The Saga of the Least of These

This third installment of the Trilogy of Mercy is The Saga of the Least of These. It was inspired by an encounter with a former classmate. It teaches us to be mindful of the personality of Jesus and His intent for His followers to model love and compassion for everyone.

The Saga of the Least of These

 

He came in contact with the least of these;

Strategically positioned beneath his gaze.

They walked the streets and loitered under trees;

Fought for survival on difficult days.

Rather than seeking to understand,

He figuratively gave the back of his hand.

Invisible to some, but to his glance;

The poor decisions they made in their lives,

Were not deserving of a second chance.

But they were not angry for life deprives

On one hand and gives with the other;

At times a way forward is discovered.

 

He came in contact with the least of these;

He did not know their stories or their plight;

To those down trodden and knocked to their knees,

He gave an uppercut, a left and right

And offered platitudes instead of food

And chastised a non-existent attitude.

His words were a punch to their mid section;

His accusations were born of neglect;

His demeanor inflamed their rejection

Their current state was not their fate and yet

He blamed them for their present condition

And gave them negative recognition.

One day he came upon the least of these,

Not the image on the evening news,

But a panhandler who wanted to please

By offering to shine his shoes.

After a few pleasantries were exchanged

He noted that the man was not deranged.

He was spell bound by the look in his eyes.

There standing before him was a classmate;

A football team member to his surprise;

A high school friend he had not seen of late.

They had a reunion for old time’s sake,

But pondered the difference time could make.

He was outrageous, loud and authentic,

While they reminisced within the concourse.

He found out his friend was schizophrenic

And lost his job while on the police force.

He was homeless and as a last resort,

Tried to survive working at the airport.

The image of suffering changed for him;

Became personal and it changed his heart.

He no longer felt the need to condemn,

But to contribute and play a part;

For if not by the grace of God he sees

He could have been among the least of these.

Copyright © 2012 Orlando Ceaser

Reprinted from the book Daily Resurrections

By Orlando Ceaser

31 Day Leadership Gauntlet – Day 23 – Spiritual Leadership

MADEfocus (2)

New leaders, in my day, were given 3 pieces of advice. These words were to guide us throughout our business careers. These words could also be a gauntlet for any leader. They have been known to demolish the morale in an organization and destroy someone’s reputation and career. We were told to never get involved in conversations regarding sex, politics and religion.

A new leader had many areas to grow and we did not need to be distracted by these very volatile topics. We can debate the relevance of this advice today, but I would like address one of the topics in a positive way.  We frequently hear about the desire for employees want to bring their entire selves to work.  We cannot deny that spirituality is important for many people.

Spirituality is a key part of our makeup that defines who we are. Organizations may not discuss religion in the workplace, however many of them will provide space for people to reflect, study and pray at work. Organizations should be sensitive and aware enough to encourage religious expression, outside of proselytizing (recruiting) and making others uncomfortable.

Spiritual Leadership in our 31 Day leadership gauntlet refers to the way our spirituality influences our decisions and our interaction with others. It also covers how we express personal values that align with corporate values. Creating a climate where morality, respect, responsibility, integrity, caring and forgiveness are practiced, is essential for a respectful workplace.

 

The Lord is My Leader

The Lord is my Leader I shall not lack

Direction for He is standing at my back;

While in front of me He makes decisions

To meet my needs with ample provisions.

I shall not want for his abundance fills

My cup with affluence and as it spills,

As water flowing from a mountain top,

His goodness and mercy will never stop.

He mends my brokenness

And I find rest,

As He restores my soul,

He refreshes my spirit,

Changes my countenance

And makes me whole.

  

He leads me where the waters are still;

He tutors me as I study His will;

He comforts me in righteousness;

Though I walk through the valley

Of difficult times;

Disease, disasters and immoral crimes

I fear no evil for He

Protects me from my enemies

And loves me though there is sin in me,

And promises me an eternity

Of matchless splendor and serenity.

