Editorial Updated 3 Dec  2006,  Crossword Puzzles and Lessons Learned

    I like to do crossword puzzles and Word Jumbles as a diversionary “escapism” from the daily pressures of life. Marilyn cuts out the LA Times crossword puzzle and the Jumble each day and we save them. I usually do about 4 a week.

    Well, I have learned two valuable lessons about life, via my doing of cross word puzzles.

1.    Perseverance,
2.    Blocking Paradigms.

Frequently, I work away at a puzzle as I go to bed for 15 minutes or so while I wait to fall asleep. And I keep at it night-by-night (if a tough one). And by staying with it, I get breakthrough words and eventually get the whole puzzle done—Even when I felt I couldn’t do it. PERSEVERANCE is a needed quality for leaders. Stay with it. As William Carey said, “I can plod!”  Plodding might be at the heart of perseverance.

Many a time I am stumped on a cross-word puzzle there is a major reason for it. I have some wrong word in there, which prevents me from seeing other possible words. And that is the way in life too. As leaders we may have some wrong paradigms, which prevent us from seeing “breakthrough” concepts that God wants to give. We have to have the “BLOCKING PARADIGMS” removed. And the problem is that we assume these “blocking paradigms” are true and hence have no idea they are wrong. And thus the need for “paradigm shifts—God’s necessary breakthroughs” for leaders.  Sometimes we sense a need for some new paradigm shift. Many times it is a serendipitous thing that happens. Need any new “paradigm shifts?” If you are stalled, maybe you do. You may need God to be your Johari Window.
    
 
Learning From Life,        
Bobby Clinton