Turning from the Rut

08/09/23 • 52 min

Do you ever feel you are in a rut? Today, my friend and fellow Christian podcaster, Jerry Dugan, joins me as we discuss the definition of being in a rut. As host of the podcast, "Beyond the Rut" Jerry helps us identify when we are in a rut and how to get out, and beyond it. He explains that being in a rut is doing the same activities day-after-day, week-after-week, and feeling unproductive. There's no passion or excitement in the rut. We are just sort of on autopilot. It usually starts with a gut feeling of just being stuck.
He tells us that we can count on being clueless when the rut is sneaking up on us. Calling on his own experience, he explains that in 2022 he knew his work was not going to be lasting or leave a legacy despite high salaried employment. When entering work, the following week, he saw that his life was going nowhere professionally and he didn't know he was in a rut until he came face-to-face with the toxicity of his work place. He began to evaluate his life and take steps to move out of the stagnation he felt in his work environment.
He asks us to evaluate our lives from five F's, and he explains what each one means.
Faith
Family
Fitness
Finances
Future growth
Jerry has a powerful and inspiring story that is based in authenticity. He encourages us to go forward out of the rut by identifying that we are in a rut, first of all, and understanding that we do have choices, even if they may seem a little scary. His experience of being unhappy and unproductive in his work situation is familiar and relatable for many of us.
Placing emphasis on his personal responsibility to get out of his rut, as well as listening to those closest to him, Jerry talks about the path he forged to go forward. He has changed his life and the lives of many others by his example. He encourages us to resist defining ourselves by our title or income in the workplace but rather by what we want to be known for. He reminds us that "Life is just too darn short to live stuck in a rut."
Jerry is very generous with his time and talents when it comes to helping others find their passions and purpose in life. He gives us some practical steps to address the five F's above and how to take steps to remedy areas where we are not feeling fulfilled.
To get a copy of Jerry's Book, "Beyond the Rut: Create a Life Worth Living in Your Faith, Family, and Career" go to Amazon at https://amzn.to/3LPykN4
Jerry is also offering this in audio book form for listeners of “Livin' What You're Given” for free at https://beyondtherut.com/audiobook
To check out Jerry Dugan's website go to https://beyondtherut.com/
To connect with Stephen Ray Watts from the band Dotsero Praise Fellowship go to https://dotseroband.com
The website to connect with Laura Padgett is https://lauralpadgett.com

Previous Episode

Turning Toward Unity

I was excited to sit down with former senator and house representative, Don Coram, from the Western Slope of Colorado today. Our conversation focused on a frank and honest discussion about how we can begin to turn from toxic political division in America, and toward unity and healthy discourse with civility.
When asked how we, in the USA, have gotten to this point of malignant polarization, Senator Coram offered his opinion based on his experience as a lawmaker and a citizen. He tells us that we now have elected officials who are being rewarded for bad behavior. We've turned a blind eye to the fact that these people are not concerned about the future of this country, or the issues we are facing, but rather on making a name for themselves.
When asked how we can fix this situation, he replied that when the voters get sick of the extremists on both sides running the show, we will become more involved in the changes that need to be made. He encourages people to get involved by having dialogues with people who think differently. Calling on his own experience in authoring bipartisan bills in the Colorado chambers of government, he believes that regardless of party, most of us see things the same way about 80% of the time.
One of Senator Coram’s passions is educating our youth on our history, all of that. He calls this education without indoctrination and reminds us that if we do not know our history (especially the not so pretty parts of it), we are bound to repeat our mistakes.
Some of the organizations that are helping to spread the word on unity over party are listed below along with their websites. Also listed below is contact information for our sponsor today, the Coffee Trader and our musician, Gabriel Tafoya.
Unify America at https://www.unifyamerica.org/
Unify Montrose at https://www.unifymontrose.org/
Restore the Balance at https://www.restorethebalance.org/
Country First at https://www.country1st.com/
To visit the website of our sponsor for this program, Coffee Trader, go to https://www.thecoffeetrader.com/
To catch up with Gabriel Tafoya, the composer, producer and performer of the song "The Pivot" on this episode, go to [email protected]
The website to connect with Laura Padgett is https://lauralpadgett.com

Next Episode

Turning to Lead Together

Today, I’m joined by Annie Perdue-Olson, a certified coach with a Masters of Arts in Human Resources and Change Leadership. Annie has fifteen years in her current coaching work of helping leaders and teams be healthier in their relationships and workplace processes. In this episode Annie stresses the impact of three particular issues in leadership roles. Those are feeling overwhelmed, dealing with people problems and facing testing of confidence.
Overwhelmed feelings can impact personal and spiritual health in a negative way when leaders and/or team members do not balance the tension between the product and people's needs. She encourages leaders to know themselves, their strengths and brilliance. She encourages us to slow down sometimes, get mentors, meditate and play. She talks about her own experiences but acknowledges that everyone reacts to being overwhelmed differently. In her practice she uses various assessment tools to help her clients see their strengths.
Annie tells us that grace is a big part of being a good and effective leader. Instead of being in control of outcomes we need to practice grace and understanding that others are not perfect and neither are we. People problems can often be avoided by understanding grace and not expecting others to be just like us. She emphasizes that when we let go of outcomes, we can avoid the heaviness of the burden to change others.
While addressing the testing of our confidence, she encourages us to shift or pivot in mindset and let go of negative messages. She tells us to view ourselves in view of God's grace and love, not through the lens of not being able to complete tasks or lead effectively. She says that confidence is built, sustained and restored (when lost) by reflecting on those times when we have experienced victories and felt like we have accomplished what we set out to do.
To learn more of Annie's amazing and powerful work, visit her website at https://www.leadingbettertogether.com. This is a one-stop shopping spot for hearing her podcast episodes from "Lead Your Leaders" Podcast, reading her blogs and finding her social media as well as seeing all she offers in her business of coaching leaders.
To catch up with Gabriel Tafoya, the composer, producer and performer of the song "The Pivot" on this episode, go to [email protected]
The website to connect with Laura Padgett is https://lauralpadgett.com