(Adapted from Psalms 23)

Copyright © 2013 Orlando Ceaser

Practical Reflections

  1. How can we address spirituality in a way that allows people to be comfortable at work while practicing their faith?

  2. Can people gauge from your behavior, the spiritual foundation that influences your leadership style?

  3. Can people of different faiths practice prayer and Bible study in your workplace?

  4. What role does God play in your decision-making process?

  5. Which spiritual values do you illustrate at work?

  6. Do you believe in the second stanza to be true? How powerful is your faith?

  7. God is making you whole as you read this. Discuss the importance of these words. The Lord is your leader.

  8. How are you resting on His promises and finding comfort in His words?

  9. God as a leader has a vision for your life. Discuss your thoughts about his vision for you.

More leadership information at OrlandoCeaser.com

The ‘O’ Zone Blog: myozonelayer.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=orlando+ceaser    

31 Day Leadership Gauntlet – Day 22 – Relapse

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Developing new skills requires a change management mentality. New skills must be practiced and reinforced over time, with continuous application. The more powerful and experiential the training with total immersion in the new skills, will result in new behaviors that are sustainable.

However, you must deal with inertia, which is resistance to change. Secondly you must contend with the temptation to resort to previous behaviors in the face of difficulty. Observation and experience reveal that in a crisis, if the new skills are not firmly embedded in the subconscious, we revert to previous behavior. We retreat to what is known, comfortable and firmly established. We may discard the new information, new practices for the comfortable behaviors of the past.

If change is not fully incorporated into your rote memory or natural rhythms, you may easily relapse. Therefore, it is important to have powerful implementation procedures that are rapidly reinforced repetition to replace the memorized subconscious behaviors.

Additionally, you must firmly believe in your people and adhere to your leadership pledge to their success. In the heat of battle, turmoil or a crisis, remember that your long-term effectiveness as a leader may hinge upon the following. Your ability to be steady, call while refusing to relapse and abandoning new programs and practices for the old way of doing things.

 

Leadership Pledge

To value and respect you

For your accomplishments each year;

Reward your focus on the bottom line,

Elicit feedback and design

Improvements to work conditions

And ways to fight the competition.

To give clear goals, not good intentions;

Form tactics that defy convention

And set a course for the clients needs,

Sometimes at warp or breakneck speeds;

But always mindful as we advance

To keep egos intact and skills enhanced.

To value and respect you

For loyalty and candor,

For personal leadership modeled

When understaffed and at full throttle,

To praise you when change is prominent,

Receptive when stress is dominant;

And listen actively to your voice,

For you have freedoms,

You’re here by choice.

Copyright © 2013 Orlando Ceaser

Reprinted from Leadership Above the Rim

Personal Reflections

  1. How do you demonstrate to others that you believe and trust them?

  2. What new programs have you put in place to improve the climate in your workplace?

  3. Think of behavior changes successfully implemented and what you did to make them work.

  4. Give examples of old habits that you have successfully replaced.

  5. What do you do to prevent yourself from relapsing into old habits? Give an example, personal or professional.

  6. Review information on change management to strengthen the intellectual and logical justification for your new practices.

  7. The element of surprise is a strong reason for reflex behavior. When you are caught off guard you may tend to relapse into old ways of thinking.

  8. Anticipation will help you stay with your new skills and let the old habits stay in the past.

More leadership information at OrlandoCeaser.com.

The ‘O’ Zone Blog: myozonelayer.com

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=orlando+ceaser    

31 Day Leadership Gauntlet – Day 19 – Purpose

The opening quote in my book the Isle of knowledge states that “I feel pressure from my purpose to align my passion with my potential.” This sentence illustrates my internal struggle to find my purpose and ensure that it is connected to my passion, so that I realize my potential, and my desire to make a difference in the world.

What is your purpose? We wrestle with the realization that we are blessed and may have talent and opportunity that is not fully utilized. We tend to go with the crowd as it relates to our careers or to align ourselves with what is popular or the most financially rewarding. Information came out recently about the top 10 jobs for the future, which indicated technology was the dominant career choice. Are you a technologically driven person? How do you align technology with your purpose?

You may be in a job that is not rewarding or fulfilling, but it is a job that pays the bills. When you determine your purpose, can you provide space to pursue it and keep your day job? Pursuing your purpose may require you to develop a ‘HIT’ list (Hobbies, Interests, Talents). This may provide the vehicle for you to address and fulfill your purpose.

