Everyday we make numerous choices about what we will do and how we will act. But, one psychologist believes "that only about 5 percent of what we do in a given day is the outcome of conscious, deliberate choices we make, processed by that snowball on the tip of the iceberg that is human consciousness. The rest of our actions and behaviors are managed below the surface, by all sorts of learned yet now unconscious ways of intending and navigating the world...Aristotle called them 'second nature': because these are ways that we move in the world without thinking about it." This information comes from an excellent book titled You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit by James K. A. Smith.
Earlier in the book Smith quotes another individual who tells us, "Your deepest desire...is the one manifested by your daily life and habits." Smith writes that "This is because our action - our doing - bubbles up from our loves, which, as we've observed, are habits we've acquired through the practices we're immersed in."
Most of the time, when we are confronted with choices to make we will make the ones that bring us the most satisfaction, the most pleasure, the most enjoyment, and we will continue making that choice for the same reasons. Eventually, we no longer have to make a conscious choice about the matter. That choice has become a habit that we now do without giving it much thought. That habit can then begin to control us and shape us into the person we become. This can be either a good thing or a bad thing.
Few, if any, drug addicts woke up one morning and decided to destroy their lives by becoming addicted to drugs. Someone offered them a drug, and they chose to consume it. As they continued to make the decision to use drugs one day they didn't have to make the decision any more. It was made for them the moment they woke up and their body began to cry out for the drug. The same thing occurs any time someone becomes addicted to a substance or a behavior. Perhaps millions of people are as addicted to their electronics and social media as a coke addict is addicted to cocaine.
On the other hand, one can choose to be a person filled with a positive outlook on life. Such a person radiates positive energy towards everyone he or she meets. This person maintains a positive outlook on life. These are choices a person can make, and as this choice is made consistently over time it eventually shapes the person into someone who is generally positive and upbeat about life.
Since our choices can make us into the person we become we need to be very careful about the choices we make. It is equally important to be careful about the people with whom we associate. It's very difficult to consistently make positive choices if we are hanging around with those who are not as careful about the choices they make.
I encourage you to first identify the person you want to be and then determine the choices you need to make to become that person. This will not happen overnight, but eventually the choices you make will make you into the person you will become.
Thursday, July 30, 2020
Wednesday, July 29, 2020
Choose the America in which you want to live
2020 has been one of the worst years in American history perhaps since the Civil War. At no other time have we as a nation been more divided. This division began in earnest when President Trump was elected. Even before assuming office Democrats were talking about how to impeach him. We have seen millions of dollars spent on that very purpose and countless wasted hours in legislative hearings all to reach the inevitable conclusion that he had done nothing worthy of impeachment. The hatred and division that existed in this country has done nothing but intensify since them bringing us to another election year and increased efforts from the radical left to ensure he is not re-elected.
In major cities we see increased violence, calls for dismantling the police, the tearing down of statues, disrespect towards the American flag, the burning down of homes and businesses by domestic terrorists, shootings and other violence directed towards innocent people, the ambushes of police officers and other acts of terrorism that the political leaders in those cities seem unable or unwilling to stop. Is this America or pre-Nazi Germany?
As baseball season finally opened up we were confronted with many players kneeling during the playing of the national anthem. I grew up loving baseball and still do, but I love our country more. If these overpaid athletes don't appreciate the opportunities they've been given living in this country, I have no use for them. I quit watching the NFL when they started that foolishness, and I can live without MLB as well. Maybe if these guys had spent some time in the military instead of being coddled on college campuses and given big contracts they would appreciate our nation and the sacrifices many have made to keep us safe. I choose America over pampered professional athletes.
Across the country people are demanding the police be defunded. How stupid is that? It is the police who protect law abiding citizens from the criminal element. Do away with the police and crime will skyrocket even higher. Yes, there have been bad cops just as there are bad persons in any line of work, but most cops do a wonderful job of serving the public. I support our local police departments and all they do. I choose to honor our law enforcement officials and will support them any way I can.
It's fine to have different political views and to debate and discuss them, especially during an election year. But, I don't think this election is about politics. It's about the kind of America we want to live in. Will we be a nation of laws and freedoms, or will we become another socialist country when those freedoms guaranteed to us in our Constitution are taken away from us? Will we be a nation of economic freedom where anyone who is willing to work can earn a good living, or will we become a nation of scarcity and where people are dependent upon government subsidies to survive? Will we be a nation that enjoys religious freedom, or will we see our churches and synagogues shut down at the whim of some government official? I will always choose to live in an America that offers freedom to all people.
Each of us will have to choose for ourselves the America in which we want to live. This election will be critical as it will set the direction for our nation for years to come. Set aside the soundbites you hear on social media and the various news programs. They all, conservative and liberal, have their spin on every story. Look at what you can actually see and hear, and then choose for yourself the America in which you want to live.
