I had the good fortune of attending Mark Shriver’s signing party for his newest book on the life of Pope Francis (“Pilgrimage”) .  An interesting and intriguing read, perhaps the most revealing story centers on the Pope’s insistence that those under his care get out and serve in the real world.  Pope Francis wants a Church that serves in the lives of the faithful and solves real problems.  He firmly believes that people cannot change the world and influence lives through prayer and reflection alone.  Our first Jesuit Pope demands that church leaders go out and “get their shoes muddy” by interacting with members of the community.  And couldn’t we all stand to put ourselves out there and get our shoes muddy in our work and personal lives?

No Magic Happens At the Desk

In our work lives, we can’t grow or influence our team by sitting behind the desk.  As managers, we need to shape the path for our team members, anticipate trends, and understand the nuances of the group through personal interaction.  As salespeople, we have to be out in the field, listening to the needs of our customers and building face-to-face relationships.  As teachers and coaches, we need to rely less on general theory and more on the individual makeup of our current students and players.  As business owners, we can’t build long-term success unless we have mutual trust with our employees.  And we can’t build that trust by hiding in the corner office.  The most rewarding moments in our professional lives come through exhibiting hard work AND building personal relationships.  The desk serves a purpose.  But no magic happens there.  We can’t be afraid to leave our comfort zone and get our shoes muddy.

It is Time to Take Action!

The same is true in our personal lives.  We can think about finding the right partner, but nothing is going to happen unless we take action and ask someone out.  We can hope our spouse understands our needs, but a frank conversation will certainly get the point across.   We can pray that our children make the right decisions, but how will they know unless we  show them the right path?  Thinking, hoping and praying will only get us so far.  We cannot be a worried spectator in the game of life.  If we want to experience true fulfillment and happiness, we must take action!   Now is the time to get out there and get our shoes muddy!

Action Can Come With a Down Side!

But taking action does not always guarantee success and happiness.  It’s not that simple.  Sometimes, the mud can overwhelm us.  What happens when we clash with our employees?  What if we make hundreds of sales calls and still get rejected?  What if we ask someone out and they take a “better” offer?  What happens if we share our needs and we are met with indifference?  What if we make a mistake and fail as a role model?  Our lives can get pretty messy.  There are times we want to curl up and hide behind our desk.  There are times it may seem prudent to shy away from contact and stifle our true feelings.  It won’t be easy, but we must realize that this inaction is a recipe for mediocrity!

But Resilience Always Wins Out In the End

Think about the alternative?  Sitting back and remaining passive might save us some pain.  We might never experience soul-crushing rejection or defeat.  We might never experience doubt and remorse.  But what about the exhilaration of coming back from a loss? What about the unbridled joy of trusting our instincts and overcoming adversity?  What about the positive impact we can unleash on this world through our gritty display of resilience?  Even if we fail, we must fail through action and interpersonal connections.  Our shoes will be weathered and stained.  We are not perfect.  But we will be battle-tested!  We will be resilient!  And eventually, we will have an impact our little corner of the world!

There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less than the long range risks of comfortable inaction.  –John F. Kennedy

Pope Francis understands that our impact can only be measured through action.  And that action must happen out with the people.  We must fight the temptation to hide our unique talents and gifts from the world.  We have so much to offer.  We have so much to give.  2017 is just getting underway.  Let’s go out and go out get our shoes muddy all year long!

Until next week, keep smiling!