Growth Happens Around the Table
Earlier this week, I had the incredible honor of narrating the celebration of my life mentor, John Maxwell’s 50-year leadership journey and helping kick off the next 50 with a few thousand leaders gathered live and even more joining us online.
For me, it was an incredible, full-circle moment.
I began learning from John when I was 21 years old.
I’m 56 now.
For 35 years, his teachings have influenced the way I’ve raised my family, built businesses, served in ministry, developed leaders and grown personally.
Sitting on a stool on that stage, helping tell the story of a man who has spent 50 years intentionally adding value to people, was deeply meaningful to me.
Among all the stories and accomplishments we celebrated, there was one I especially loved talking about:
The power of a table.
Through Transformation Tables around the world, millions of people have gathered in small groups to talk about values, growth, leadership and transformation. 20 million to put a number to it.
20 million human beings. Just wow.
But it makes sense to me.
Because so much of life happens around a table.
We eat around tables.
We celebrate around tables.
We laugh and tell stories around tables.
We make decisions around tables.
We have some of our hardest conversations around tables.
We invite people we love to pull up a chair and stay awhile.
Growth happens around the table.
Relationship happens around the table.
Everyone is welcome around the table.
Information Isn't the Same as Transformation
We live in a time when we have more access to information than any generation before us.
Books.
Podcasts.
Courses.
Social media.
Videos.
Experts available on demand from the little device in our pocket.
And yet access to information doesn't automatically mean we're changing.
We can know a lot and still remain stuck.
Because transformation asks something different of us.
It asks us to APPLY what we're learning.
To CHANGE what we're doing because of what we've learned.
And then to TEACH someone else what we've learned. Because when we do, it’s one of the most concrete ways to cement the lesson inside ourselves as we pass it along.
It’s crucial to growth that we examine ourselves honestly.
To identify the places where what we say matters and how we're actually living don't line up.
And most often, that work is better done in relationship than in isolation.
We need people who will ask us good questions.
People who will listen.
People who will share what they're learning too.
People who will encourage us when growth gets uncomfortable.
And most times, we simply need a scheduled place on the calendar where we know we're going to stop long enough to pay attention to our own lives.
Why I Created the Growth Table
This is exactly why I created the Growth Table through LifeStory Strategies.
I wanted to create a place where men and women could step out of the noise of everyday life for a season and ask:
Who am I?
What matters most to me?
What am I building that will last?
Does the way I'm actually spending my days reflect the life I say I want?
Where am I living by default?
And what would it look like to begin living by design?
The Growth Table isn't about arriving with your life figured out.
It's about pulling up a chair and being willing to grow with others.
I believe deeply that we were never meant to figure all of this out alone.
Pull Up a Chair
My next Growth Table begins September 14.
We'll spend the coming weeks getting clear about who you are, what matters most to you and the LifeStory you're intentionally building.
If you've been sensing that something needs to change, or maybe nothing is terribly wrong but you know you're ready for more intentionality, this may be your season.
You don't need to have it all figured out.
You just need to be willing to grow.
There's a seat for you at the Table.
I'm opening just 10 seats for this Growth Table.
JOIN THE SEPTEMBER 14 GROWTH TABLE
Around the Table
Where in your life do you know you're ready for growth?
Who currently has permission to ask you the questions you might not ask yourself?
What could change if you intentionally gave yourself a season to get clear about the life you're building?
I'd love to hear from you.
What is one area of your life where you know you're ready to grow?
With you in growth,
TRACI
Founder, LifeStory Strategies
Helping YOU Live a Great LifeStory