Your purpose can sometimes be recognized in the things they give you the most excitement or feeling of value. Oftentimes, purpose is not about you, but what you can do for others. Through purpose you may find your significance. During your leadership gauntlet you may encounter a variety of distractions that derail you from finding and fulfilling your purpose. But you may find that within your purpose is God’s plan for your life.

God’s Plan for Your Life

YouTube narration with music 

Once you desired to be,

Who you were wired to be,

But you satisfied friends instead.

Though blessed with talent and skill,

You lacked the courage and will

To follow the dreams in your head.

Your parents hinted at times,

Since they were reaching their prime,

You should let them plan your success.

Therefore, achievements were built

On a foundation of guilt,

Which was geared to their happiness.

You were not strong enough then

To use self-discipline when

You heard the voice of the divine.

In whispers to intervene

He said he placed in your genes

The elements of your design.

Once you conspired to be,

Who you were wired to be,

To match the image of your trade.

You sought the power and fame,

The money, title and name,

In service to the masquerade.

Unplanned events played a role,

You flowed away from your goal,

Imprisoned by the undertow.

You gave into their appeal,

Although the look and the feel,

Was not what you needed to grow.

Through the influence of peers

You alternated careers,

And thus, fulfillment was delayed.

You showed an absence of nerve

And therefore, did not deserve

To prosper from poor choices made.

Now you aspire to be,

Who you were wired to be,

To do all you can with your life.

Committed to seek His will

And use your talents and skill,

To embrace God’s Plan for your life.

Copyright © 2001 Orlando Ceaser

Personal Reflections

  1. What is your purpose?

  2. How did you determine your purpose?

  3. Are you working to fulfill your purpose?

  4. How are other people helping you with your purpose?

  5. What resources are you using, or have you used to clearly define and execute your purpose?

  6. How can you help others to find their purpose?

More leadership information at OrlandoCeaser.com.

The ‘O’ Zone Blog: myozonelayer.com

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=orlando+ceaser

31 Day Leadership Gauntlet – Day 15 – Look for the Blessing

Look for the blessingPhoto (2)

We are conditioned to complain when things do not go according to plan. We fall into a woe is me or calamity consciousness, only focusing on the bad. This forms a weight around our necks and makes it difficult to swim upstream. We lose our objectivity and dwell on the reasons for our dissatisfaction. Imagine a radical approach. What if we had a shift in perspective and searched for tangible benefits from our disappointments?

Looking for the blessings is counter intuitive and awkward the first few times you do it. It is helpful to ask yourself a series of questions. What value can I get from this mishap? How can this ordeal make me stronger? Where is the silver lining? Is God trying to get my attention and teach me something? Is this a chance to model behavior that could help someone else through a difficult season?

Looking for the blessing will open you to the possibilities of coping better, seizing opportunities, influencing others and personal growth. How will you use this mindset to enrich your day?

Look for the Blessing

In life’s adventures and catastrophes,
When bad things happened magnetically,
I spent considerable energy
In anger, unhappy, impatiently
Driven, then it occurred to me
That it could help me
Become stress free,
If I just looked for the blessing.

When leaving my house late
And the traffic was delayed,
Once frustrated, I never displayed
A sense of reverence,
I never prayed
Or took the time,
To look for the blessing.

I’ve learned there is a purpose in events.
I may have been spared pain and accidents
Or met new challenges that God presents
When He wants me to look for the blessing.

Things happen for His reason
According to God’s plan.
We are too busy to seize them
And take the time to scan
Our surroundings to handle
What we can
Or in essence,
To look for the blessing.

Lord what must I do in this pain?
You want more of me than to complain.
I know in the circumstances
A blessing is contained,
And I should look for the blessing.

There have been setbacks
But I have found,
That if I take the focus off of me
And look around,
There’s a message in a bottle,
Directions to higher ground
If I look for the blessing.

I should seek the opportunity to grow
To render kindness or to bestow
A gift to a stranger,
Or meet someone I need to know
As I look for the blessing.

