On Prayer

I have read much debate on what is considered “appropriate” content for LinkedIn.

Some would say it has to be all professional and related to one’s business; others say talk about whatever the heck you want to talk about–but the famous/infamous LI algorithm may hurt your impression count if it is more personal over professional.

Here is the issue: I don’t write and post to make LI’s algorithm happy; I write because that is what I am called to do.

Two-and-a-half years ago, I restarted my entrepreneurial journey; a journey I did once before from 1994-2007 in the oil industry.

This time, it is in the consulting, coaching, speaking, and writing space.

Regardless of what space you are in, if you are an entrepreneur building a business, my hat is off to you. Building a business is DIFFICULT!

Why have I titled this post “prayer” if I am talking about my entrepreneurial journey?

Because prayer has become my most important tool as an entrepreneur…and it was not that way for me the first time around. Not even close.

Prayer is a mystical thing that is defined in so many different ways.

Is it focusing and clearing the mind? Yes!
Is it centering and calming? Yes!
Is it talking to God, or God talking to me? For me, the answer is BOTH.

For most of my life, I viewed prayer primarily as my talking to (maybe “at” is the more appropriate word) God…rather than “with” Him.

That all began to change two years ago.

For the first time in a long, long time, I created time and space in silence and solitude for me to talk to God and for Him to talk to me. Finally it was a conversation not a monologue!

In the day-to-day hustle and bustle, I cannot clear my thinking or calm my thoughts to allow time and space for God to talk to me…so He waits. And when I finally do create time and space, He is there.

And in those times when we converse I feel:

Peace. Direction. Centering. Purpose.

Is this related to my business? ABSO-FREAKING-LUTELY!

Without peace, direction, centering, and a reminder of my purpose, I would have abandoned this ship already; I would have lost sight of the bigger picture, gotten distracted by shiny objects, and burned out because I would not have had the strength, courage, and will to continue on my own.

How about you? Are you struggling today with peace, direction, understanding your purpose or why? Create time and space for prayer, and see–just see–what happens.

And by “create time and space,” I don’t mean 5 minutes…I mean 20, 30 or even 60. It is awkward at first, but I now spend as much as 4 hours in silence and solitude with God (not every day–I have to work as well…but on a regular basis) and the time flies by.