make me magnanimous

I like to learn new words. I like word games – Wordle, Scrabble, Banagrams, and my recent favorite, the New York Times (NYT) Spelling Bee. My mom was a crossword puzzle genius. I may have only a tiny percentage of her ability, but I love that we are connected that way.

I like reading and writing. I enjoy keeping my mind challenged and building my vocabulary. Whether at work or at home, I recognize the power of words and communications, both verbal and written.

One email I enjoy receiving is the “Word of the Day,” and this is the word that showed up in my box recently:

WORD OF THE DAY
Magnanimous [ mag-nan-uh-muhs ] adjective

1. generous in forgiving an insult or injury; free from petty resentfulness or vindictiveness
2. high-minded; noble

Examples of magnanimous in a sentence:

1. The magnanimous philanthropist donated millions of dollars to charity.
2. The magnanimous queen pardoned her enemies and showed mercy to all.

What a great word! Wouldn’t you want to be known as a magnanimous person?

Generous. Forgiving. Not petty. High-minded. Noble.

Wow.

All I could think of was how much our world needs more magnanimous people today. How I long for more magnanimous people in my life. And how I desire to be a more magnanimous person.

What would that take? For me, not holding on to hurt. Not being so critical of people. Joyfully generous whenever possible. Trusting God to care for my heart and meet my needs rather than expecting – demanding – that of others.

That sounds difficult – but not impossible. At least if I have the word in my head, I might attempt to live it out more often.

Want to attempt it with me? What would it take for you to be magnanimous?


Me gusta aprender nuevas palabras. Me gustan los juegos de palabras: Wordle, Scrabble, Banagrams y mi favorito reciente, el Spelling Bee del New York Times (NYT). Mi mamá era una genio de los crucigramas. Puede que solo tenga un pequeño porcentaje de su habilidad, pero me encanta que estemos conectados de esa manera.

Me gusta leer y escribir. Disfruto mantener mi mente desafiada y construir mi vocabulario. Ya sea en el trabajo o en casa, reconozco el poder de las palabras y las comunicaciones, tanto verbales como escritas.

Un correo electrónico que disfruto recibir es la “Palabra del día” y esta es la palabra que apareció en mi inbox recientemente:


PALABRA DEL DIA

Magnánimo [adjetivo]

  1. generoso en perdonar un insulto o injuria; libre de mezquinos, resentimientos o venganzas
  2. de principios altos; noble

Ejemplos de magnánimo en una oración:

  1. El magnánimo filántropo donó millones de dólares a obras de caridad.
  2. La reina magnánima perdonó a sus enemigos y mostró misericordia a todos.

¡Qué gran palabra! ¿No te gustaría ser conocido como una persona magnánima?

Generoso. Perdonador. No mezquino. Misericordioso. Noble.

Guau.

Todo lo que podía pensar era cuánto nuestro mundo necesita más gente magnánima hoy. Cómo anhelo más personas magnánimas en mi vida. Y cómo deseo ser una persona más magnánima.

¿Qué tomaría eso? Para mí, no aferrarme al dolor. No ser tan crítica con las personas. Ser gozosamente generosa siempre que sea posible. Confiar en Dios para que cuide mi corazón y satisfaga mis necesidades en lugar de esperar, hasta exigirlo, de los demás.

Eso suena difícil, pero no imposible. Al menos si tengo la palabra en mi cabeza, podría intentar vivirla más a menudo.

¿Quieres intentarlo conmigo? ¿Qué necesitarías cambiar para ser magnánimo?

follow the leader is no game

The last few years, I have been in many positions of leadership. At the same time, I have always had a boss, a director or a leader over me.  I have heard seminars, been to trainings and read books about leading… I have never received input about following well.

In the New Testament, Jesus spoke of following much more often than He did of leading. It is clear that following is a choice – following Him or following the enemy. Thinking about it, I realize that being a good follower is really important. As I follow others, I reflect how well I follow Jesus.  I want to be a good follower.

What does being a good follower mean? I’ve grouped some of my first thoughts into three simple categories so I can easily evaluate how I am doing…

ATTITUDES: Heart attitude is the first place for me to look.

  • Do I pray for my leader? I mean do I really pray regularly, specifically, taking the initiative to ask about their needs? During my years as a national leader, I could count on one hand the people who asked me how they could pray for me. That was hard – I often felt alone.  I want my leaders to know that they can count on me to pray for them.
  • Do I believe the best of them?  No leader is perfect – far from it. I know I forgot to say thank you, arrived late, planned poorly, lacked vision, acted selfishly, and criticized others at times… but it was never because I woke up in the morning and decided, “I am going to intentionally be a bad leader and do harm to some people today.” Do I believe my leaders want to do their best? Do I give them grace to fail? Am I patient before passing judgement?

WORDS: Do my words indicate that I am a good follower?

  • Do I tell my leader “thank you” when I see them work hard, when they do something well, when they invest in my development? How do I speak about my leader to others? Do I express respect for their position and them personally? Do I encourage others to do the same?
  • If I don’t agree with something, do I go directly to them to clarify and understand the issue? When I led, I was so grateful for those who came and spoke to me directly – even if they were frustrated or angry with me. Those difficult conversations ultimately strengthened our relationship. Unfortunately, they were few. More often gossip, behind the back criticism, and mutiny damaged relationships. I have committed to speak directly with my leader if I am unsure of something, if I don’t agree, or if I am hurt. No excuses.

ACTIONS: Do I support my leader/boss/director with my actions?

  • Do I bring a positive attitude, a servant spirit, and a learner mindset to the job each day? Or do I act entitled? Demand perks? Have a victim mindset?
  • Do I do the best work that I can for my leader? Do I work hard my full hours, take the initiative to offer suggestions, do a quality job? Do I do what I am asked? Am I honest, responsible and trustworthy? Is my leader more effective because I have his/her back?

It is worth asking, “Would I want me as a follower?”

Help me learn… What do you look for in a good follower?  What do you think is important for someone to follow well?