Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Sound Of Freedom

A Reel Leadership Article

My latest book, Reel Leadership, is now available on Amazon. If you love movies and leadership, you will love this book.

Sound Of Freedom, an Angel Studios film, has been taking the box office by storm. The low-budget and faith-based film has been astonishing film critics as it has reached over $100 million at the box office. This little, unknown film is crushing it and making a horrendous situation known.

Child and sex trafficking are real. There are boys, girls, men, and women who are taken, tricked, or sold into this modern-day slavery. It’s so sad.

My wife has been a massive advocate for ending the global sex trade through multiple means. She supports ethical clothing, talks about it with friends and family, and more. When I heard about Sound Of Freedom, I knew she’d want to see it.

Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween

R.L. Stine’s Goosebump book series was once again brought to life in Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween. Once again, an R.L. Stine manuscript wreaks havoc in a small town. This time, the town is Wardenclyffe, New York. The town Nikola Tesla built the Wardenclyffe Tower.

When two boys, Sonny Quinn (Jeremy Ray Taylor) and Sam (Caleel Harris) discover a magical book. The magical book would awaken a ventriloquist’s dummy called Slappy the Dummy (Mick Wingert).

Sam, Sarah, and Sonny in Halloween costumes in Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween

Slappy is looking for a family. More specifically, Slappy desires a mother figure in his life.

Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween brings to life the children books you may have read in your youth. While it’s not a great movie, it’s definitely a movie you could watch with your children and enjoy.

Quotes And Leadership Lessons From Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween

1. Sarah Quinn (Madison Iseman):

Fear is something everyone feels.

Why I Stopped Waiting For Inspiration To Strike

There’s something romantic about being a creative. Whether it’s an artist, a musician, or a writer. Everything about the creative process, to those on the outside, seems amazing.

You get to create a masterpiece others can enjoy. You’re sharing a talent you have with the world. You’re able to express yourself. Oh, and you’re always inspired!

Oh, what a crock! I’ve got to tell you that rarely does an inspiring moment hit right when I desire it to.

Knowing this, I had to stop waiting for inspiration to strike.

There’s been stories written about inspiration and how inspiration strikes at just the right moment. I’m not sure I’ve found that to be the case.

Inspiration rarely strikes me when I want it to. I can’t call upon inspiration to bless me with the insights I want to have.

The Waiting Game

Waiting.

It is not something that I like to do. I, by nature, am a very impatient person. Microwave popcorn just doesn’t seem to pop fast enough for me.

What to do when the microwave isn't fast enough?

Image by Pascal

When I exercise, I don’t lose pounds or inches fast enough. I constantly contemplate quitting the gym.

Have a repairman come late, I am crawling the walls.

I want things done. And I want them done NOW.

But growth, the kind that matters, usually is done very slowly. You can’t literally see a plant grow unless you have a time lapse camera. You can measure it from time to time, but the Jack and the Beanstalk overnight thing is just a fairy tale.

I need to:

Be more patient with others. When I lead others, I need to look at the potential in each of my team members and plant the seeds to have them grow their potential.

You’re A Leader, Stop Waiting

Do you remember when you were younger and in a situation where an adult wasn’t around? Those times would either be really good or really bad.

Growing up I was taught about leadership and even saw it demonstrated in my home but during those times when no leader was around, I was as bad as everybody else.

Image by Mo Riza

Image by Mo Riza

There were times though when I knew I should step up and be the leader, be the voice of reason in all the chaos but I told myself that no one left me in charge.

Part of me just wanted to be “cool” like everyone else but another part of me was waiting to be told that I could be and was a leader.

Fast forward to today and too many of us are still waiting to be “picked.” To be told that we’re leaders instead of actually leading.