In major cities we see increased violence, calls for dismantling the police, the tearing down of statues, disrespect towards the American flag, the burning down of homes and businesses by domestic terrorists, shootings and other violence directed towards innocent people, the ambushes of police officers and other acts of terrorism that the political leaders in those cities seem unable or unwilling to stop. Is this America or pre-Nazi Germany?
As baseball season finally opened up we were confronted with many players kneeling during the playing of the national anthem. I grew up loving baseball and still do, but I love our country more. If these overpaid athletes don't appreciate the opportunities they've been given living in this country, I have no use for them. I quit watching the NFL when they started that foolishness, and I can live without MLB as well. Maybe if these guys had spent some time in the military instead of being coddled on college campuses and given big contracts they would appreciate our nation and the sacrifices many have made to keep us safe. I choose America over pampered professional athletes.
Across the country people are demanding the police be defunded. How stupid is that? It is the police who protect law abiding citizens from the criminal element. Do away with the police and crime will skyrocket even higher. Yes, there have been bad cops just as there are bad persons in any line of work, but most cops do a wonderful job of serving the public. I support our local police departments and all they do. I choose to honor our law enforcement officials and will support them any way I can.
It's fine to have different political views and to debate and discuss them, especially during an election year. But, I don't think this election is about politics. It's about the kind of America we want to live in. Will we be a nation of laws and freedoms, or will we become another socialist country when those freedoms guaranteed to us in our Constitution are taken away from us? Will we be a nation of economic freedom where anyone who is willing to work can earn a good living, or will we become a nation of scarcity and where people are dependent upon government subsidies to survive? Will we be a nation that enjoys religious freedom, or will we see our churches and synagogues shut down at the whim of some government official? I will always choose to live in an America that offers freedom to all people.
Each of us will have to choose for ourselves the America in which we want to live. This election will be critical as it will set the direction for our nation for years to come. Set aside the soundbites you hear on social media and the various news programs. They all, conservative and liberal, have their spin on every story. Look at what you can actually see and hear, and then choose for yourself the America in which you want to live.
Tuesday, July 28, 2020
You can make your life better or worse
Zig Ziglar was the greatest motivational speaker I ever heard. My daughter and I attended several motivational conferences where he spoke. He would open his seminar by asking two questions. The first question was “How many of you believe that regardless of how bad your personal, family, and business lives are at this moment there are things you could do to make them worse?” That always got a chuckle from the crowd.
His second question was “How many of you believe that regardless of how good your personal, family, and business lives are there are things you can do to make them better?”
He then made his point. “If you honestly do believe there is something you can do to make your life better or your life worse, you have reached a profound conclusion. Regardless of how good or bad my life is, there is something I can do to change it, and the choice is mine.” He was challenging each of us to take responsibility for our lives.
If you never heard him speak I highly recommend his book Over the Top: Moving from Survival to Stability, from Stability to Success, from Success to Significance. It contains much of the information he shared in his seminars.
We sometimes hear people talk about having a life-changing moment. Sometimes events do occur in our lives that forever changes our lives, but for the majority of us any changes that we experience will come through the choices we make. As I wrote yesterday, every choice carries a consequence, for good or bad, and those choices can eventually change our lives.
We are today what we decided we would be 5 years ago, 10 years ago, and even 20 years ago. In 5 years from now, 10 years from now, and 20 years from now we will be what we decide today that we want to be.
When you get up in the morning and look in the mirror, if you like what you see, congratulations, you’ve made good choices. But, if you don’t like the person looking back at you, if you don’t like where you are in life or who you’ve become, then you need to start making different choices. No one can change your life but yourself.
If it always easy to make those choices? No, but it also not easy living the way some people do. Broken marriages, constant financial worries, dead-end jobs, troubled children are not easy to live with either. If I want to do something difficult it would be to do whatever it took to improve my circumstances, not continue to live in them. Remember. . .the choice is yours.
Monday, July 27, 2020
Focus on changing one thing
When I was a pastor a young mother came to me with numerous problems that were causing a lot of difficulty. She described some of them to me and admitted she often felt overwhelmed by all the negative things that were going on in her life. She was confused about how to do anything to change her situation.
I asked her if she ever watched Star Wars movies. She admitted she did. I asked if she remembered when a ship would jump into hyperspace and how the movie would show all the stars flying past them at high rates of speed. She remembered that. I asked if that was how her problems seemed to her, that they were all flying towards her at one time, and as she tried to deal with them she felt overwhelmed. She stared at me and responded that was exactly how she felt. I explained that is why she felt so overwhelmed. It was impossible to deal with each of them at the same time. What she needed to do was to address one of them and deal with it before she moved on to another one.
