hidden ceiling on my performance. Since then, my motivation has shifted such that I’m not just working to better myself or my company. I get the opportunity to work for God’s purposes while also providing for my family and sharing generously. Hope changes the way I do business because it’s not about me.
By moving the focus off of me, I became more successful. Why is that? My perspective shifted. If Jesus could overcome such a big thing as death, then surely, I could overcome what seemed like my own massive problem at work. When rooted in hope, the worst day at the job site or in the office is a pivotal opportunity to leverage that perspective, because God is still in charge and I can rest (despite the chaos) in that truth. When I didn’t have that perspective, the same day tended to be an uphill battle that required more willpower, when that resource was at its lowest. Hope is fuel in the busyness of work and life. I can no longer imagine performing at high capacity in the workplace without it.
Finally, by focusing on God’s plan for me, the pressure is off—there’s no more rat race. It’s an incredible burden lifted when you surrender your own success and let Christ take that burden and begin to shape what success looks like. My standard of success hasn’t been lowered at all, but in Christ, I have a different perspective of what it looks like and how to attain it. I find it funny how a small four-letter word—hope—has shifted my worldview, improved my relationships, and boosted my workplace performance more than any leadership/business/self-help book ever has.
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