Instinct: The Power to Unleash Your Inborn Drive (10 page)

Many times people in their forties and fifties are still standing over the box of life trying to find the directions as to how they should put together what they have been given. Many spend their entire lives at the crossroads of greatness trying to decipher which way they should go. They do not know that the longer they deliberate the more they lose. The singer loses his voice with age. The runner’s legs get stiff as time passes her by. The business environment changes with the ebbing and flowing of the economy. Lost time means irretrievably lost opportunities.

During his campaigns, President Barack Obama used a phrase from Dr. Martin Luther, “the fierce urgency of now.” This alarm-clock quotation reminds all of us that time’s loss is something no one can afford. Just as the master’s servants were required to think like a master despite their status as slaves, we must seize the moments we’re given to be more than our circumstances dictate.

At the end of the day, the slaves’ station in life rose—or sank—to the level of their thinking. These individuals used what they had in a timely way and thereby, in spite of the societal laws of the times, moved into the dimension of their master. Despite their station in life, they thought beyond where they were and moved in the direction of where they wanted to go.

Consider another example. In the dark history of the formation of our country, the enslaved were forbidden to learn how to read. The slave owners of that time understood all too well: the key to freedom was in the mind of the enslaved. Once the person in bondage thought like a free being, they would be nearly impossible to control. If you liberate someone’s thinking, it is only a matter of time before chains cannot hold their liberated mentality.

That is why I never allow people to incarcerate my thinking by forcing their opinion on me. I always listen in case I can gain some wisdom that influences me. But when they try to berate me and disrespect me with the force of their ideas, the conversation is always over.

Why? Because my thinking epitomizes my freedom. Whenever you give someone the deed of trust over your mind, they have in fact become your master. The Bible says it this way, “As a man thinketh, so is he” (Prov. 23:7). How you think about your opportunities determines how you will act on them.

Finally, we must notice that the master’s final commendation to his wise and faithful servants is an invitation, “Come and share your master’s happiness!” This is in fact the crossover moment beyond the parameters of where you started. The servants had shattered the glass ceiling and had a chance, in spite of the normative constraints of the time, to advance to the next dimension of living.

They could now enter into the joy of a change in status. Enter into the freedom that comes with a change in responsibility. Enter into a rebranding of who they were and how they lived. Simply put, this is how people excel. They do so by maintaining a commitment to underpromise and overdeliver.

Not one of the servants took his initial opportunity and started bragging about what he could do. He simply did what was in him to do. In return, the “well done” they received wasn’t based on a quota. One returned with ten and the other with four. But each performed 100 percent at his level. This is so vitally important that I’ll say it again: you aren’t in a race with a level of gifting that is beyond what you were given. The promotion is based on what you did with what
you
had! The result of your authentic stewardship is always promotion.

The knocking of opportunity, if answered in this way, will inevitably result with promotion into the next dimension. Can you imagine how the other servants perceived these stewards when they went back to their slave quarters and started shoving their meager personal effects into a bag? Their peers might have asked, “Where are you going?” And the response would’ve been, “We’re moving into the master’s quarters—not as servants but as masters.” Such a moment would be too surreal to describe, too magical to articulate. The intoxicating feeling of promotion is the entrance to the new opportunities of the next dimension.

You yourself are on the cusp of such a transition. Have you ever experienced this kind of growth before? Think back; I’m sure you have. It’s the kind of promotion that makes you drive home from work giggling to yourself in the car! It’s the kind of advancement that brings joyful exuberance and confidence, because you know you’ve done what only you can do—you’ve given it your all and been recognized for it! This kind of exhilaration causes the soul to soar. These moments may include financial advancement, but tangible assets are not the greatest reward.

The greatest reward is the confirmation of what you already knew instinctively. You’ve received an answer to the haunting, alluring question forever dancing around the edges of your mind. “Yes—you were made for more!” your reward proclaims. It is the answer to the question that most of us have within regarding
our greater call, our greater purpose, and some greater expectation beyond our circumstance.

The voice inside was right! The inclinations were true. My instinct was accurate. What started out as a suspicion, a hypothesis, an intuition, has now evolved into sheer confirmation. It changes the deepest part of how we see ourselves and culminates in a transformation of how others perceive us as well.

My hope is that these truths may be the tutoring you need to prepare you for activating your instinct to increase. It’s time for you to respond to the rapping fist of opportunity’s fierce knock on the door of your life right now. If you will answer the knock and honor the chance with discipline, creativity, and urgency, you may find yourself—your true self—living a life that exceeds your wildest dreams!

I
have a pair of Roman Cane Corso dogs named Bentley and Sable, male and female respectively. If you aren’t familiar with the breed, their strength is similar to the pit bull’s but they have a much different personality. Highly intelligent and excellent workers, these dogs descended from ancient Italy, where they often fought wild predators. A few years ago, my wife gave them to me as a Christmas gift as she knows that I’m intrigued by animals and their calming effect.