Copyright © 2001 Orlando Ceaser

Reprinted from the book “Look for the Blessing” by Orlando Ceaser

Personal Reflections

  1. Tell yourself that you will go through the day searching for opportunities to re-frame your thinking to gain benefits from your calamities.

  2. What challenges have you faced, that help you cope with your current situation?

  3. How can you taken the focus off you, to help others?

  4. Who will you target as individuals you can help with your advice?

  5. Who was able to share their wisdom with you, as they considered the blessings in their lives?

  6. What Scripture has been helpful to keep you focused on God’s goodness?

  7. Practice changing your thinking to look for the gift in the moment.

More leadership information at OrlandoCeaser.com.

The ‘O’ Zone Blog: myozonelayer.com

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=orlando+ceaser

 

31 Day Leadership Gauntlet – Day 1 – Gargantuan Goals

Minimalism is the concept of small. To live in a state of not wanting to rock the boat, make waves, or bringing attention to yourself. You want to go through life unnoticed. The minimalist leader does not want to grab anything large, unwieldy, which would require maximum effort. Contrast this to a gargantuan state of mind. Gargantuan refers to being large, enormous, headline grabbing, of significant size.

You have probably heard about the book Good to Great by Jim Collins. He talks about the BHAG (big, hairy, audacious goal). They are large and intimidating. They are not for the squeamish or faint of heart. They attracted attention but required enormous cooperation and focus. The BHAG became the rallying cry for many organizations on their way to greatness. The gargantuan goal is a goal of this variety. It is monumental, motivating with the power to establish momentum, as a snowball that starts an avalanche.

Think about your purpose, vision and mission in life. Which gargantuan goals identify to help propel you to your destination?                                                                                                                                                         Gargantuan goals can be defined as enormous objectives that may ultimately have a profound impact. The challenge we face is to avoid timidity and reach for goals that will have a profound impact on the world. It is necessary to set a timeline, a deadline by which we plan to reach or exceed these results.

It would be magnificent to have a vision that encompasses these gargantuan goals in our lifetime. When we speak and act with such boldness, the ripple, chain reaction effect will embolden others to work with us to make this world a better place. These are not just nice to have goals but necessary for our survival.

In Our Lifetime*  https://youtu.be/DiMCh_R8c2U

To stem the flow of violence;

In our lifetime,

Let us pledge

To have courage to stand on the edge

Of fear and shout through the silence

Of apathy and turn the tide

On racism, poverty and genocide.

In our lifetime,

Let us commit to heal

The division among the races

And issue a universal appeal

To love as a spirit that replaces

Selfishness, to release

Old information as new interactions

Help form a foundation for peace,

And heighten our sense of obligation

To change the world,

Through an imperfect nation.

In our lifetime,

We should be known

As contributors, as well as consumers;

And millennials should bond with baby boomers

On major issues whatever they may be,

Freedom, justice and equality;

And serve as activist and catalyst,

Advocate and protagonist,

To diminish, devices of division;

To challenge consensus for the best decision.

In our lifetime,

An enormous task lies before us;

To consciously congeal

Around a greater purpose;

To be strategic as we invest

And endure the chorus

Of special interests;

To build coalitions in our zeal;

To stoke the fires of innovation

For the evolution of new ideas,

To suspend competition,

And collaborate on solutions,

To make our world a better place

For the environment and the human race.

*An excerpt from In Our Lifetime, reprinted from the book FREE by Orlando Ceaser, copyright © Watchwell Communications, Inc.

Personal Reflections

  1. Observe your world and situations in the outside world and decide where you would like to influence.

  2. What bold gargantuan goal can you create to incrementally make the world a better place?

  3. Who will be your partner to discuss your progress?

More leadership information at OrlandoCeaser.com.

The ‘O’ Zone Blog: myozonelayer.com

Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=orlando+ceaser

Death Paid a Visit to Our Home

A leader is present for many of life’s challenges and celebrations. Death inevitably and invariably touches everyone and we must be there for our people. This poem features death as a silent partner in our grief, as we struggle to gain our composure an ability to be strong and go forward.