In this blog I write about about choices and the need we sometimes have to make different choices to improve our lives. But, what do we do if there are many areas in our life that are causing us problems. We have to do what I explained to that mother. We have to take one at a time and put our primary focus on making choices that will improve that aspect of our lives.
You may wonder how we know which one to address first. There are two schools of thought. One is to deal with the one that seems easiest to resolve. Success in that area of your life will give you a sense of accomplishment and motivation to attack other areas. The second approach is to deal with the one that will give you the greatest overall success. Which one of your problems, if you resolved it, would provide you with the greatest benefit? Perhaps that is the one with which to be begin.
I can’t tell you which approach to take because I don’t know your situation. You do, so this is a decision you need to make for yourself. You may want to bring in other persons you trust to help you make that decision. That might be a friend, your minister, a counselor or a coach. As I have shared in this blog before, I have coached a number of people who were dealing with issues in their lives. If you think I might be able to help you sort through this, I do have room for a few coaching clients.
What you don’t want to do is to allow your problems to keep attacking you and doing nothing about it. That choice won’t make the positive changes in your life that you are seeking. Choose to do nothing, and those problems will only get worse. Choose to make the necessary changes to eliminate those problems, and your life will improve in that area. Remember . . .choices have consequences.
Thursday, July 23, 2020
Embrace your future
Several years ago I used to attend motivational conferences that often featured Zig Ziglar. In my opinion, he was the master motivator. I have several of his books in my library and used to own a series of cassette tapes he had on goal setting. One of my favorite Ziglar quotes is that we have to make peace with our past and make friends with our present so we can prepare for our future. I've shared that message in many sermons and conferences I've led because I know it is so true.
As a pastor I met many people who were held in the grip of their past. In some cases, they had experienced much abuse and pain growing up and even in their early adult years. Their past held them captive as much as if they were in a prison. Some had given up. Any present difficulties in their lives were blamed on their past. They always had a reason why they could not escape their past experiences. It is very hard to help people with that mindset.
Equally challenging are those people who believe their current situation is the best it will ever be. Perhaps they are doing very well and believe it can't get any better. On the flip side are those whose current situation isn't very good but believe the same: it won't get any better.
To the first group who are doing well I would remind them that things can change rapidly. People used to tell us that "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." In other words, leave things alone that are working. I would challenge that. I think a better plan is, "If it ain't broke, break it. It will be obsolete soon anyway."
Look at what happened to Sears, J C Penney and many other brick-and-mortar stores. They are failing, or gone out of business, because they refused to recognize a new business model was making their model obsolete. The same thing happened to Kodak when digital cameras took over the market and to the Swiss watch makers when they failed to recognize that quartz watches would take over that market. Today those companies are under even more pressure due to the popularity of Apple watches. In 2019 Apple sold more watches than all the Swiss companies combined.
What is true in the business world is also true in our personal lives. Entire jobs are disappearing and being replaced by new ones. It is likely that people entering the job market today will one day be doing jobs that didn't even exist when they began their careers. Fund managers regularly switch investments for their clients into new ones that will outperform their old investments. Change occurs in every area of our lives. These changes often occur rapidly making it important that we remain flexible.
To the second group, it's important to not believe that where you are today in your life is where you have to stay. As I wrote yesterday, you don't have to remain stuck where you are. The information from reading one book, one phone call, taking one class, one more interview can change your life. It's important that you don't give up and believe you have to accept being stuck. You don't!
Ziglar's words are true for both groups. Make peace with your past no matter if it was good or bad. You can't change the past so accept it for what it was and move on. Make friends with your present. It's where you live right now, but whether its good or bad, don't make it your permanent dwelling. Prepare for the future because that's where you are going. Embrace it and take the steps necessary to make it the best possible life for yourself and those you care about.
As a pastor I met many people who were held in the grip of their past. In some cases, they had experienced much abuse and pain growing up and even in their early adult years. Their past held them captive as much as if they were in a prison. Some had given up. Any present difficulties in their lives were blamed on their past. They always had a reason why they could not escape their past experiences. It is very hard to help people with that mindset.
Equally challenging are those people who believe their current situation is the best it will ever be. Perhaps they are doing very well and believe it can't get any better. On the flip side are those whose current situation isn't very good but believe the same: it won't get any better.
To the first group who are doing well I would remind them that things can change rapidly. People used to tell us that "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." In other words, leave things alone that are working. I would challenge that. I think a better plan is, "If it ain't broke, break it. It will be obsolete soon anyway."
