Leadership: Not If, But What

Influence can be positive or negative, but it cannot be absent or neutral.


There's an old saying that goes: “Lead, follow, or get out of the way!” This assumes that a person can exert a neutral influence by simply “getting out of the way.” I disagree. Even the act of neutrality sends a message. You cannot NOT lead. This statement may reflect poor grammar, but it communicates a fundamental truth about leadership.

The only issue is the nature of my influence and my leadership, not its existence. I may lead in a positive sense or I may exert a negative influence. Either way, I am a leader.
Which of the following are examples of leadership?

• An assistant handling an irate person over the phone with patience and kindness
• A businessman who stops to visit with a homeless person and takes him to a café for a meal and some conversation
• A mother with a child at any time of day
• A Marine sergeant who issues a command that puts his men in harm’s way in order to complete their mission
• A high school baseball coach who curses an official in the presence of his players
• A government official who receives a bribe in exchange for awarding a contract
• An elementary school teacher who helps their class learn to appreciate the beauty of nature
• A handicapped person who displays grace, joy, and courage in front of family and coworkers
• A deacon who visits a church member in the hospital
• A college student who helps an overburdened classmate with an important paper
• An angry driver who makes an obscene gesture to another driver during rush hour traffic

Actually, all of the above are examples of leadership. As you can see, influence can be either positive or negative. It can be one or the other, but it cannot be absent or neutral. In addition, leadership can be obvious (a Marine sergeant issuing a command) or hidden (an official receiving a bribe). It can be very specific (a coach who curses an umpire) or general (a handicapped person living with courage).
However, each of these examples comes down to one crucial decision. It is the decision either to serve others or to serve ourself. How are you leading today? Who are you serving?

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Leading Across: From Competing to Completing

Leading peers can be tricky since you’re simultaneously cooperating with and competing against them. For example, athletes on the same team contend for a limited number of positions in the starting lineup, yet compete together on game day. Musicians within an orchestra vie for the first chair, but then harmonize their talents to delight audiences with their music. Coworkers jockey for prestigious assignments but afterwards combine their skills to advance the mission of the organization.
Healthy work environments depend on competition and cooperation. Both are necessary in order to win. Either too much competition or a deficiency of it can damage team dynamics. In an overly competitive work culture, the natural antagonism of competition turns teammates into enemies and deters cooperation. Conversely, in an environment absent of competition, the aversion to conflict snuffs out critical thinking and stifles initiative.
Arriving at suitable levels of competitiveness at work begins by acknowledging that competition has benefits and drawbacks.
The Upside of Competition
1) Competition provides feedback. Until we match our skills against a competitor, we seldom know the extent of our strengths and weaknesses.
2) Competition calls forth our best efforts. Runners don’t set world records in practice; they break them when racing against other elite athletes.
The Downside of Competition
1) Competition can become personal. We use the phrase “friendly competition,” but oftentimes competition is anything but friendly and ends up fueling personal animosities.
2) Competition can warp our view of success and failure. In a culture obsessed with winning, we can be tempted to measure our self-worth by the outcome of competition.
Completing Instead of Competing
To have the most influence with your peers, put completing fellow leaders ahead of competing against them. Endeavor to make your teammates better instead of trying to prove that you’re the best. If you spend time adding value to peers, you’ll eventually become very valuable to them. The following tips will aid you in adopting a healthy perspective on competition in the workplace:

• Switch your standard of comparison. We tend to compare ourselves to other people, when we should compare ourselves to our potential.

“I'm not in competition with anybody but myself. My goal is to beat my last performance.” ~ Celine Dion

• Reevaluate your definition of success and failure. First, resist the temptation to define yourself by wins and losses. We can only control the effort we put in, not the outcomes we experience. Second, move from an individual to collective notion of accomplishment. Rather than being solely preoccupied with personal advancement, learn to see success as helping others to victory.

“Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best that you are capable of becoming.” ~ John Wooden

“You will accomplish more in the next two months, developing a sincere interest in two people than you will accomplish in the next two months, trying to get two people interested in you.” ~ Tim Sanders

• Adopt an abundance mindset. There are many lanes on the highway to success. Search for win-win partnerships with fellow coworkers in which you both stand to gain something valuable. Sharing resources or lending assistance to others enriches rather than impoverishes you. 

“The more we develop an abundance mentality, the more we are genuinely happy for the successes, well-being, achievements, recognition, and good fortune of other people. We believe their success adds to…rather than detracts from…our lives.” ~ Stephen Covey

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Akamatwa kwa kuvaa fulana yenye picha ya Besigye

Baadhi ya raia nchini nchini Uganda wamelaumu hatua ya kukamatwa kwa mwanamme moja ambaye anadaiwa kuvaa fulana yenye picha na kiongozi wa upinzani Kizza Besigye.

Samson Tumusiime alikamatwa mwishoni mwa wiki.
Hivi majuzi aliweka picha kwenye mtandao wa Facebook akiwa amevaa fulana hiyo.
Watu wengine wawili ambao wanadaiwa kuchapisha fulana hiyo nao wamekamatwa
Kulingana na msemaji polisi Fred Enanga, ni kuwa washukiwa hao watatu walikamatwa kwa sababu walikuwa wamepanga kufanya maandamano yaliyo kinyume na sheria.

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MAGAZETI YA LEO MAY 31

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China's gaokao: High stakes for national exam

Every year, more than nine million students in China sit a high-stakes examination - the gaokao.

The latest test took place on Sunday and Monday. It is the only way for students to gain entry to university and pressure is high from parents and the nation.
From drones to "gaokao immigrants", the BBC takes a look at the lengths some of the more remarkable stories that have emerged this exam season.

The gaokao is seen as a make-or-break opportunity, especially for those from poorer families, in a country where a degree is essential for a good job.
The exam is tightly policed, but the pressure means cheating is perhaps inevitable.
The authorities have installed closed-circuit television in examination halls and metal detectors at school entrances to ensure students do not sneak in smartphones.
Beijing school officials banned students from bringing in "computerised watches", reported Sina News, and tracked the delivery of examination scripts to schools by GPS to ensure the questions were not leaked beforehand.
Officials in Henan province went as far as deploying a drone carrying a radio scanner to catch cheats.

The six-propeller drone hovered over two testing centres in Luoyang city, scanning for radio signals, reported Dahe Online.
Officials said any signals found to be concentrated in the buildings would indicate information was being sent to devices smuggled into examination halls. They said they did not detect any unusual activity.

But some people were caught attempting to cheat.
Inner Mongolia school authorities disqualified 1,465 students, including the children of several Communist Party officials, after they were found to be illegal "gaokao immigrants", reported Beijing News Daily.
The northern region often draws students from all over the country as its passing grade is lower than other provinces as it is less populated. Each province determines its own set of gaokao questions, and Inner Mongolia's exam is seen as one of the easiest to pass.
It remains unclear how those disqualified got as far as they did without being found out.
Students can only qualify to take the gaokao in Inner Mongolia if they fulfil minimum residency conditions, such as having attended a local school for at least two years.
Police also busted a cheating syndicate in Hubei and Jiangxi provinces where people were paid to pose as students and take the exam on their behalf.
Nine arrests were made after the syndicate's activities were exposed in an undercover investigation by newspaper Southern Metropolis Daily.

Among the sea of fresh-faced teens sitting the exam in Nanjing, 86-year-old Wang Xia stood out as the city's - possibly the nation's - oldest test taker.
He is also one of the most persistent. This year marked the 15th time he had taken the exam, after failing in all his previous attempts.
In previous interviews, Mr Wang, who only has vocational training for medical work, said he had always wanted a medical degree to become a fully fledged doctor.
"I don't play mahjong, I don't have any particular hobby, but I do love reading and learning. Others may not support me, but I still want to sit for an exam, it's my spiritual pillar," he said.
Local media also prominently featured disabled students taking the gaokao, hailing them as inspiring examples of dedication.
These included a boy with muscular dystrophy and an armless boy who used his feet to write his answers on his examination script. Both were given extra time to complete their tests.
 
