Business as Unusual!!! Or Forgiveness, it’s good for Business!!!

I have decided that I like long titles and if I can not think of one then why not put two together!!! It is fun and besides both of these sentiments sum it up for me!!!

Tomorrow is the day I have waited for!!!!  We are finally after 14 long months waiting out Covid we are meeting together in celebration of us and of our new building.  I dreamed of this building for about 6 years or more and saw it in my heart and then my mind and then I walked in one day.  I cry often when I walk around it and I remember all the times I spoke about it with Hugh and how proud he was of the future and what it held.  

But the thing that makes me the most proud is not this building that we have all built together but the culture that we have built together.  We don’t do business as usual, we do business as most unusual and I could not be more proud.

I was thinking the other day what it means to me to have a business that loves God and loves people. I was also thinking about what is really good for business and the future of our business and that is a spirit of forgiveness.  People that work in an environment where forgiven people forgive people, they flourish.  

They flourish because they are free to try new ways of doing things, they are free to get it wrong while trying to make it right. They are not worried about messing up because when they do grace is there to catch them.  A work place built around a culture of grace allows for people to dream big dreams, try bold things and reach for creative solutions. 

And even more important that all of this is the idea that living a life where we forgive preemptively means that I will not live a life of offense. I will not go around holding grudges or keep score of wrong offenses. I will decide in advance to give grace in great abundance.

My philosophy of getting even was born on the bags of chocolate chip cookies I would deliver. On one side it was written, “Have a sweet day” and on the other side, “The only people we have to get even with are those that have helped us.”  I would drop these off at job sites with big burly construction guys and they would shake their heads when I trudged through the job site to make my delivery.   I think they loved the cookies and the message to be honest.

Fast forward and today 11 years later we have this saying on all our marketing and on peace signs and we carry it in our heart.  Our brand of getting even means we are service driven and love directed.  We extend grace liberally and we love completely and we serve each other gladly.  

I am so thankful that we are anything but doing business as usual!!  We are most unusual and we know that living a life of grace and forgiveness is good for us and GREAT for business!!!

People who extend grace while doing business are quick to praise and slow to criticize. Assuming in advance that people have good intentions and giving everyone more than a benefit of doubt is a path to a peaceful experience in life and in business. 

Nothing can block us more than a spirit of unforgiveness and in the same token nothing can free us more than a spirit of grace and kindness.  Business is not just business, it is how I do life and I am so grateful that I get to do life with all of you. I love what I do and who I do it with. What joy. What joy!!!

I am so thankful to celebrate and come together and love and work together!!!! 

Grateful,

Karen