Gathering His Light, The Sermon We Act, The Plateau of Latent Potential
Newsletter #3 on Feb 11, 2023.
Discipleship // Leadership // Mental Performance. The best from this week.
DISCIPLESHIP
Obedience is the lifeblood of faith. It is by obedience that we gather light into our souls.
Dieter F. Uchtdorf
There are a number of things in life that you can get away with "faking it till you make it."
You can fake charisma.
You can fake personality.
You can fake confidence.
You can fake charm.
You can fake lots of things.
But you can't fake the Spirit.
The Holy Ghost, or light (as Elder Uchtdorf refers to it here), cannot be faked. It can only be gathered. Jesus Christ is the source of Light. Any light that we gather comes from Him.
That light is the source of real power. Real influence. It's both a scientific and spiritual law. University of Michigan professor Kim Cameron describes this law as The Heliotropic Effect.
"(The Heliotropic Effect) refers to the tendency in all living systems toward positive energy [light] and away from negative energy [darkness]. From single-cell organisms to complex human systems, everything alive has an inherent inclination toward the positive and away from the negative ... Every living system, everything alive has a tendency toward positive, away from negative, toward light, away from dark. An example of the heliotropic effect is when you put a plant in the window and over time it leans toward the light. In nature, the Sun is the source of positive energy. It is the life-giving force. Most accurately defined, the heliotropic effect is that every living system is inclined toward that which is life-giving and away from that which is life-depleting."
When you gather light, you radiate light. When you radiate light, others are drawn to that light. Thus, you become a reflection of the Light of the World, and others feel His influence and His power through you.
"Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up–that which ye have seen me do" (3 Nephi 18:24).
This is real power. This is real influence.
Gather His light.
Don't settle for counterfeits. Their power and influence are as fleeting as they are fake.
LEADERSHIP
Children are more influenced by the sermon we act, than the sermon we preach.
David O. McKay
Not just children. EVERYONE.
One of the biggest lies we believe as humans is this idea that if we aren't communicating, then we aren't communicating.
That if we aren't preaching, then we aren't preaching.
That if we aren't leading, then we aren't leading.
That if we aren't actively engaging, then we aren't influencing.
That is such a lie.
Everything you do influences.
You are never not communicating.
You not saying something, SAYS something.
That's the thing. You have influence in every moment of your life. That means you're a leader, whether you want to be or not. Because leadership is influence, and you are always influencing.
The question isn't, "do I have influence?" The question is "what kind of influence am I making?" And it's either positive or negative. It's not neutral.
Your example is the greatest sermon you'll ever preach. In fact, without your example, any verbal sermon just falls flat. Example is what gives wind to your words.
So set the example and preach a good sermon.
MENTAL PERFORMANCE
Change can take years—before it happens all at once.
James Clear
In Atomic Habits, James Clear gives the visual of an ice cube heating from 0 degrees to 31 degrees. For the ice cube, that's quite the change! For the observer, nothing has changed.
But at 32 degrees, of course, everything will change. The same is true for humans. Clear calls this "The Plateau of Latent Potential". This plateau is represented in this graph.
The valley of disappointment is a necessary step along the pathway to change. Whether it is a deeper behavioral change or even skill acquisition. It is a part of the process that can't be cheated or skipped.
C.S. Lewis had this to say on the subject: "(God) allows this disappointment to occur on the threshold of every human endeavor. It occurs when the boy who has been enchanted in the nursery by Stories from the Odyssey buckles down to really learning Greek. It occurs when lovers have gotten married and begin the real task of learning to live together. In every department of life, it marks the transition from dreaming aspiration to laborious doing."
If you're in the valley right now, keep a sharp mind. Don't quit. Be encouraged because you know the valley of disappointment is actually an indicator that you are making progress. If you weren't, you wouldn't have entered the valley in the first place.
Here's some James Clear to close us out:
"If you find yourself struggling to build a good habit or break a bad one, it is not because you have lost your ability to improve. It is often because you have not yet crossed the Plateau of Latent Potential. Complaining about not achieving success despite working hard is like complaining about an ice cube not melting when you heated it from twenty-five to thirty-one degrees. Your work was not wasted; it is just being stored. All the action happens at thirty-two degrees."
3 Questions
1) Are you gathering light or faking it till you make it?
2) What sermon is your example preaching?
3) How can the valley of disappointment be an encouraging sign to you?
Disciple-Leadership: Jesus-led. Lead like Jesus.
Have an amazing week, friends.
Aaron @ The Disciple-Leader
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