Officials have had to manage not just students but also anxious parents.
Some schools set up care stations for parents as they waited outside examination halls, setting out seats under large umbrellas and providing water.
Stations in Beijing were equipped with emergency medical supplies in case parents had sunstroke, reported Qianlong News.
Meanwhile the education ministry was flooded with complaints from parents in Anhui province after students took an English listening comprehension test in halls that had faulty speakers, reported CNR News.
About 1,200 students were eventually allowed to retake the test.
Additional reporting by Aaron Wong

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Uganda kukata uhusiano na Korea Kaskazini

Rais wa Korea Kusini amesema nchi ya Uganda imeahidi kusitisha uhusiano wake wa kijeshi na marafiki wake wa jadi Korea Kaskazini baada ya kuzuru mji mkuu wa Kampala siku ya Jumapili, chombo cha habari cha AFP kimeripoti.

Korea Kaskazini imetuma wakufunzi wake wa kijeshi nchini Uganda kwa miaka tisa.

Nchi hizo mbili zimekuwa na uhusiano wa kidiplomasia tangu mwaka 1963 na rais Yoweri Museveni ametembelea nchi hiyo mara tatu, AFP imeongeza.
Baraza la Usalama la Umoja wa Mataifa limepitisha vikwazo vikali kuwahi kutekelezwa kwa Korea kaskazini baada ya majaribio ya nuklia ya nne mwezi Januari.

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Wanafunzi wa chuo kikuu cha Dodoma wafukuzwa

Wanafunzi katika chuo kikuu cha Dodoma nchini Tanzania wamefukuzwa chuoni humo baada ya kuzuka kwa mgogoro kati ya serikali na wahadhiri wa chuo hicho.

Wanafunzi hao waliagizwa kuondoka katika chuo hicho kufikia saa kumi na mbili jioni siku ya Jumapili.

Ilani hiyo imesema kuwa kulikuwa na makosa katika mafunzo ya wanafunzi wanaosomea shahada ya elimu ikiwemo sayansi,hesabati,teknolojia hivyobasi serikali imewataka wanfaunzi kuondoka chuoni humo hadi ilani yengine itakapotolewa.
Maelezo kuhusu mgogoro huo kati ya ya wahadhiri wa chuo hicho na serikali haujulikani.

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Guide To De-stressing

During these stressful times it is vitally important that you look after your health. Stress intensifies the demands on your body – nutrients are used up faster than they can be replaced by food, toxic by-products rapidly build up, and every organ and gland (including your brain) is asked to work harder. Just imagine the difference between the requirements of driving of your car around town at 30 miles an hour and around a racetrack at 180 miles an hour. During stress your body is in a race, and to finish the race in good shape it is essential to pay attention to what your body needs and to step up your level of self care.
Because I have dealt successfully with the impact of stress on the human body for many years, please let me share with you some of the most valuable information I have learned. In my book, Adrenal Fatigue: The 21^st Century Stress Syndrome, I wrote in detail about how to minimize the impact of stress on health because the onset of adrenal fatigue is usually preceded by periods of stress. Please read or, if you have already read the book, reread Chapter 12 on Lifestyle and Chapter 13 on Food. In the time since the book was published, I have learned more and developed better tools to combat the destructive effects stress and avoid adrenal fatigue and other health problems related to stress. I’d like to offer you some of this expanded knowledge here. Keep in mind that, as a general rule, the better your overall health, the better you handle stress. I’m confident that when you follow my D-E-S-T-R-E-S-S guidelines below for protecting your health from stress, you will notice a real difference in how you feel and function. 
Define who and what are important in your life and Decide to live accordingly. 
Energize yourself with foods that nourish, and Exercise to increase circulation, optimize function and eliminate toxins. (read ch. 13)
Support your body with dietary Supplements designed specifically to help compensate for the effects of stress on your body and supply nutrients used up during stress.
Take Time to breathe deeply and fully, to find a moment of calm, and to enjoy something each day.
Reframe events that stress you in order to Release yourself from paralysis so you can discover what you can do, and how you can benefit from these events or turn them to your advantage.
Eliminate energy robbers and health drains, and Establish clear boundaries.
Sleep to give your body a chance to recharge and heal, and your mind a few moments of SilentSolace each day so you are refreshed and ready to take effective action.
Smile and See the Soul-fullness in your life.  The physical action changes how you feel inside, which changes how you behave and how your body reacts.

