Way back in 2000, when Thom Jeavons and I first sang the praises of abundance thinking, the scarcity crowd accused us of being Pollyannas. Today, the positive high-road is all the rage, despite (or maybe because of) the tough financial times in which we find ourselves.
Thom and I made our case for abundance based on an assumption of God’s resources and grace. Others start from a more worldly point of view. But at the end of the day, we arrive at pretty much the same conclusion.
An optimistic outlook is good for what ails us — and our organizations.
This was my message to a tired bunch of church folks, gathered round a table in a sweltering church basement on a hot August evening. They were pouring over the campaign feasibility study I had just handed them. Worn down by a long-time slog in the same old rut, it took more faith than they could muster to believe they could do what I predicted. Almost.
Just when it seemed the campaign was over before it had begun, a brave soul and then another reminded the group of God’s goodness to the parish in years past. A history buff recalled the faith of a long ago Rector. Others spoke lovingly about the church’s impact on their children.
The mood shifted. Faces brightened. Drooping shoulders lifted. The question went from “can we?” to “why can’t we?”
In the words of blogger Rose Herceg, the group got its mojo back.
STARING DOWN NEGATIVITY
Although minus a single reference to faith, Herceg’s essay is an apt description of how those who claim to play for the ultimate Power should live. She writes:
When you feel you’re on a downward spiral you have to arrest this spiral in its tracks. What you need is a mojo makeover.
Power Players are genius at stopping their sinking mojo in its tracks. Power Players are present enough to know that bad luck is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
In order to turn it around they need to look bad luck in the face and change their mojo. We all need to pay respect to this particular Power Play. A spate of negative stuff will only stay negative if you believe you’re due even more bad luck.
If you think you’re due a break, good stuff will start to happen again. Power Players know this for sure. And so should you.
In the words of another Power Player, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! . . . Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4-7).
That’s true mojo.