PERSONAL GROWTH
Contemplate the mountains and their valleys. Feel the wind. See the beauty. Touch the flowers. Strength and submission surrounds us through the balance of nature. And the God that put that all in its place, placed you here, too. And you are so much more valuable!
Failure finds those who focus their energies trying to avoid it, just like tumbling comes to those always looking at the ground. We need to stop trying “not to fail” and start believing we were “meant to fly.”
Social media has changed in the last decade of use. It’s become so much more than a platform for friends and family to stay connected through status updates. It’s become the primary news outlet for the emerging generation.
Taking a first step in the right direction, many times, is the most important thing we will do. The first step matters the most and requires the most energy and decisiveness—after which, the steps become more self-evident and we move upward with greater ease.
Perspective changes everything! Depending on which way we look at something (or someone), we can be grateful or bitter, floating with satisfaction or sunken in envy. The condition of our hearts and position of our minds have the power to alter our experience and, subsequently, our expressions.
A gift of God is human flex because it allows us to cope in hardship and survive through pain. I know that rains cease and darkness doesn’t last. Bones heal and heartaches subside. My despair eventually finds hope. I can lose a leg and find mobility still; I can lose a loved one and be stronger still. But when I lose my flex, I lose my strength.
Your version of taking risks is probably not standing on the ledge of a canyon, and neither is mine, but we can all imagine the inner exhilaration of beholding that chasm from that vantage point, which would only be magnified even more because of the fear that was overcome to get there.
Sometimes the holidays and end of the year can be a confusing and draining time. If things have gotten knotted in life, family, work or relationships, don't let your emotions push you to react quickly; instead, allow your sober mind to catch up with your hurting heart.
Self-denial is one of the most detrimental things to good health and personal progress. There are times when reality hits us square in the face and we are presented with information that is both accurate and unflattering.
There are times when I try to do too much and it negatively impacts everything. I take on another work responsibility because the circumstances necessitate it while juggling the increasing number of responsibilities at home, and trying to do things perfectly the whole time.
We were really fortunate that the weather for our short getaway to Palm Springs was so nice for this time of year. It’s late November and it was just warm enough to spend most of both days by the pool and the kids had so much fun!
Good morning! As you go about your Thanksgiving Eve day, I just wanted to remind you that you are beautiful because God made you! Too often we try to qualify people’s beauty by describing their physical attributes or material accessories, but none is needed here. The Master Artisan has stroked every color and mixed every shade.
Happy Tuesday (or day before Thanksgiving eve)! This past Saturday, I had the privilege to serve alongside some amazing folks to serve turkey meals to 70+ underserved people in Orange County, CA. There were young people, old people, singles and families.
Regret is a silent self killer. It quietly eats away at our insides until we feel sick with bitterness or envy. We're angry with ourselves for being late to the game and our minds play "if only" on repeat. We look at what other people have/have done and wonder why we didn't seize/have opportunities to have/do the same.
Most of our regrets in life were not the result of sitting down too long or backtracking too early but being too afraid to jump in.
Though life may be a gradual arc, our energy and focus within that span are not. Opportunities and motivation usually comes in bunches, so seize the moments when they come; and only after giving everything you've got, unplug, kick back and just enjoy yourself.
Our dedicated toil in leading our families and doing our work may look like mere paint splatters to others, but we must always be guided by the beauty and purpose we see in our kids, spouses, loved ones and work of our lives.
If you have dreams, you'll also have fears. Fears box us in to the conventional and safe. There is security there, but no exhilaration and beauty. To experience these, you must take risks.
All children are dreamers. The challenge is to remain one into adulthood. Let's always give space for our kids to experiment, make mistakes and rise again. Tell your children (and yourself), "NEVER STOP DREAMING!"
Too often, the pace of our lives causes us to neglect our overall health. It’s always beneficial to slow down and self-exam our 4 parts: body, mind, feelings and spirit. Sometimes we see the warning lights on the dash but don’t look under the hood or get things fixed because the car still drives. Let’s not wait for full breakdowns.
Be sure to take moments in your journey to slow down and soak in life’s inherent beauty. Beauty surrounds you! See it in the people, places, experiences and things—big and small, visible and hidden, stated and silent.
I'm a part of a book club that meets every two months and Covey's classic must-read, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, was our book at yesterday's meeting. Quadrant 2 living is where we need to spend a good chunk of our time if we want to achieve significant things in our lives, through our careers and with our families. So let's get going!
If we're waiting for the approval and cheers from the masses before grabbing and going with a new idea, we'll be spinning in the same old circles.
The words we consistently use and the attitude we regularly portray to our spouses, children and significant people in our lives have powerful influence in sculpting their futures.
Life is too short to not take risks, our careers are too uncertain to play it safe, our marriages are too important to stay in ruts, and our kids have too much potential to stifle their dreams.
The lowest valleys are connected to the highest peaks. Are you enjoying the summer? It will be winter. Are you shivering in the middle of winter? Stay the course—it will be summer.
"Likes" is the new wonder drug and we're all addicted. This is why we keep going back to our social media apps and checking post engagement.
Will I happily live my life or will I always live envious of the never ending line of people that seem to have it better?
When you are with family, be with them. People know when we are physically present but mentally checked-out.