Define What’s Important

In times of less, we often have to do without many of the material things we took for granted. It gives us a chance to re-evaluate who and what is important to our happiness and to focus on them. Imagine that today is the last day you’ll see the people in your life. How would you treat them differently? Imagine that everything is taken away from you – your health, your home, your work, your status, your possessions, and your faith. Which ones would you miss most. Which ones would you work hardest to regain? Decide to live in a way that corresponds to the answers you gave to these questions.

Energize

Sometimes instituting simple changes into your life, like eliminating caffeine because it makes you more nervous or sugar because it burns up nutrients, can have a huge payoff. Stress uses up nutrients at an extremely high rate. You can quickly become semi-malnourished from even moderately high stress, so it is important to eat as well as you can to provide the most nutrients to your body. Your body responds best when you eat regular, nourishing meals. It often helps to plan nutritious meals and snacks ahead of time and then grocery shop once a week so you have healthy foods available for meals and snacks. Then it’s less likely you’ll grab junk food on the run because it’s fast. Instead, you’ll give your body the nourishment it needs to meet the demands you’re placing on it – without taking up too much time and probably for less money. In addition to good nutrition, enjoyable exercise (think making love, dancing, wrestling with your kids, playing a sport with friends – not just working out at the gym) reduces the detrimental impact of stress on your body. It not only helps normalize many bodily functions, but also eliminates toxins, increases energy, decreases depression and just makes you feel better about everything, especially yourself.

Support

Eating in a way that helps maintain your body and provides the nourishment you need is especially important when you undergoing stressful times. During stress your body burns up many times the daily requirement of nutrients. That is one of the reasons why taking dietary supplements specifically designed to support and strengthen your body during stress can make such a difference. For example, Adrenal Rebuilder provides bioavailable building blocks to help fortify your adrenal structure and function. Super Adrenal Stress Formula is designed to help you feel more energized, and remain clear-headed, focused and steady throughout the day.* Herbal Adrenal Support Formula is formulated with organically grown herbs specifically to help you stay in calm balance during the day and to sleep well at night.* Vitamin C is very important to healthy adrenal function, so Adrenal C Formula provides optimal amounts of vitamin C in a special format that works well during stress and adrenal fatigue.* 

Take Time

Change little things in the day to help you decrease stress – for example if you are always hurrying to work, leave five minutes earlier or however much time you need to get there without stressing about it. If you have to get up 15 minutes ahead of time, do it so that you can relax your way through the early hours rather than rushing and working yourself into a tizzy. On the way to work, forget the news. You can’t do anything about most things you hear except perhaps the traffic report. Play something you enjoy instead. Also, remember to breathe more deeply when at work. Breathing slowly in and out through your nose from your abdomen is automatically relaxing. 

Reframe

Most stress is due to the internal interpretation of the things that happen to you. Reframing how you view things helps tremendously in decreasing the stress you experience. If, for example, you are afraid of losing your job, your nervousness may actually cause you to behave in ways that lead to losing your job. However, if you become proactive instead of reacting in fear, it’s more likely you will experience a better outcome. To release yourself from the paralysis and destructive emotional reactions that often arise from unpleasant events or the anticipation of those events, it is necessary to open yourself to possibility. When you look back on how your life has gone, you will probably find that sometimes a difficult event or disappointment lead to something unexpectedly good. Reframing allows you to invite the possibility of something good into your life, of seeing opportunity rather than disaster looming ahead. Your body will react accordingly and alter the level of stress you experience, both physically and mentally. 