Death Paid a Visit to Our Home

Death paid a visit to our home.
He was a gentleman and came alone.
He shared in every somber thought.
He saw firsthand the pain he brought;
Sat silently among recollections,
And listened to the words of reflection.

Death as a nomad, a traveler combs
The countryside and the streets of the city.
Death, an unwelcomed visitor to homes
That had hoped he’d pass over; For pity
Precedes the wailing and gnashing of teeth.
The sense of loss that torments beneath
The epidermal layers of grief,
Begs the physician for cure or relief.

He led us through songs to put us at ease,
To sway minds off the pain and disease.
He led us through pleasantries revealing,
The depth of wonder and girth of feelings.
Death was conductor to grief stricken kin.
He led us in fellowship as we sat in
Communion with the nearly departed;
The forlorn, lonely and brokenhearted.

Death when he visited cherished the rights
Of mourners as we suffered the nights
And days until the anguish of the soul
Transported our loved one to Sheol.
Death as a quiet manifestation,
Did not disclose their destination.
We discovered that Death first collects
And returns later to pay his respects.

Death paid a visit to our home.
He was a gentleman and came alone.
He shared in every somber thought
He saw firsthand the pain he brought;
Sat silently among recollections,
And listened to the words of reflection.

Copyright © 2001 Orlando Ceaser
Reprinted from Teach the Children to Dance
By Orlando Ceaser
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Adverse City

Adverse City is a place we pass through
On the highway to Being Great;
Where storm clouds hover as a residue,
Reminding us that fortunes fluctuate.

The Motel Misery on the town square
Near “Woe Is Me” Hotel, is over booked
With occupants chanting life is not fair
To the downtrodden who are overlooked.

Adverse City has a Welcome Center,
And millions visit and wander its streets;
Through equal opportunity enter
The masses who find life is bittersweet.

Children of this town are known to excel
When love through compassion inspires dreams
And possibilities exist to quell
The stereotypes and negative themes.

Some hospitals convey hope with their names
And patients vary in their will to live.
On corners like Finger Pointing and Blame
Are angry victims and those who forgive.

Adverse City extracts enormous tolls
And develops or deteriorates
Based on acceptance that we can’t control
All things, and even strife can educate.

Adverse City should not be faced alone
On the highway to Being Great;
Each crisis, a detour, a chance to atone,
A chance to invite God to navigate.

Copyright © 2003 Orlando Ceaser
Reprinted from Leadership Above the Rim

God’s Plan for Your Life https://youtu.be/at7lNa60tjk

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There is a purpose and plan for our lives, but we are often influenced and distracted by people and circumstances that distract us from focusing on our journey. This piece was written to supplement instruction delivered to individuals participating in a career seminar. You may see yourself in these words and hopefully it is a resource that can benefit your spirit and your well being.

God’s Plan for Your Life

Once you desired to be,
Who you were wired to be,
But you satisfied friends instead.
Though blessed with talent and skill,
You lacked the courage and will;
To follow the dreams in your head.

Your parents hinted at times,
Since they were reaching their prime,
You should let them plan your success.
Therefore, achievements were built
On a foundation of guilt,
Which was geared to their happiness.

You were not strong enough then
To use self-discipline when
You heard the voice of the divine.
In whispers to intervene,
He said he placed in your genes
The elements of your design.

Once you conspired to be,
Who you were wired to be,
To match the image of your trade.
You sought the power and fame,
The money, title and name,
In service to the masquerade.

Unplanned events played a role,
You flowed away from your goal,
Imprisoned by the undertow.
You gave into their appeal,
Although the look and the feel,
Was not what you needed to grow.

Through the influence of peers
You alternated careers,
And thus, fulfillment was delayed.
You showed an absence of nerve
And therefore, did not deserve
To prosper from poor choices made.

Now you aspire to be,
Who you were wired to be,
To do all you can with your life.
Committed to seek His will
And use your talents and skill,
To embrace God’s Plan for your life.

Copyright © 2001 Orlando Ceaser
Watchwellinc.com

We Were Created To Evolve

We were created to evolve;
From stardust imbued with life giving breath;
Upright beings with cognitive mystique;
Inspiring the fittest, with natural selection
As a survival technique.

