Untitled - February 23, 2026
00:00:00 Speaker: Welcome to the Working Moms Redefined podcast. I'm your host, Denise, and I am feeling the energy today. Why you ask? Well, at the time of this podcast release date, February twenty six, twenty twenty six, tomorrow is the first day or the first ever. Let's put it that way. Leadership redefined live event. You've heard us talk about it on a previous episode or two, where we are gathering leaders for personal growth and development. And as a reminder, all of us are leaders. That was one of the biggest questions, shockingly enough, that I received when it came to people asking, hey, is this going to be a good fit for me? And sometimes I think we doubt the fact that so many of us might not lead teams in the workplace. But you lead at home. And first and foremost, you lead yourself more than you lead anyone else? Anyone. And so when I think about leadership events like this, yes, I know that I am going to learn ways to better serve my team, and I also know that I am going to learn ways to better serve me, to show up best for others. And that's what tomorrow is all about. But I'm feeling all of the energy, whether it's anxiousness or excitement. I'll decide tomorrow because today. I need to find what I'm grateful for. Because remember, our brains can now be anxious and gracious at the same time. So I'm finding what I'm grateful for and a life lesson that I'm forever grateful for, taught to me by Mr. John Maxwell himself. And it's this thought of we must be a river, not a reservoir. And I teach this often in some of my keynotes. This concept of designing for us locally, four hours away, is only the Lake of the Ozarks, three hours depending on how fast you go. And I compare this concept of be a river, not a reservoir to a fun day on the lake. So the Lake of the Ozarks is a large man made lake where it has different coves where you go in and you swim and you enjoy some beverages. You slide down some slides, you bounce off a ladder or two and it's a great day. It's so much fun. So let's picture ourselves on this lake. Lake of the Ozarks. Osage beach. We are there with our friends and we are on a boat. And we are driving down the main channel. We're chatting, we're enjoying ourselves, but we're moving. We are on the move. And then we take a turn. We go into a reservoir, if you will. The cove. You stop, you put down that anchor and you're not moving. You're stagnant, if you will. You're looking around. You're enjoying. Yes, you're enjoying, but you're observing. But really? Then you're like, oh, I'm gonna relax. I'm just gonna sit here, I'm gonna enjoy, I'm going to drink, and I'm not going to do anything but consume, if you will. Time passes, you get bored, and then you go back out into that main channel you're driving, You're waving to people. You're moving, you're talking, you're enjoying everybody's company. And then we peel off and we go into a cove, and we sit and we consume and we are stagnant and we stay. Are you comparing your life to that of the main channel or to that of the Cove? Both have it's part. But don't stay in the cove. Don't be a reservoir that takes and takes and takes from the river and does not give anything back. We're comparing this, of course, to the lives of others because leadership is about everybody but ourselves. It is about learning. You're consuming, if you will, in the cove, and then you go back on that main channel and you share what you learned, or you apply what you've learned, or you enjoy in life and in community what you took away. What you rested. What you gained when you consumed. We want to be the river. We want to be the main channel more often times than not. We want to be the people who pour into others. So imagine that you are living in that main channel life. You are pouring in to those reservoirs. Those are your people. You're pouring into them. They are little stragglers off of you, and you are investing and you are fueling them with water. Compare your leadership to that. Are you a leader who is the one consuming at all points in the time? Or are you a leader who teaches and gathers and joins people and communities together for growth? I hope so. I love that thought process that he teaches us is because nothing is there for us to just take and take and take and not give back. If we are living in a life like that man, how non-life giving. For me, when I think about the joys of the career that I've chosen, it's because you get to make a difference by helping people think about why you really love your job. Oh, I love doing writing, or I love editing or I love data entry. Okay. But oftentimes there's always a next step like okay, why do you love that? And then maybe there's another answer. But ultimately deep down we all enjoy an aspect of our job because it helps others. Are we doing that as much as one we should be or two is we want to be. So as you think about that, being a river, not always a reservoir, check yourself if you need to and then challenge yourself to continue giving to others what you've learned, what you have to share in a very selfless and humble way. It's not about you. You're pouring into others so that they can show up better for them. That is a service based mindset and so many of us have that. but maybe we just haven't been able to apply it. So I challenge you to ask a question at work to help someone feel really cared for. Volunteer in a new capacity. Make time to be very intentional with your conversation with your kids, whatever that looks like. Keep in mind, are you main channel energy or are you cove relaxing and consuming? Neither is wrong one hundred percent of the time, but pick one. Pick the river. Pick the main channel to do more of. Thank you for listening to the Working Moms Redefined podcast. It is not lost on me that you chose to spend time together. Thank you. Let's connect outside of the space on socials. We'd love for you to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest. We've got it all to connect with you! If you feel as if someone in your life could be impacted by this message, feel free to share it. That is the biggest compliment as we part ways together. Remember, you can do hard things.