Eliminate Energy Robbers

It’s very important to distinguish between things in your life that are contributing to your health and things that are detracting from it. It can be certain people, situations or environments that drain your energy or stress you. Take some time to notice each day what makes you feel energized and what makes you feel tired, depressed, angry or helpless. Once you become aware of them, take definite steps to eliminate the energy robbers in your life. Make a commitment to yourself to establish clear boundaries that curtail their ability to take up your time, energy and emotional space. This means both outer boundaries, like limiting the amount of contact you have with someone and avoiding certain situations, and inner boundaries, like focusing on something useful or positive instead of negative thoughts about yourself and others. Take every opportunity to bring more into your life of what makes you happy, energized and feel good. 

Sleep

Getting a good night’s sleep is an essential part of reducing the effects of stress on your body. During sleep your body does most of its healing, repairing and replenishing. You may be surprised at what a difference eight to nine hours of good quality, restful sleep a night can make to your health and sense of well-being. Taking Herbal Adrenal Support Formula half an hour before bedtime, along with 400 mgs of magnesium citrate, helps your body to relax so you can get good restful sleep. If you find you need even more help, adding 3-5 mgs of melatonin will often allow you to sleep more deeply. As sleep is a renewing time for your body, so periods of silent solace – whether they are in the form of prayer, meditation, peaceful contemplation of nature, or quiet concentration on music, art or a physical activity like sports or dance – become a source of renewal for your heart and mind. Every aspect of you needs rest and respite in order to become refreshed and ready to carry on. 

Smile

In a recent study subjects who made the physical action of smiling – even though it was just from holding a pencil in their mouths without any emotional content – reported feeling happier than those who didn’t make this facial gesture under the same conditions. Take the opportunity to smile, even when you don’t think you have anything to smile about. The physical action changes how you feel inside, and that changes how you behave and how your body reacts. Look a little deeper at the people, places and events around you, and try to see their soulful qualities enriching your life. Feel a smile growing inside you in as you become aware of the soul-fullness of life with all its ups and downs, struggles and triumphs, absurdities and beauty. Allow yourself a soulful smile and your body and mind will respond.
This crisis will end but the stresses of life will continue. It is important that you take care of yourself now to not just survive, but to strengthen your health during this time so you will always be ready for whatever lies ahead.

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Even in the best of times, you need food to survive and be healthy. Adrenal fatigue is definitely not the best of times, so the food choices you make become even more important to your health. When your adrenals respond to stress your cell metabolism speeds up, burning many times the number of nutrients normally needed. With adrenal fatigue, the cells have used up much of the body’s stored nutrients, creating a nutritional void. Good quality food is the best source for replenishing these nutrients.  

•  
• The Connection Between Adrenal Fatigue and Low Blood Sugar
• When to Eat
• What to Eat and Drink
• Salt
• Proteins
• Vegetables
• Adrenal Recovery Soup
• Fruit                  
• Summary of What to Eat

• Stress And Your Health

  • Diet for Adrenal Fatigue
  • Dr. Wilson’s Guide to De-stressing
  • General Rules for Adrenal Fatigue

  Diet For Adrenal Fatigue

  
  Even in the best of times, you need food to survive and be healthy. Adrenal fatigue is definitely not the best of times, so the food choices you make become even more important to your health. When your adrenals respond to stress your cell metabolism speeds up, burning many times the number of nutrients normally needed. With adrenal fatigue, the cells have used up much of the body’s stored nutrients, creating a nutritional void. Good quality food is the best source for replenishing these nutrients.  
  