After my dogs arrived and got old enough to roam our property, they discovered the primal playmates lurking nearby: squirrels along with an occasional bobcat and a coyote or two. Yes, in Texas you can’t always see the native inhabitants until they want you to see them! I enjoyed watching my new pets settle
into their new environment with so much to figure out. Even seemingly simple decisions like where to mark their territory and where to hide their toys fascinated me. Since I can’t communicate in their language, we had to figure out each other’s expectations as they adjusted to the other animals who predated their arrival.

They love my backyard, with its ample room to roll around and frolic. They wrestle with each other and play chase. They run after the squirrels and bark at them, other times chasing a wild rabbit. Their presence makes me smile, and their affection fills a void in a way I can’t explain. They bring out the little boy in me I thought was long gone. In some ways my dogs resurrect that child and give him a place to express himself. In exchange, I give them food and shelter, safety, and great medical care. I keep them clean and their coats brushed.

No matter how beautiful they look and how well-behaved they act, sometimes at night I hear them growl and snarl. Then I’m reminded that their basic instincts always guide them. Bentley and Sable know that everyone out there isn’t as happy to see them as I am. In those moments I realize that loving them and brushing them, feeding them and scratching their bellies, can never subdue their natural proclivities. When my backyard turns into a nighttime jungle, their claim on the territory has to be defended.

A few times I’ve had to bandage some wounds from
my dogs’ fights that went on without my knowledge. Love them all I want, I can’t save them from the system of induction to the elements that preceded their arrival. Maybe Bentley and Sable were surprised by some nocturnal predator, but more than likely they smelled his scent and anticipated his attack. They instinctively know what they must do to protect themselves from predators.

When we enter a new environment, we must prepare ourselves for the same kind of adversity. Sometimes the splendor, the challenge, and the brilliance of affirmation shine so brightly that those who are blessed to step into a new jungle become dazzled by the opportunity and blinded to the adversity. No matter how friendly the welcome party seems, always know that the bobcats come out at night!

Whenever you arrive on the shores of a new career, vocation, or aspiration, you always arrive as an immigrant. You have a different scent on you, and all the animals know it! What looks like a backyard when you step into it will always have eyes glaring in the shadows, and native noses in the air catching the scent of the outsider who now has changed the balance in the backyard. No amount of kindness can alter the fact that the other animals in your new world feel
threatened by your arrival—which means you must be prepared to do some sniffing as well!

Fools rush in where the brave dare not tread. And while it is a wonderful blessing to have the gate open to a fresh opportunity, it is naïve to think that you are walking into a sterile, unbiased environment. So sniff out your new world before you do too much barking. Knowing who’s who will save you from ending up on the menu of some overly aggressive, attention-starved, attack-prone coyote who comes out only at night.

In other words, nothing takes the place of research when you are in a new environment. Most businesses fail because their founders’ decisions were not preceded with adequate due diligence. Marriages often fail because dating didn’t sniff the ground where old bones might be buried. Churches often crumble when pastors don’t engage the neighborhood but choose to isolate their flock when instead they need to integrate with the environment in which they reside.

Most newbies come in making too much noise to notice the eyes that stare behind the smiles that quickly fade. They enter into conversations when they should be nodding, smiling, and listening. In new environments, you must learn to read the body language as well as the new words in the native tongue. So much can be communicated that’s contrary to what is actually being said.

New dogs in the yard don’t usually know the rules
of engagement. It is most important that you do a lot of looking and sniffing before you do much barking. Others already know you are there. Proceed with caution without looking afraid.

If a new world just opened up for you, always remember that you are the immigrant no matter how well you appear to fit in. And more times than not, immigrants have a hard time migrating into new worlds without conflict. Your degree may prepare you to perform the task. Your experience and creativity might show you how to enhance the property. But if your instincts don’t tell you what’s around you, you’re bound to get bitten!

The animalistic instinct we were equipped with as part of the survival mechanisms God gave us are often underutilized. We must remember that due diligence and responsible research exceed magazines and books, manuals and procedures. New jungles always maintain specific codes of conduct that only can be sniffed out once you’re in the midst of the wilderness.

Whether your new arena is as benign as church or as jaundiced as politics, do not be deceived: all backyards are jungles. And though you have new horizons and deep aspirations, do not become so intoxicated
with what this means to you that you fail to assess what your arrival means to them. So as you survey the land and familiarize yourself with the topography of the new arena, don’t forget to keep your nose to the wind! Because in the world of new conquest, instincts are king!

No matter how big their smiles and how flattering their speeches, every jungle has its predators. Every job has its gangs and gang leaders. It won’t be typed on their ID badges as you meet them at the office potluck or spelled out on their name tags during the team-building exercise, so don’t bother looking there. Nonetheless, tigers have their stripes and gang members have their colors, which may not be apparent to you at first glance.

