Character of Initiative

We'll start off with defining Initiative.   Initiative is an introductory act or step; leading action: to take the initiative in making friends.

I've heard that word used before when talking about a lazy person.  "They have no initiative!"  The opposite of that would be like a good employee who notices things that need to be done and then has the initiative to get it done.  This is the kind of person I would want to work with at my job.  Having this characteristic is an encouragement for everyone that is around you.  The cartoon is really kind of sad when you think about it.  The employer is aggravated with his employee because he hasn't shown any initiative while the employee thinks he is doing the right thing by waiting on the boss to tell him exactly what to do. 

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A good way to develop initiative at work and in your life is to set realistic goals that are reachable.  I love writing down those goals that I want to get finished every day.  It gives me joy to be able to highlight the things that are accomplished on the list.  When set those goals, you should be able to muster up the initiative needed to get bring them to fruition. 

The paralyzed man was thankful that the people he hung with had the initiative it took to take him to Jesus for healing.  They didn't just accept the situation that was presented to them, they took it a step further and put him through the roof of the house to get him to Jesus...1 A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”  Mark 2: 1-5 

That's the kind of friends I want in my life...friends with initiative.

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