• The Connection Between Adrenal Fatigue and Low Blood Sugar
• When to Eat
• What to Eat and Drink
• Salt
• Proteins
• Vegetables
• Adrenal Recovery Soup
• Fruit
• Summary of What to Eat

The Connection Between Adrenal Fatigue and Low Blood Sugar

If you have adrenal fatigue, when you eat is almost as important as what you eat. By eating the right combination of natural, high quality food at frequent, regular intervals, you can help avoid low blood sugar and make a difference in your adrenal health and energy levels.
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When to Eat

 One of the major dietary mistakes made by people with low adrenal output is not eating soon enough after waking. If you have adrenal fatigue, it is very important that you eat before 10:00 AM. This is vital in helping to replenish the waning stored blood sugar supply after the previous night’s energy needs.
An early lunch, preferably before noon, is better than a late lunch because your body quickly uses up the morning nourishment and is ready for more. Between 11 and 11:30 AM is usually the best time for lunch. You should also eat a nutritious snack between 2 and 3 PM to sustain yourself for the cortisol dip that typically occurs between 3 and 4 PM. Your evening meal should be eaten between 5 and 6 PM.
A few bites of a high quality snack before bed can help get through sleep disturbances.
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What to Eat and Drink

If you are experiencing adrenal fatigue, you will do best combining fat, protein and complex carbohydrates (like whole grains) at every meal and snack. This combination helps provide a steady stream of energy throughout the day. It is important to remember that foods that are converted too quickly into energy (like sugary snacks or highly processed foods) will quickly let you down
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Salt

 In most cases of adrenal fatigue, salt (in moderation) benefits those who add it to their diet. Unless you are one of the rare people with adrenal fatigue and high blood pressure, add some salt to your food. A sea salt or Celtic salt is preferred, as these are the kinds containing the valuable nutrients. Some of the symptoms of adrenal fatigue are actually caused by your body’s needs for salt.
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Proteins

 Good quality protein from meat, fish, fowl, eggs, dairy and various plant sources (soy and other legumes, nuts and seeds) is an essential part of any adrenal fatigue diet. Try to avoid processed proteins such as packaged lunch meats and processed cheeses. Proteins generally have more nutritional value and are easier to digest when eaten lightly cooked or raw.
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Vegetables

 Every day, you should include 6-8 servings of a wide variety of vegetables in your meals, especially those that are naturally highly colored (bright green, red, orange, yellow or purple). Vegetables provide essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and a high amount of fiber. It is a good idea to vary how you prepare vegetables, because different nutrients are made available through different cooking methods.
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Adrenal Recovery Soup

The following vegetable soup recipe has proved helpful in adrenal support. It is rich in minerals and alkalinizing to help balance the acidity that usually occurs in people experiencing adrenal fatigue and stress. It has a calming, settling effect. This soup, called “Taz,” comes from Dolores S. Downey’s “Balancing Body Chemistry with Nutrition” seminars.

• 16 oz. green beans
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 zucchini, sliced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup tomato juice
• 1 cup spring water
• 2 tbsp. raw honey
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 cup chicken broth

Combine ingredients and simmer for one hour until vegetables are tender. Pepper to taste.
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Fruit

People with adrenal fatigue and blood sugar problems should go lightly on fruits, especially in the morning. Fruits contain a significant amount of fructose and potassium, which is a detrimental combination for those with exhausted adrenals. However, it is preferable that any fruit that you do eat is organically grown. Below is a short list of fruits people with adrenal fatigue tend to do well with, and ones they should avoid.

Preferred Fruits	Fruits to Avoid
papaya	bananas
mango	raisins
plums	dates
pears	figs
kiwi	oranges
apples	grapefruit
grapes (only a few)
cherries

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Summary of What to Eat

Here are 9 easy rules to follow:

1. Eat a wide variety of whole, natural foods
2. Combine a healthy fat, protein and carbohydrate source with every meal
3. Eat lots of vegetables, especially the brightly colored ones
4. Salt your food to a pleasant taste
5. Eat mainly whole grains as your source of carbohydrate
6. Combine grains with legumes (beans), or legumes with seeds or nuts to form a complete protein
7. Avoid fruit in the morning
8. Mix 1-2 tablespoons of fresh essential oils (cold pressed olive, grape seed, safflower, flax, etc.) into grains, vegetables and meats daily
9. Eat high quality food; it becomes you.

