When I was twenty-nine years old, I became vice president of marketing for Thomas Nelson. It was a huge step up in my career. At the time, I thought I had arrived at the pinnacle of success.

But I was in over my head. Or at least that’s the way it felt. I was just waiting for other people to come to the same conclusion.

Peace is a rare virtue in our modern world. Anxiety is commonplace. With civil unrest in the Middle East, protests in various U.S. state capitals, economic turmoil, and severe weather, there is plenty to worry about.

Today, I was thinking about how important is is for those leading in these turbulent times to be at peace and convey peace. It is the one thing people need now more than ever: calm, confident leadership. But where do you get that? It’s not something you can fake.

This month has been crazy busy. I have spoken publicly a dozen times already, and the month isn’t even over! In addition, I’ve had to finalize our strategic plan and attend two different board meetings. I’ve been on the road almost non-stop.

Who’s to blame? Me. I did it to myself.

If you have been following my blog or Twitter feed for more than a month or two, you know I am an Andy Stanley fan. I believe he is one of the great communicators of our age. He always nails it in a way that makes me think, Of course! That’s exactly right.

I couldn’t sleep last night. I tossed and turned. I kept checking the clock, knowing that morning would soon arrive. I finally got up a little after 4:00 a.m.

There are numerous things you have zero control over. You can’t control the weather, the economy, or the actions of others. Yes, you might be able to exert some influence, but this is different than control.