So take your time and get your bearings. See how you can communicate effectively and interact with each different species rather than automatically making enemies with one because of aligning yourself with another. Don’t rush into alliances without thinking through the implications.

I’ve always avoided being quick to take sides. As I entered into the public arena because of my ministry, I often found myself alongside politicians and other stakeholders who didn’t always see my arrival as auspicious. Instead of perceiving our vessel as a cruise ship embarking happy tourists, they often viewed us as soldiers infiltrating their shores from a battleship! But regardless of how we were greeted, my response
to new environments has always remained the same—avoid taking sides in battles that started before you even showed up!

Ofield Dukes, the late legendary public relations pioneer, did some work for me in the early years of my career. When he asked about my politics, I told him, “I’m nonpartisan and plan to stay that way.” Inexperienced in the new worlds where I found myself, my response reflected my attempt at avoiding allegiance in these new spheres that seemed as different from mine as the south side of the North Pole!

Of course, I had political opinions but I kept them to myself. Even then I knew labels can be libelous when you’re immigrating to the next level of living. Any side you choose will inherently create enemies of the rival gang. I also recognized that even those with similar sensibilities may see your shared colors not as a new alliance but as a threat to their position. If you don’t watch those who claim to have your back, you’ll eventually find yourself lying on it!

Now,
nonpartisan
was not a term Ofield Dukes was used to hearing from the mouth of a black clergyman. At that time it was a forgone conclusion that if you were a black preacher you could sing well, eat your weight in fried chicken, and schmooze with the Democratic Party. So he was stunned to hear that I wore no uniform for either team.

In response, however, he said something to me that I’ve never forgotten. Looking me in the eye, he warned,
“He who walks in the middle of the road gets hit by both sides!” Little did I know that his words would be so prophetic.

I have been hit like a football quarterback, bruised like the knees of a little boy with a new bike, and bitten like a dog that woke a coyote sleeping in his yard! Yet for the life of me, I still think you must avoid latching onto a label while you’re still reeling from disorientation. After all, I was the new kid on the block, with no aspirations to run for office. I wasn’t there for the politics, but I sure found out that politicians would be there for me! The good, the bad, and the ugly all come out to meet you when you are a new inductee. Some will come to recruit you. Others will come out to inspect you. And a few will come to exterminate you! Your instincts may not be able to prevent some of these blows, but they can help you protect yourself and minimize their impact.

So what do you do when these attempts lead to an attack? How do you survive and thrive in your destiny without becoming a blink in history? Once again, I learned from Bentley and Sable, my hairy, slobbering friends. Their unique qualities have taught me to use who you are to adapt to where you find yourself.

You see, as canines, they can’t connect with the rabbits nor are they designed to. They can’t climb trees with the squirrels, or hide under roots like the chipmunks. They may resemble the coyotes, but they aren’t one of them. Perhaps that’s why it’s good that they have each other. The shared experience of frolicking like pets in the day and fighting like soldiers at night bonds them together.

And they also share the love, attention, and sustenance offered by their owner. For you see, no matter what happens in the suburban jungles of night, whether they return with birds in their mouths or blood on their torsos, they always come back to their home base. They know who they are, whose they are, and ultimately where they belong.

The same is true for you! Many people will want to use your mouth to convey their message. Don’t let them. Others will try to harness your influence for their agenda. Resist them. There will be moments when someone steals your thunder, mauls your paws, and nips your nose. But you can always survive the treacheries and tragedies if you have a base to which you can return. Never allow the other animals to overwhelm you so much that you lose your way back to where you belong. Always know your base, that calm core of confidence within you, and how to access it and take shelter as needed.

You must be true to your purpose, doggedly tenacious
about your passion, and never lose sight of your center. You can’t be balanced without a center point upon which other forces tilt. That part that doesn’t move within you controls all that is moving around you. If you lose your center and forgo your identity, then you’re done, finished, kaput!

Whether you win or lose today’s skirmish for survival doesn’t matter as much as maintaining your base. I’ve seen my dogs come back to the house with possums in their mouths, wagging their tails with glee. I’ve also seen them come back with blood running down their legs with lacerations from a bobcat as their only reward. But they always come back to the base.

If you lose your sense of who you are, you have nothing to which you can return. If you don’t discover your passions, purpose, and power, then you will pursue the roles assigned by other people’s scripts. You will lose the success afforded by new opportunities if you don’t know your own priorities and preferences.

Your strength is in your uniqueness. If you lose yourself just to get along with others, then you have nothing original to offer this new world of possibilities. In spy language, you have been compromised. In scientific language, you have been neutralized. In corporate language, you have become redundant. In short, you become liquidated, excommunicated, and eradicated!

Stay true to yourself while you integrate what you
have into where you are. Chase the squirrels, fight the bobcats, and roll in the grass, but hold on to what makes you just as unique as my Roman Cane Corsos. Whether you’re in victory or agony, you will always survive to fight another day if you refuse to compromise and make your instinctive calling your compass!