Look at what happened to Sears, J C Penney and many other brick-and-mortar stores. They are failing, or gone out of business, because they refused to recognize a new business model was making their model obsolete. The same thing happened to Kodak when digital cameras took over the market and to the Swiss watch makers when they failed to recognize that quartz watches would take over that market. Today those companies are under even more pressure due to the popularity of Apple watches. In 2019 Apple sold more watches than all the Swiss companies combined.
What is true in the business world is also true in our personal lives. Entire jobs are disappearing and being replaced by new ones. It is likely that people entering the job market today will one day be doing jobs that didn't even exist when they began their careers. Fund managers regularly switch investments for their clients into new ones that will outperform their old investments. Change occurs in every area of our lives. These changes often occur rapidly making it important that we remain flexible.
To the second group, it's important to not believe that where you are today in your life is where you have to stay. As I wrote yesterday, you don't have to remain stuck where you are. The information from reading one book, one phone call, taking one class, one more interview can change your life. It's important that you don't give up and believe you have to accept being stuck. You don't!
Ziglar's words are true for both groups. Make peace with your past no matter if it was good or bad. You can't change the past so accept it for what it was and move on. Make friends with your present. It's where you live right now, but whether its good or bad, don't make it your permanent dwelling. Prepare for the future because that's where you are going. Embrace it and take the steps necessary to make it the best possible life for yourself and those you care about.
Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Refuse to remain stuck
I meet so many people who are stuck in their lives. They are dissatisfied with their careers, their relationships, their finances, their health and just about everything else in their lives, but they never do anything to change. As the old sayings goes: Keep doing the same thing you've been doing and you'll keep getting the same results. If what you are doing in some area of your life isn't working, do something different.
When I tell people that they sometimes respond that they don't know what they could do. That's an honest response, but it indicates that they either haven't given any alternatives much thought or they need someone to guide them through the process. Often, it's the latter. The fact is, most people know what they need to do but they need someone like a coach to pull that out of them and help them put it into action.
Several years ago I was at a crossroads in my life trying to decide between two alternatives. Both of them were good, but I was trying to decide if one was better than the other. My employer at the times had contracted with a coaching firm to teach us how to coach others, and part of that training was several months of personal coaching. I took advantage of that and shared my confusion with my coach. She helped me work through the process of deciding which option was best. Because of that coaching experience I decided to go ahead and pursue my doctorate, and I've always been glad I did. It turned out to be an excellent decision.
Jump ahead a few years and I'm talking with a young pastor who is concerned about his future. He isn't sure what he would do if he had to leave the ministry or if he was forced to become bivocational and seek another job to pay the bills while remaining in ministry. All of his training was to prepare himself for ministry, and he didn't know what other career he might pursue.
As I sat there using the coaching techniques I had been taught, he was reminded that he initially went to college to enter teaching. It wasn't until later in college that he felt called into the ministry. He also realized he still had a passion for teaching. Much of his pastoral work was teaching. Now, he had options. If he decided to go bivocational he could do substitute teaching in the local school system or look into teaching online for any number of schools. If he left the ministry he could go back and finish what he needed for a teaching certificate and go into teaching full-time. He was no longer stuck but now had options. What is amazing is that it took less than 90 minutes to discover those options.
If you are feeling stuck, you may need a coach to help you process your options. Much coaching is done over the telephone. My coach was based in Georgia and we talked twice a month on the phone. I've coached persons in Canada and around the country. You may be able to find someone nearby where you can meet or you can be coached over the phone. If you like, feel free to contact me. We can discuss your situation and see if coaching would be right for you. The main thing is to refuse to remain stuck.
When I tell people that they sometimes respond that they don't know what they could do. That's an honest response, but it indicates that they either haven't given any alternatives much thought or they need someone to guide them through the process. Often, it's the latter. The fact is, most people know what they need to do but they need someone like a coach to pull that out of them and help them put it into action.
Several years ago I was at a crossroads in my life trying to decide between two alternatives. Both of them were good, but I was trying to decide if one was better than the other. My employer at the times had contracted with a coaching firm to teach us how to coach others, and part of that training was several months of personal coaching. I took advantage of that and shared my confusion with my coach. She helped me work through the process of deciding which option was best. Because of that coaching experience I decided to go ahead and pursue my doctorate, and I've always been glad I did. It turned out to be an excellent decision.
Jump ahead a few years and I'm talking with a young pastor who is concerned about his future. He isn't sure what he would do if he had to leave the ministry or if he was forced to become bivocational and seek another job to pay the bills while remaining in ministry. All of his training was to prepare himself for ministry, and he didn't know what other career he might pursue.
