Complacent people have decided to stop growing. They feel like they cannot get better, they have reached the pinnacle.
All of us have room for improvement. We will not reach perfection on this side of eternity. Plus, we are hardwired to want to grow, to achieve our goals. Proficiency is an excellent quality. The desire to continue to learn and get even better is admirable.
In the final analysis, complacency is simply arrogance…
Obstacles are defined as, “something that hinders progress.” Running late because of traffic congestion fits this definition. But we can’t control traffic. However , there is an obstacle we do have control over.
Our biggest obstacle lies between our ears. We pay far too much attention to the inner voice that tries to discourage us, and not enough time listening to the voice of encouragement.
The first step in controlling your thoughts is you must believe you can. Without belief you will not get anywhere. Once you learn you can control your thinking, then it gets easier to get rid of negative, unproductive thoughts. Keep doing it. It’s the same as building muscle. The longer you lift, the stronger you become.
Both voices will remain in your mind forever. You decide which one to listen to…
Customer service has become a dying life form. Customer facing people don’t seem as interested in helping their customers as diligently as they used to. This can be corrected.
When we are given a job to do we should do our very best. People notice excellence. In today’s world it is easier to stand out because it seems laziness has become pervasive.
All of us are responsible for our own performance. Let’s be standouts, even when doing menial tasks. People will see you. The right people will, anyway…
All of us are accountable to someone. When we were children it was our parents. When we got jobs we were accountable to our boss. There is no such thing as a “self-made man.” We had guidance along the way.
We are accountable to ourselves, too. If we eat crap it will show in our physical appearance. Don’t exercise? Prepare to be stiff and overweight. We must take ownership of the personal decisions we have made and continue to make.
I encourage you to take care of yourself, mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Your life will have less chaos and deeper fulfillment…
There’s a lot of talk about human rights, and there should be. Not everyone lives as freely and as well as we do in the United States. But much of that talk by our leaders in the government is just convenient garbage. Democrats and Republicans alike are at fault.
We continue to try to negotiate a new JCPOA with Iran while that country throws gay people off of rooftops. We look the other way because calling it out would not secure a political win. Our policy towards China has been to make the Chinese communist party wealthy at our own peril. And then there is Saudi Arabia. And others.
If you are going to take a stand, then take a stand. The rest of the world cannot afford to lose the United States as a trading partner. We have leverage…
I work well under pressure. Some people don’t like pressure and deadlines, and that’s okay. I thrive in it.
This might be due to my childhood trauma. I grew up in a chaotic, oftentimes violent home. You learn coping skills when in that environment. Some of those skills help you, but many come back to haunt you if you carry them into adulthood.
Whatever pressure cooker you do your best in, keep doing it. There’s no shame in disliking pressure…
I have made more mistakes than I can count. Thomas Edison failed over 10,000 times when searching for a long-burning filament. Abraham Lincoln ran for public office eight times before finally succeeding.
None of us fail from our mistakes. We learn from them. Getting things right the first time happens but it’s a rarity.
If you are in the middle of a struggle, I encourage you to keep going. You get closer to a breakthrough every time you try and don’t succeed…
In the culture of today, we like to place labels on people. You know what I mean. You’re conservative, liberal, gay, straight. The list goes on ad infinitum.
By labeling people, we place them in categories, sort of like filing cabinets in our minds. In doing so we miss so much. Everyone has stories, fascinating stories that we might miss because we think we know all about them from the label we have assigned them.
I encourage you to remove the labels. Get to know the person for who they are, not who you think they are. You will meet some wonderful people along the way…
Families can be difficult. We don’t get to choose the family we are born into. Nor are we offered the opportunity for a new selection once we are born.
Our name is the first foundation of our identity. If we do something that we get notoriety for, we either bring honor or shame to our family’s name and reputation. These “honors” can go on for generations.
Abuse is a familial malady that lasts until someone puts a stop to it. That, too, can last for generations.
No matter the family we are born into, our sole obligation is to be the best person we can possibly be. We have a choice…
Trigger’s have meaning beyond being part of a gun. Triggers are something that create an unexpected emotional reaction. They can be events, situations, or even people.
A personal trigger for me is lying. I was lied to as a child, so this one runs deep in me. When I hear a lie, it does something to me I can’t describe. I get angry, disgusted and hurt all at the same time. I get over it, but my ability to trust the person who lied has been compromised.
Think about your own personal triggers. Then commit to understanding where they come from. Be ready, because you will gain insight into yourself…
seekinggracedotcom 