Well, much to my chagrin and due to no lack of effort I took the week off last week to spend a fun filled week at Thee Camp. What? Never heard of it? It's my church's youth camp for grades 7-12. So along with 50 or so other adult counselors and staff from my church and about 250 of my closest 13-18 year old friends I took the long holiday weekend to venture to Camp Tejas in the (hot) beautiful Texas Hill Country for a week of fun, faith and fellowship. If I've had a better 6 days in my life since I myself was a student I would be hard pressed to remember them. Besides, we could all use to act like teenagers every now and then, couldn't we?
So how does church camp relate to business and to serving your customers? In just about every way possible, my friend! If I were to write of all the lessons and takeaways from last week I would probably short circuit the capacity of my blog site so let me summarize as best as possible my top 3 takeaways from last week.
First, the more you give, the more you receive. I admit I was tentative about going. I have never been to a summer camp before in my life as a youth or an adult. The first couple of days I was kind of hanging out in "observation mode" hoping to interact with a few students I knew pretty well before going on the trip. To make a long story short, by the end of the trip I was totally immersed in meeting kids I had never met before, reaching out to find out what their needs and concerns were and interjecting myself as best as possible with answers to their questions and suggestions on how to live life more abundantly. My only regret in reaching out to the kids I spoke with is that I didn't do more, sooner. What I discovered was that the more I went out of my way to meet my customers, if you will, the more I wanted to do for them - and the more they asked and confided in me. It was a tough first step but after the first steps doors opened up wide for opportunities. Boom!
Second, the mind is a terrible thing to waste. For 6 whole days I completely unplugged from the world. No email, no social media, no texting. Nothing. By day 2 my mind was filled with fresh new thoughts, ideas and implementations to make my business, my family and my life a better place for me and those I share it with. I cannot recall when the last time is that I really had time to just sit and think. About nothing. And everything. What a powerful lesson it was for me. I don't know how but I am determined to find more "white space" in my schedule to plan. It may cost me scratching some things off of my "To Do" list in the short term (and indeed my list has grown exponentially as a result) but I am already more effective, intentional and relational with my customers and stakeholders than I have been in years.
Finally, sleep is way over rated. With the help of the 11 8th graders in my cabin I found myself going to bed most nights at a time that had a 2 or 3 as the first number on the clock. I have never been much of a sleeper although in the months leading up to my experience I had found myself requiring more and more. With my new found attitude towards serving others, planning and thinking more in terms of leaving a legacy I have more energy than I have had again in longer than I can remember. I literally am only sleeping 4 or 5 hours a night but I wake up in the (early) morning ready to jump out of bed and attack the plans I have laid out for the day ahead. Woo Hoo!! Honestly, I tried once or twice while at camp to catch an afternoon nap and my mind just wouldn't let me rest. I admit that I may be wired a little different than most but I can only tell you that my creativity and energy level is off the charts. The more energized I get, the less sleep I seem to require.
So, I wonder how this might play out for some of you? Since I began several weeks ago this blog is and has been all about creating value for constituents and customers. Don't sit on the sidelines. Get in tight with your customers and don't be afraid to get dirty and sweat a little bit! I bet the more you ask the more opportunities you'll have to be the one to provide the answers.
I wonder how you might work in some time to be alone with your thoughts to organize and re prioritize your life? It can't be done in a small amount of time but the benefits are life changing and life giving. What are you doing this weekend? Really?
Finally, don't lose a week, a day, an hour to do what matters most. You may be able to circle back and make up for lost time but every hour we spend is an investment and if we squander the time we lose the interest - in more ways than one.
Hope you find your Thee Camp today! Can I get an Amen!?