As I sat there using the coaching techniques I had been taught, he was reminded that he initially went to college to enter teaching. It wasn't until later in college that he felt called into the ministry. He also realized he still had a passion for teaching. Much of his pastoral work was teaching. Now, he had options. If he decided to go bivocational he could do substitute teaching in the local school system or look into teaching online for any number of schools. If he left the ministry he could go back and finish what he needed for a teaching certificate and go into teaching full-time. He was no longer stuck but now had options. What is amazing is that it took less than 90 minutes to discover those options.
If you are feeling stuck, you may need a coach to help you process your options. Much coaching is done over the telephone. My coach was based in Georgia and we talked twice a month on the phone. I've coached persons in Canada and around the country. You may be able to find someone nearby where you can meet or you can be coached over the phone. If you like, feel free to contact me. We can discuss your situation and see if coaching would be right for you. The main thing is to refuse to remain stuck.
Monday, July 20, 2020
The power of gratitude
As someone who has traveled to various places in the world I recognize how blessed we are when compared to other countries. Even the poorest of us have far more material things than some who live in other countries. We have freedoms that are the envy of people in many nations. We have opportunities that many will never know. Yet, despite the advantages we enjoy, many people are not grateful for what is available to them. Some are never satisfied, always wanting more. Others have an entitlement mindset and believe that they have the right to have the things they want, even if they are taken from someone else.
Did you know that expressing gratitude offers many benefits to the one who is grateful. Sonja Lyubomirsky has written The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want to share what her research teaches about happiness. One of her major findings is that 40 percent of our happiness is within our power to change. One of the things we can do to improve our happiness is to be grateful and expressing that gratefulness to others.
She writes, "People who are consistently grateful have been found to be relatively happier, more energetic, and more hopeful and to report experiencing more frequent positive emotions. They also tend to be more helpful and emphatic, more spiritual and religious, more forgiving, and less materialistic than others who are less disposed to gratefulness. Furthermore, the more a person is inclined to gratitude, the less likely he or she is to be depressed, anxious, lonely, envious, or neurotic."
That's a pretty impressive list of benefits enjoyed by those who are grateful. Most of the people I know would love to have these qualities in their lives. So, how can you become more grateful and enjoy these benefits?
You may want to make a list of the good things that happen in your life. Sometimes we forget the little things for which we should be grateful and focus more on the negative things that happen to us. You may want to begin a journal in which to write down the good things that happened to you that day or the things or people for which you are thankful.
Another thing is to send a note to someone each day who blessed you in some way. You could do the same thing with a text or email, but I think it makes a greater impression on you if you hand write a note of appreciation to someone and mail it to them. It may also be more meaningful to the one receiving the note to know you went to the trouble of sending it to them in this way.
Of course, a face-to-face message of gratitude is always appreciated. I remember when my English teacher in Bible college attended a book signing when my first book was released. I spent time to find her address and send her an invitation to the signing and was delighted when she attended. I was able to tell her that I would never have had the courage to attempt to write a book without her encouragement in class. In our first writing assignment she wrote on the top of the page "You write well." No one had ever told me that before, and it gave me the courage to attempt to write that book a few years later when I finished school.
I find that the more grateful I am about the things I have, the more good seems to come my way. I know when I count my blessings I am much happier and more effective in my life. Determine today to be more grateful and find ways to express your gratitude to others. I think you'll find it will change your life.
Did you know that expressing gratitude offers many benefits to the one who is grateful. Sonja Lyubomirsky has written The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want to share what her research teaches about happiness. One of her major findings is that 40 percent of our happiness is within our power to change. One of the things we can do to improve our happiness is to be grateful and expressing that gratefulness to others.
She writes, "People who are consistently grateful have been found to be relatively happier, more energetic, and more hopeful and to report experiencing more frequent positive emotions. They also tend to be more helpful and emphatic, more spiritual and religious, more forgiving, and less materialistic than others who are less disposed to gratefulness. Furthermore, the more a person is inclined to gratitude, the less likely he or she is to be depressed, anxious, lonely, envious, or neurotic."
That's a pretty impressive list of benefits enjoyed by those who are grateful. Most of the people I know would love to have these qualities in their lives. So, how can you become more grateful and enjoy these benefits?
You may want to make a list of the good things that happen in your life. Sometimes we forget the little things for which we should be grateful and focus more on the negative things that happen to us. You may want to begin a journal in which to write down the good things that happened to you that day or the things or people for which you are thankful.
Another thing is to send a note to someone each day who blessed you in some way. You could do the same thing with a text or email, but I think it makes a greater impression on you if you hand write a note of appreciation to someone and mail it to them. It may also be more meaningful to the one receiving the note to know you went to the trouble of sending it to them in this way.
