Objects in mirror are closer than they appear. ~ Rear view mirror warning

I bring you this quote from my weekly Weight Watchers class. Yea, I said it, I'm on Weight Watchers. For the record, the thought of a rear view mirror in weight watchers class understandably scared a few. Anyway, I couldn't help but think about what else would be in my rear view mirror if I took a careful look. Past learning experiences, failures, or let downs would be there. But previous family gatherings, uncontrollable laughter episodes, and overwhelming times of joy would also be in sight. What I love about the warning on our car door mirrors is the fact that although objects are reflected from an angle of the past, they are not all that far away. The warning to not assume that you are in the clear or have entirely lost something is a lesson about life. I saw a poster in church this past weekend that said, "If you're not sure where to find God, start at the place you last spoke". Perhaps you can't seem to figure out how to laugh again or simply relax. Maybe you're struggling with a relationship and need to reflect on why you care so deeply about the person in the first place. A quick glance in the rear view mirror will reveal that what you think is in the distant past, isn't really all that far away.

My challenge to you this week is to take a quick glance in the rear view mirror. As a leader, take a peek at some of your past successes and failures and reflect on what you've learned. Make a personal pledge to recapture the lessons from the past that guide your thinking and behavior today. If we are unwilling to reflect on our past experiences, we are destined to make poor decisions based on misguided information and blind assumptions. I don't know about you, but if the driver in front of me on the freeway insists on changing lanes without using his rear view mirrors, I have no choice but to do one of the following; either refuse to follow them and let someone else put their future in his hands, or pass him entirely and keep an eye on him while he's following me. It would be a mistake to think your staff or students aren't doing the same about you!


Alonzo Kelly