My PASSION Magazine

30 | My Passion - Issue 1 - April 2015
First, I identified the five areas that
I wanted to grow in with intentionality.
I started doing an annual review
every year since then. In the middle
of that second annual review, a very
spiritual moment for me, I was given
a gift of a clearly, articulated life
plan. And it was when I developed
this intentional life plan, that the
previous 33 years made sense. I still
draw from that clearly, articulated
life plan even after 12 years to make
life decisions in every area of my life.
The gift of that life plan was probably
the most pivotal thing that has
ever happen to me outside my expression
of faith in Jesus Christ. It
was a true life changing moment for
me and has help me to be intentional
with relationships; it has help me to
be intentional with business decisions;
and it has led to the incredible
privilege of leading a leadership
organization.
When I really got intentional on the
things that I was going to access in
my life, I was able to capture my
life in this statement “I exist to
motivate and inspire people to
reach their full potential.” This
is my life’s mission. Therefore, I
make future decisions based on that
understanding and I make sense of
previous decisions based on that
life understanding. The collision of
those two – my past and the future
into this present statement – gives
me a lot of time to reflect on previous
experiences. Some people call
them mistakes. Some people will call
successes. I call them neither one.
They are experiences that should
collide with the present that leads to
future success. And that all came to
me at 32 and 33 years of age.
Dr. P: Do you ever think about
writing a book on “Second in Command”?
clarity that I needed to catch the
mantle of John Maxwell’s leadership
and spread it to the organizations.
I work for a guy that I do not believe
will be replaced or succeeded.
I think that his leadership status,
his influence, and his creditability in
his multi-streams of influence in the
world will not be replaced. I think
that some will replace him in the
church community and some will replace
him in the business community
as communicators and thought leaders.
I do not believe that anybody
will be able to replace him as being
so diverse and impacting in so many
streams of influence. And I certainly
don’t believe that about me.
Therefore, and I am asked a lot, will
you come speak, will you write a
book, and even when I am doing an
interview, I do it with this in mind,
“will this allow me to live out this
passion of being available to John
and in approximation to "John". I
believe through this article right
now, I will extend an influence of
John and not extend of Mark.
Dr. P: How do you make time for
your family?
Mark: John was mentoring me about
eight years ago and he gave me an
incredible lesson (this was before I
started traveling). He said, “Mark,
when you are in the presence of family
always create memories and give
them something to hold on to and
show how much you care for them.”
The way I do this with my family
is, when I am home and when I am
around, we do crazy, fun things. We
create memories. We probably don’t
save as much money as we could
or should because we are taking
the incredible blessings of the Lord
through John Maxwell that he has
given me and we create memories.
Mark: She doesn’t. As I was telling
you a few moments ago about
the depth of that calling, one of the
greatest favors every given to me was
the belief and buy-in of the exact
same calling with a separate experience
and a separate confirmation
from her. She gives me that support
at home because she feels just
as deeply about it as I do. The ones
that do not get to choose are my
daughters, Maci and Torie. They are
a recipient of the consequences of our
decisions as adults. So, what I do, is
sit down with them each time that I
leave and I say, “Guys, this is where
I am going, this is what I am going
to be doing, this is what I am trying
to accomplish and you guys need to
be in prayer and mindful of me while
I am doing it. When I come back, I
will tell you all the results of what
happened.” So, they are engaged
with me in every meeting, every time
I leave and they hold me accountable
when I am gone. So, this little piece
really helps, especially for my youngest,
Maci.
Dr. P: What do you do to relax?
Mark: What do I do to relax? I
don’t know what that means. I don’t
relax because I am just so “on go” all
the time….I don’t know if that is the
healthiest thing in the world…….what
I do for fun is golf. But I don’t relax
because I want to be a lot better
than I am. So when I get out there
and play bad, I have this tense anxiety
thinking I should be a pro or
something. I enjoy golf, but it does
not relax me. I also love snowmobiling
and snow skiing. But both of
these don’t relax me because I want
to go the fastest that I possibly can.
So I am never relaxed. I am always
trying to get to the next place. So, I
enjoy golf, skiing and snowmobiling.
……I don’t know how to relax.
Mark: Five years ago, I had a very
spiritual experience. God gave me
Dr. P: Does your wife and family
mind that you travel so much?
Dr. P: What do you see in your future?