Of course, a face-to-face message of gratitude is always appreciated. I remember when my English teacher in Bible college attended a book signing when my first book was released. I spent time to find her address and send her an invitation to the signing and was delighted when she attended. I was able to tell her that I would never have had the courage to attempt to write a book without her encouragement in class. In our first writing assignment she wrote on the top of the page "You write well." No one had ever told me that before, and it gave me the courage to attempt to write that book a few years later when I finished school.
I find that the more grateful I am about the things I have, the more good seems to come my way. I know when I count my blessings I am much happier and more effective in my life. Determine today to be more grateful and find ways to express your gratitude to others. I think you'll find it will change your life.
Thursday, July 16, 2020
You only get one chance at life
As I watch the news each evening I am often saddened at what people experience in life and the things they do to themselves. We may not have much control over things that other people do to us or some events that happen, but we do have control over many of the things that occur in our lives, especially as adults. When we make bad choices in life we can expect bad results. For some people, that sums up much of their lives. One poor choice after another resulting in one bad result after another. Life is too short to live like that. You only get one chance at life so why not make the best of it?
There are people living their entire lives on government assistance. In fact, there are generations of families who know nothing but waiting each month for their government check to come in to provide them with subsistence living. Why would anyone choose to live like that? Right now a lot of businesses are closed and people are out of work, but this is an unusual situation brought about by a pandemic. But, even now, there are jobs for people who want to work. You say, "Not where I live." Then move. During the Great Depression people moved across the country seeking employment and taking whatever jobs they could find to support themselves and their families. You may say, "I don't have the training." Many of these jobs will train the person who wants to work. A friend of mine told me a couple of years ago he couldn't fill all the open jobs in his company. When I asked if people lacked training he explained he would gladly train someone.
Perhaps you have a physical reason that makes it difficult t work. Read the book What's Your Excuse?: Making the Most of What You Have
by John Foppe. He was born with no arms but graduated college in 3 1/2 years, became an artist and travels the world as a motivational speaker. Refusing to allow his handicap define him, he was determined to honor God with his life. This past weekend I saw a similar example. At an auction I noticed a man missing both arms and one leg. I learned he was born that way. He was walking around the auction buying parts he could use in his business. He bought a lot leading me to think he has a pretty solid business. He and Foppe both understand they only have one life, and they are determined to live it the best they can.
How many people do you know holding hatred and unforgiveness towards other people? What a horrible way to live out the remainder of your life. Your unforgiveness doesn't affect them one bit, but it does a lot of emotional and physical damage to you. Let it go so you can be free to enjoy life.
We may never know the damage that has been to countless lives and families due to drug and alcohol abuse. The broken marriages, the lost jobs, the deaths, the crime, the pain brought about by these substances cannot be truly measured. Lives wasted by persons waiting for their next fix or their next drink run into the millions around the world. All seeking a high that will never satisfy. You only get one chance at life so why waste it on something so temporal?
I want to encourage you to consider the choices you've made in the past. Probably some of them weren't very good. I know that's true for me. But, what is more important that the choices you've made in the past are the ones you will make in the future. If you make better choices you will get better results, and that one life you've been given will be richer and more satisfying for it.
There are people living their entire lives on government assistance. In fact, there are generations of families who know nothing but waiting each month for their government check to come in to provide them with subsistence living. Why would anyone choose to live like that? Right now a lot of businesses are closed and people are out of work, but this is an unusual situation brought about by a pandemic. But, even now, there are jobs for people who want to work. You say, "Not where I live." Then move. During the Great Depression people moved across the country seeking employment and taking whatever jobs they could find to support themselves and their families. You may say, "I don't have the training." Many of these jobs will train the person who wants to work. A friend of mine told me a couple of years ago he couldn't fill all the open jobs in his company. When I asked if people lacked training he explained he would gladly train someone.
Perhaps you have a physical reason that makes it difficult t work. Read the book What's Your Excuse?: Making the Most of What You Have
by John Foppe. He was born with no arms but graduated college in 3 1/2 years, became an artist and travels the world as a motivational speaker. Refusing to allow his handicap define him, he was determined to honor God with his life. This past weekend I saw a similar example. At an auction I noticed a man missing both arms and one leg. I learned he was born that way. He was walking around the auction buying parts he could use in his business. He bought a lot leading me to think he has a pretty solid business. He and Foppe both understand they only have one life, and they are determined to live it the best they can.How many people do you know holding hatred and unforgiveness towards other people? What a horrible way to live out the remainder of your life. Your unforgiveness doesn't affect them one bit, but it does a lot of emotional and physical damage to you. Let it go so you can be free to enjoy life.
We may never know the damage that has been to countless lives and families due to drug and alcohol abuse. The broken marriages, the lost jobs, the deaths, the crime, the pain brought about by these substances cannot be truly measured. Lives wasted by persons waiting for their next fix or their next drink run into the millions around the world. All seeking a high that will never satisfy. You only get one chance at life so why waste it on something so temporal?