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Ang'atwa uume na nyoka Thailand

Raia mmoja wa Thailand anaendelea kuuuguza jeraha katika hospitali moja baada ya nyoka aina ya chatu kutokea ndani ya choo na kumng'ata uume wake.

Attaporn Boonmakchuay,ambaye alipoteza damu nyingi amesema kuwa nyoka hiyo ilikuwa ikimvuta baada ya yeye na mkewe kujaribu kuipiga.
Madaktari wanasema kuwa Bw Attaporn ambaye alipoteza damu nyingi anaendelea vyema na matibabu.

Wafanyikazi walilazimka kukiharibu choo hicho.Baadaye nyoka huyo aliachiliwa na kuingia msituni.
Kisa hucho kilitokea wakati ambapo Attaporn mwenye umri wa miaka 38 alielekea katika choo chake nyumbani kwake huko Chachoengsao,mashariki mwa Bangkok kabla ya kwenda kazini siku ya Jumatano.
Wakati alipokuwa akitumia choo hicho alihisi uchungu mkali.

 'Nilihisi kama ambaye uume wangu ulikuwa umekatwa,Nyoka huyo alikuwa akinivuta kwa kutumia nguvu nyingi'',alisema.

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the stress hormone,

 

 

Cortisol & Adrenal Function

Cortisol is a life sustaining adrenal hormone essential to the maintenance of homeostasis. Called “the stress hormone,” cortisol influences, regulates or modulates many of the changes that occur in the body in response to stress including, but not limited to:

• Blood sugar (glucose) levels
• Fat, protein and carbohydrate metabolism to maintain blood glucose (gluconeogenesis)
• Immune responses
• Anti-inflammatory actions
• Blood pressure
• Heart and blood vessel tone and contraction
• Central nervous system activation

Cortisol levels normally fluctuate throughout the day and night in a circadian rhythm that peaks at about 8 AM and reaches it lowest around 4 AM. While it is vital to health for the adrenals to secret more cortisol in response to stress, it is also very important that bodily functions and cortisol levels return to normal following a stressful event. Unfortunately, in our current high-stress culture, the stress response is activated so often that the body does not always have a chance to return to normal.* This can lead to health problems resulting from too much circulating cortisol and/or from too little cortisol if the adrenal glands become chronically fatigued (adrenal fatigue).

Cortisol & Adrenal Function

Cortisol is a life sustaining adrenal hormone essential to the maintenance of homeostasis. Called “the stress hormone,” cortisol influences, regulates or modulates many of the changes that occur in the body in response to stress including, but not limited to:

• Blood sugar (glucose) levels
• Fat, protein and carbohydrate metabolism to maintain blood glucose (gluconeogenesis)
• Immune responses
• Anti-inflammatory actions
• Blood pressure
• Heart and blood vessel tone and contraction
• Central nervous system activation

Cortisol levels normally fluctuate throughout the day and night in a circadian rhythm that peaks at about 8 AM and reaches it lowest around 4 AM. While it is vital to health for the adrenals to secret more cortisol in response to stress, it is also very important that bodily functions and cortisol levels return to normal following a stressful event. Unfortunately, in our current high-stress culture, the stress response is activated so often that the body does not always have a chance to return to normal.* This can lead to health problems resulting from too much circulating cortisol and/or from too little cortisol if the adrenal glands become chronically fatigued (adrenal fatigue).

Higher and more prolonged levels of circulating cortisol (like those associated with chronic stress) have been shown to have negative effects, such as:*

• Impaired cognitive performance
• Dampened thyroid function
• Blood sugar imbalances, such as hyperglycemia
• Decreased bone density
• Sleep disruption
• Decreased muscle mass
• Elevated blood pressure
• Lowered immune function
• Slow wound healing
• Increased abdominal fat, which has a stronger correlation to certain health problems than fat deposited in other areas of the body. Some of the health problems associated with increased stomach fat are heart attacks, strokes, higher levels of “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and lower levels of “good” cholesterol (HDL), which can lead to other health problems.*

