New Story Endings

Brian Becker’s New Blog - New Story Endings By Brian Becker

February 1, 2017

Welcome to the first of what will be a twice-monthly perspective on leadership. My hope is to provide relevant reflections based on 25+ years of experiences of either consulting with or working in some very interesting organizations. Let’s get started.

New Story Endings

Monday evening I attended the funeral of the son of one of my best friends. Danny was 26 years old and he died in his sleep from a brain aneurism. The funeral was a beautiful tribute and celebration of life, faith, family, and hope. My friend and his family are now facing a new ending to their family story, one they never could have imagined just a few days ago.

The paradoxes were powerful. Many tears and much laughter. Bitter sorrow and sweet memories. Broken hearts and, already, hearts that are beginning to heal. Moments of despair and yet, bright glimpses of optimism for what is yet to come.

What does this have to do with leadership? In my opinion, very much!

• Both parents communicated vulnerability, honesty, and strength in the middle of the most difficult experience one can imagine.
• They spoke the truth to us about their loss and pain, and their hope for the future.
• They involved key people they knew well…people they loved and trusted.
• They provided space and time for people to share their stories, to grieve, eat together and build community.
• They led a thoughtful, reflective, and engaging worship service that demonstrated their deeply held beliefs.

I was particularly moved by one line from one of the songs, “the only thing I need, I already have”. I was reflecting on the drive home about how I sometimes reach for things that just don’t matter and have no enduring value.

So what is really, really important to you? …to me? I believe I already have it…a spouse that loves and supports me, two grown children who make me more proud than I can describe, faithful friends, and a vocation that is meaningful, challenging, uses my God-given gifts, and is filled with opportunities to help organizations and people rewrite the endings of their stories.

These things that really matter can never be purchased. They’re part of my life because of love, grace, understanding, patience, steadfastness…shown to me by those in my life, and that of a loving and forgiving God. And for that I’m immensely grateful. These are the things that help us rewrite our story’s ending. How will you change the ending to your story?

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My intent for this blog is to share my perspective on how we all have the ability to create new endings to our stories that are meaningful, powerful and filled with hope.