I want to encourage you to consider the choices you've made in the past. Probably some of them weren't very good. I know that's true for me. But, what is more important that the choices you've made in the past are the ones you will make in the future. If you make better choices you will get better results, and that one life you've been given will be richer and more satisfying for it.
Wednesday, July 15, 2020
Choose carefully who you listen to
There are many voices calling out to us each day. Family members, friends, co-workers, the news media, advertising, clients, authors of the books we read, celebrities, and persons on social media are just some of the people every day trying to influence our thinking and actions. It can become overwhelming at times, and to make it easier we might choose to focus in on just a handful of influencers. The problem then becomes which influencers will we listen to?
One of the skills many have lost is the ability to do critical thinking. Many people today are not deep thinkers. They allow others to do their thinking for them. They watch the news on television and let the talking heads tell then what to think about the issues of the day. It doesn't matter whether your favorite source of news is mainstream media or one of the cable news organizations. They all tell you what they want you to believe the news of the day is and how you should feel about it. As a result, we have been conditioned to think in short time-bites and programmed to believe what we are being told is all we need to know about the issue. Unfortunately, understanding the story takes longer than a 2-3 minute summary of the story, and if you watch different broadcasts you will quickly learn that the same story can be spun in numerous ways. Liberal news outlets will have one spin; conservative outlets will have a completely different spin; the truth may well lie somewhere in the middle, and it's out job to try to discover that.
We've been given the ability to think for ourselves, to form our own opinions. Those opinions will be shaped by the information we take in. That is why it is important that we watch who we allow to inform us about events of the day. If your broke brother-in-law wants to give you financial advice, don't listen. Don't take relationship advice from someone who's been married four times. When someone in the media talks about a news item, discern his or her agenda before accepting it as true. Most will have an agenda.
Our worldview will be shaped by the voices we listen to. You may not think you have a worldview, but we all do. Once we form our worldview, that worldview will form us. We will adapt to the worldview we have created. Anything we hear that is contrary to that worldview will be initially rejected. Our actions will be shaped by that worldview. It's important that we take time to identify our worldview and see how it impacts our lives.
Our lives are impacted so much by the information that we accept as true. It's important to choose carefully who we listen to.
One of the skills many have lost is the ability to do critical thinking. Many people today are not deep thinkers. They allow others to do their thinking for them. They watch the news on television and let the talking heads tell then what to think about the issues of the day. It doesn't matter whether your favorite source of news is mainstream media or one of the cable news organizations. They all tell you what they want you to believe the news of the day is and how you should feel about it. As a result, we have been conditioned to think in short time-bites and programmed to believe what we are being told is all we need to know about the issue. Unfortunately, understanding the story takes longer than a 2-3 minute summary of the story, and if you watch different broadcasts you will quickly learn that the same story can be spun in numerous ways. Liberal news outlets will have one spin; conservative outlets will have a completely different spin; the truth may well lie somewhere in the middle, and it's out job to try to discover that.
We've been given the ability to think for ourselves, to form our own opinions. Those opinions will be shaped by the information we take in. That is why it is important that we watch who we allow to inform us about events of the day. If your broke brother-in-law wants to give you financial advice, don't listen. Don't take relationship advice from someone who's been married four times. When someone in the media talks about a news item, discern his or her agenda before accepting it as true. Most will have an agenda.
Our worldview will be shaped by the voices we listen to. You may not think you have a worldview, but we all do. Once we form our worldview, that worldview will form us. We will adapt to the worldview we have created. Anything we hear that is contrary to that worldview will be initially rejected. Our actions will be shaped by that worldview. It's important that we take time to identify our worldview and see how it impacts our lives.
Our lives are impacted so much by the information that we accept as true. It's important to choose carefully who we listen to.
Monday, July 13, 2020
The Trump presidency
I have to admit that I've seen things in the last 3 1/2 years I never thought I would see. I've followed politics rather faithfully since Kennedy's presidency, and I've never seen such hatred directed towards any president as that which Trump has endured. This even includes the way Nixon was treated after Watergate. I followed that story closely and read every book written by all the key players involved in Watergate, and while the media, and many others, certainly disliked Nixon, there was not the intense hatred directed towards Nixon like has been towards Trump.
Before I go further let me make clear that I have many problems with President Trump. He has said and done things that has caused problems for himself. I get that, but even that doesn't excuse the pure hatred for him that many have. Even before he assumed office people were saying that they would impeach him or drive him out of office, and for the last 3 1/2 years that has been all that the Democrats in DC and their media cronies have focused on. They've done absolutely nothing positive for the citizens of this country in their constant effort to end Trump's presidency.