Chronically lower levels of circulating cortisol (as in adrenal fatigue) have been associated with negative effects, such as:*

• Brain fog, cloudy-headedness and mild depression
• Low thyroid function
• Blood sugar imbalances, such as hypoglycemia
• Fatigue – especially morning and mid-afternoon fatigue
• Sleep disruption
• Low blood pressure
• Lowered immune function
• Inflammation

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Scenarios to Help Determine if It’s Time to Quit

 
How do you know when it’s time to leave an organization?
In a previous post I wrote, “Leave Before You Have to.” Sometimes it’s more damaging to stay than to quit.
I am asked frequently to help someone think through the decision of whether to stay or to leave their current position. Obviously, if God calls you to stay somewhere, you should stay. Period. No questions asked. If God calls you to it — even when you’re miserable — you stay.
But many times, in my experience, we stay for the wrong reasons. We stay for a false sense of loyalty. We stay because we are afraid. We stay because we don’t know what we would do if we left.
The following are some times to consider leaving. I think these may apply if you are in a church or business setting.
This decision should never been entered lightly. I believe in loyalty. But, when careful consideration and prayer has been given, there are some common indications it’s time to move on to something else.

Here are 10 scenarios that may indicate it’s time to leave:
When God has freed you from your commitment – I believe God’s call is ultimately to the person of Christ, not to a place, but there are times God has us in a specific place for a specific season. You may only be a leader for a season. If you sense God has released you to pursue other positions, it may soon be time to leave.
When your work is finished – It could be that you’ve accomplished what you were sent to accomplish. I once wrote about leaders needing a challenge to stay motivated. If you have become too comfortable, it may be a time God is preparing you for a change…a new challenge.
When your heart has left the organization or it’s vision – Sometimes you need to reenergize your heart. If God hasn’t released you from the position, for example, then you have to find a way to make it work. In many cases, however, you are freed to move elsewhere. You shouldn’t harm the organization by staying when you no longer have a heart for the mission. If you’ve quit having fun, don’t keep making life miserable for everyone else.
When you can’t support the leadership – You need to know where the power rests in the organization. It’s nearly impossible to change the organization working against an ingrained power structure. Ask yourself, “If it’s always going to be like this here, would I be content staying?”
When your family or personal life is suffering, because of the demands of the organization – If you have to neglect one of them, your career or your family, in twenty years, which do you hope it will have been?
When your mind starts working against the mission of the organization – If you would rather see the place fail than succeed; it could clearly be time to go.
When your relationship with co-workers or leadership is damaged beyond repair – You should try to work out these differences, you certainly should offer grace and forgiveness, but when it is obvious a professional relationship cannot be mended, it may be time to move forward with your life.
If the organization or senior leadership is venturing into immoral or unethical practices – Don’t get caught in the next news scandal.
When you find yourself physically ill if work crosses your mind – On the weekend (or when you are off work), if the emotional stress is greater than you can handle, you may need to protect your health over your career.
When you don’t have the energy to pull your own weight – For whatever reason, whether it’s because you’ve given up, you are bored, or just can’t keep up the pace, if you are dragging down productivity and you don’t have the incentive to improve, perhaps it’s time for a change in your workplace.
Please understand. I’m not a quitter. God may leave you in the miserable environment for a season…or even years. He certainly did for some of the men and women in Bible history. I also believe that the times described above are not always to be viewed as negative experiences. Sometimes God uses the difficult experiences of life to draw us to Him and to open our eyes to the next opportunity He has for us. I would have never made some of the moves I’ve made in life…that I know now were of God…had it not been for my miserable situation at the time.
At the same time, I believe there are times a false sense of loyalty, co-dependency or irrational fear keeps us from moving forward even though God is not holding us to the position. In my opinion, protecting our heart is more important than protecting a professional position. I wouldn’t make a decision solely on just one of these scenarios, but if numerous of them apply…
Consider this list as it compares to your situation, then ask God to confirm in your heart:
If you are free to leave.
If now is the time.

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