I recently used the 360 Lite tool to get insight about areas of strengths and those areas where I need to grow. A dear friend who has known me for ages it seems (since I came to Albania) wrote a comment stating I seem to have lost my joy.

Hmmm…. ouch. What would lead her to think that about me? Am I exhibiting frustration, sadness or worry more frequently than happiness, joy, and peace? Her comment began brewing in my heart and mind so I decided to probe deeper to see if what she said had any validity.

Where do you go when you lose something? Most restaurants, activity centers, airports, movie theaters and offices have a Lost and Found box. So that’s where I decided to go hunting to see if my joy had somehow ended up there.

I opened the Lost and Found Box of my life and took a good a look to see what’s been hiding inside.

Not completely to my surprise, I did find some of the following items:

The biggest item I found in my lost and found box was: (Can you guess….???) Yep: 1. Worry– about the future, finances, our desire for children, family health issues, etc.

A second item I found, though somewhat reluctantly was: Selfishness– it seems that these past few years I’ve been much more self-consumed and preoccupied, as opposed to other-centered and servant-hearted. Stress and fear were among a few other items that were lurking inside my “found” compartment.

lost and found box of life

In the smaller corners of the box, I did see that JOY was there– it had simply been covered up by worry and fear. JOY was deeply connected to a PERSON– the person of Jesus. One of my favorite quotes about Jesus shows this vital relation between Jesus and joy:

“The Gospels show that Jesus quickly established intimacy with the people He met… He cut instantly to the heart of the matter, and after a few brief lines of conversation these people revealed to Jesus their innermost secrets… People liked being with Jesus; where He was, joy was.” Philip Yancey

Tucked under other items like material things and worldly concerns was thankfulness. How could I bring joy out of my Lost and Found Box to the center and surface of my life? Through Thankfulness– thankfulness is key to ridding my life of worry and fear.

A great quote I recently read states:

“The soul that gives thanks can find comfort in everything; the soul that complains can find comfort in nothing.” Hannah Whithall Smith

There’s been so much to be thankful about: good health, a great hubby, wonderful family, answered prayer, significance and impact through our ministry and the work God’s entrusted to us, etc.

Thus, I’ve decided to pull out of the Lost and Found Box those two most precious items to keep with me at all times: Joy and Thankfulness.

And I’ve also decided to empty my Lost and Found box by tossing in the trash those things that were bringing me down: worry, fear, selfishness, pride, and materialism.

It’s not always an easy choice– sometimes selfishness stubbornly shows up at the door and demands her way in– and mistakenly I’ve put aside precious time connecting to the Source of Joy, foolishly letting selfishness rule.

But I was extremely thankful for my friend’s profound feedback from my 360 Lite Review as it got me thinking– how do I come across to others? Are they seeing the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control grace my life? Or am I characterized by worry, fear, selfishness, discouragement or other undesirable characteristics?

As I’ve changed my focus these past few months to one of giving thanks and choosing joy, I’ve noticed my disposition and outlook have markedly changed and that peace has enveloped my heart on a daily basis.

What about you? What is lurking in your Lost & Found box that needs to be dusted off and embraced or thrown out in today’s trash?

For finding out more about using a 360 Lite for personal growth and development, click here.

Nope, not a 180. But a 360.

We’re just beginning our new ministry year, which corresponds to a school year calendar (Albanian elementary and high schools begin in September, whereas universities begin in October). At the beginning of every year our teams take time to pray, plan, strategize, and set goals for the year, both ministry and personal ones.

One of my roles in the organization where I serve is to help with Staff Development– helping staff to pursue personal growth in the areas of their spiritual walk with God, personal maturity, relationships and in ministry effectiveness.

What are the key elements to truly growing within a 9-month period?

A Personal Development Plan + Mentoring/Accountability + an atmosphere of Grace & Truth + Time = GROWTH!

The 360 Lite is a tool that falls into the category of a creating a Personal Development Plan (PDP).

It is called a 360 because it gives a person a view of himself from every angle– by getting different people’s feedback in response to 6 key questions.

It requires feedback from:

• someone who is a superior, leader or mentor
• two peers– perhaps one within your workplace or organization and one from outside of it
• from a subordinate of yours, i.e. someone you lead, disciple or mentor
• a roommate or spouse
• and YOU! (fill out one for yourself)

This feedback is truly invaluable and provides a good idea of areas where you excel and things that are holding you back.

Here are the 360 Lite Questions:
1. What do you see as my core or best contribution as a leader?
2. What strengths do you suggest I develop?
3. What is one thing that I should work on that is holding me back as an effective leader?
4. What is my greatest hindrance to being focused?
5. What progress have you seen me make in the last year?
6. What people skills or leadership skills should I work on first?

As I’ve begun to receive feedback from several friends and leaders of mine, thoughts are already percolating in my mind as to why they emphasized certain things. I’m encouraged as I’m reminded of my strengths as a leader and have been challenged by the input given regarding my weaknesses or things hindering me. I’ll share more in another post about one comment that caught me off guard but is proving to be very insightful.

After gathering all the 360 Lite’s from others and putting them together in a summary form along with your own self-evaluation, you can see the areas you most need to focus on. While maybe 5 or 6 key areas are mentioned by others, you’ll only want to choose between 2-4 areas to focus on in one year. Biting off too much can overwhelm you and hinder your progress. But selecting one or two strengths to develop and one or two weaknesses to work on is a healthy goal.

I encourage you to be proactive in your growth as a leader and person who contributes to your workplace or organization! Take the ‘360 Lite Challenge’ and set some practical goals for yourself this year. You’ll be surprised at how helpful it is to receive honest, sincere feedback from those who are closest to you.

Download 360 Lite Questions in PDF

Photos by: 1. Flavio Takemoto 2. Dominik Gwarek