We were created to resolve
Differences and use the distinctions
To steer us from extinction;
To cooperate as more than an initiative;
To be inquisitive;
We are the derivative
Of a life force that has instilled in us
The agility to dance
And the ability to reason and advance
The human species.

We were created to evolve;
To gregariously collaborate
And vicariously liberate
Our consciousness,
To connect with a higher power;
To select, perfect and recognize
That we should live in community
And use our similarities
To strive toward unity;
To preserve life,
To conserve life,
To deserve life,
And reserve the right to bond
To a cause greater than ourselves;
To extract from our differences
A positive impact,
To decipher the patterns,
Frequencies and mysteries
Of the puzzle
For a greater good.

We were created to evolve;
To consciousness on a higher plane;
To mesh with the universe;
To become flesh and maintain
A constant drive to grow and survive;
To know and to thrive;
To rehearse and immerse ourselves
In a cosmic equation of evolution;
To find the answers and seek the solutions;
To connect with our Creator
On Earth, in the ether and atmosphere;
To answer the question
Why are we here?

We were created to evolve;
To ascend beyond the primitive state
Where fear and selfishness
Fuel envy and hate;
To keep alive the rational
And emotional debate
Between good and evil,
Between faith and fate;
To denounce barbaric atrocities
And grow beyond wars to a new reality
Where conflicts and animosities
Are self defeating maladies.

Violence is a flagrant violation;
A suppression of our moral code;
If it persists we will implode.
This primal obsession
Requires repentance and confession.
There is value in moving toward inclusion
And uniting our assets
To eliminate the confusion
That exists when we focus only on self
And ignore the residual benefits
Of working for the entire race.

There is a trajectory to this existence.
An angle of flight instilled in humanity;
To live a life beyond mere subsistence;
To have a purpose beyond vanity
That animates us to get involved
With a myriad of problems
That need to be solved.

We were created to evolve;
To scour the regions of the universe
For information to improve our surroundings;
To develop hypotheses to rehearse;
To mine the treasures stored from
The infinitesimal, to infinity;
To study each side of the decimal,
And ultimately connect us to divinity;

As we grow together we have
So much to discuss.
The Eternal God communicates
And connects with us,
As we discover the secrets of this universe vast
In size and complexity;
In every manner and dimension
He unfolds the future as the past
And the temporary lasts
Forever and then returns
In a continuous loop for us to learn.

As we branch outwardly to explore
The atmosphere to the ocean floor.
When we demonstrate our readiness
And understand more,
He will increase our ability
To comprehend our cosmic quest;
As the earth derives energy
From its molten core;
As a sunflower stretches
Toward its solar source
We will connect with the universe
And this vital force
Will place us on a course
That will lead us to love.

We have unlimited capacity zones.
We are not to be ruled by pleasure alone.
We should not be driven by senseless
And selfish acts.
We are not to become ancient relics
And artifacts,
But beings that rejuvenate,
Evolving to love,
Receding from hate.

It’s not survival of the one most fit,
But the one who progresses and will not quit;
Incorporating each enhancement,
As we move steadily to advancement
At different altitudes and rates of speed,
We challenge the limits and ascend
To where we need to be.
We are always striving for a winning hand,
Curiosity driven, surviving to understand
The mysteries stored within us;
To unleash those powers that implore us
To seek a higher level.

We were created to evolve,
To journey toward perfection;
Through growth that is incremental,
In the direction of our purpose;
To be used;
To engage in a metamorphosis;
To transform repeatedly
Through purposeful interactions;
To stretch for lofty objectives;
To lunge softly toward love and peace;
To extend and stretch our intelligence
And expand our heart and pursue matters
The Creator feels has relevance,
To love our neighbor;
To participate in thinking,
To serve through targeted labor
To improve man’s existence,
As we grow, our commitment and desire
Are like a homing device compelling us
To travel to meet our Maker.

Copyright © 2015 Orlando Ceaser
Reprinted with permission from Daily Resurrections
by Orlando Ceaser
Available through amazon.com and OrlandoCeaser.com