What would you like them to say about you when you die?

May 26, 2013

It’s one of the exercises we give participants on our Habits of the Heart and MBA modules.  I first wrote my own obituary in October 2010.  One of the sentences towards the end read:

“His pioneering work on “Habits of the Heart” touched the lives of millions, ushering them towards spiritual health, wholeness and integrity”, but a few months later I revised this to a more modest “thousands”.  I have made unthinking, exaggerated assertions in the past, under the guise of faith and vision, and had my fill of them.

A year later, however, I felt rebuked.  Habits of the Heart was proving to be a robust, reproducible, life-giving course to a growing number of people from a variety of places.  I restored the word “millions”.  It more truly seemed to reflect my heart.

Yesterday I sat with my team listening to Judith setting out a bold new plan to “raise Habits to the next level”.  Judith introduced herself as “one of your success stories”, for Maggie had coached her through one of our early courses.  This was why I had asked Judith to come and think creatively with us about the future.

In truth we are more concerned about quality than quantity.  Habits is a long term investment in people’s lives, but we will be happy for that investment to echo long and deep down successive generations.  Yesterday we committed ourselves to make that journey together, and to work out the details as we go.

As if to confirm our decision, this morning the pastor of the largest church in Birmingham said to me that he would like to send a number of his people on our next course.  Later this year, I hope that we can launch a course in Newcastle.

We treasure the deep relationships and heart engagement that takes place in our habits courses.  The challenge will be to keep a strong hold on that value and ethos as the numbers increase.  But I think we all believe that it’s possible.