For three years they spent millions of dollars in an effort to impeach him only to find he had done nothing that would lead to impeachment. In an effort to remove him from office they destroyed the reputations and careers of others with no sense of shame or apology. While the nation was enjoying the strongest economy it had known in decades, it was suddenly shut down by a virus that came to the United States from another country but was blamed on Trump. Overnight, millions of people were forced out of work as businesses were forced to close due to stay-at-home orders imposed by governors. Many of these businesses will not reopen.
As some restrictions began to be lifted and people were able to return to work, the stock market picked back up, and then riots broke out in the streets. Businesses and homes were burnt to the ground, statutes were pulled down and there were demands for defunding the police. Not surprisingly, after thousands of protesters and rioters filled the streets night after night, the virus picked back up again. Of course, that couldn't be blamed on the protesters. It was all the fault of people going back to work, and, of course, Trump.
Chuck Schumer has been in Congress for 40 years; Joe Biden has been in political office for 48 years; Nancy Pelosi has been in Congress for 31 years; Jerry Nadler and Diane Feinstein have each been in office for 28 years. Trump has held office for 3 1/2 years, so how is everything that is wrong in this country his fault? I don't think so!
My father was a Democrat all his life. He was quite active within the local Democratic party. He would never have voted for Trump, but I think he would be appalled at what he would see happening in the national Democrat party. He was a Democrat because he believed that was the party that supported the common person and had the best interests for our nation. He would find that party no longer exists. The only thing they support today is to defeat Trump this fall, if they can't drive him out of office before then, and to replace our capitalistic society with a socialist one.
Our nation is in a sad state of affairs today. We are as divided as we have ever been. There was time when our political system was built upon compromise; now it seems to be built on drawing a line in the sand and blaming each other for our inability to move forward as a country. Regardless of who won the presidency in the past, our political leaders were able to find common ground for the good of the country. Those days seem long ago.
I miss the America in which I grew up. I was hoping my grandchildren would know that America, but I doubt they will. It wasn't perfect by any means, but it sure wasn't the mess it is today. The future looked good back then. Today, the future doesn't look so good. I'm sure some think that's Trump's fault, too.
Before I go further let me make clear that I have many problems with President Trump. He has said and done things that has caused problems for himself. I get that, but even that doesn't excuse the pure hatred for him that many have. Even before he assumed office people were saying that they would impeach him or drive him out of office, and for the last 3 1/2 years that has been all that the Democrats in DC and their media cronies have focused on. They've done absolutely nothing positive for the citizens of this country in their constant effort to end Trump's presidency.
For three years they spent millions of dollars in an effort to impeach him only to find he had done nothing that would lead to impeachment. In an effort to remove him from office they destroyed the reputations and careers of others with no sense of shame or apology. While the nation was enjoying the strongest economy it had known in decades, it was suddenly shut down by a virus that came to the United States from another country but was blamed on Trump. Overnight, millions of people were forced out of work as businesses were forced to close due to stay-at-home orders imposed by governors. Many of these businesses will not reopen.
As some restrictions began to be lifted and people were able to return to work, the stock market picked back up, and then riots broke out in the streets. Businesses and homes were burnt to the ground, statutes were pulled down and there were demands for defunding the police. Not surprisingly, after thousands of protesters and rioters filled the streets night after night, the virus picked back up again. Of course, that couldn't be blamed on the protesters. It was all the fault of people going back to work, and, of course, Trump.
Chuck Schumer has been in Congress for 40 years; Joe Biden has been in political office for 48 years; Nancy Pelosi has been in Congress for 31 years; Jerry Nadler and Diane Feinstein have each been in office for 28 years. Trump has held office for 3 1/2 years, so how is everything that is wrong in this country his fault? I don't think so!
My father was a Democrat all his life. He was quite active within the local Democratic party. He would never have voted for Trump, but I think he would be appalled at what he would see happening in the national Democrat party. He was a Democrat because he believed that was the party that supported the common person and had the best interests for our nation. He would find that party no longer exists. The only thing they support today is to defeat Trump this fall, if they can't drive him out of office before then, and to replace our capitalistic society with a socialist one.
Our nation is in a sad state of affairs today. We are as divided as we have ever been. There was time when our political system was built upon compromise; now it seems to be built on drawing a line in the sand and blaming each other for our inability to move forward as a country. Regardless of who won the presidency in the past, our political leaders were able to find common ground for the good of the country. Those days seem long ago.
I miss the America in which I grew up. I was hoping my grandchildren would know that America, but I doubt they will. It wasn't perfect by any means, but it sure wasn't the mess it is today. The future looked good back then. Today, the future doesn't look so good. I'm sure some think that's Trump's fault, too.
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