Author Archives: John Harrell

#inspiration, #spirituality

Self Assured

Do you approach life with confidence, or do you take on what the day brings with trepidation? Confidence is built in the dark, difficult times. We learn that we get through our hardest battles and we live again. The temptation to quit is always lurking, but we must have the mindset that quitting is not an option.

You are here for a purpose. I’m not suggesting fame and fortune. Those things don’t last. Your legacy will, though. The difference you make in the lives of others will be remembered and talked about for generations.

Never forget this. You are way more important in the grand scheme of things than you realize. God didn’t create anyone to merely be average.

I encourage you to live confidently, even when you aren’t feeling it. Confidence won’t be built in the easy times. Only through darkness can you find the light…

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#inspiration

Behind Schedule

Do you feel like you are always behind schedule? I know people who are constantly in “fight or flight” mode, and that’s not healthy. It disrupts clear thinking, keeping people off balance.

The best way to stay on track is to keep working at whatever lies in front of you. Needs to wrap Christmas presents? Wrap for an hour and then take a break. Have a work deadline in front of you? Just go to work on it. You aren’t behind unless you miss the deadline.

Placing too much pressure on ourselves can work against us. We will be our best, and do our best when we apply just the right amount of pressure.

We all fall behind schedule occasionally. Don’t sweat it. Just get after it!

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#inspiration

Indecision

Not making a decision is the same as making one. Indecision is a decision.

Why don’t people try and decide things? Perhaps it’s fear of failure. Giving too much thought to failing rather than succeeding has killed many dreams. If failure dominates your thinking, change it.

Indecision keeps us in limbo. Being unable to decide will stifle your happiness and fulfillment.

Change your thoughts. Begin now…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Meetups

There is a reason behind everyone we meet. What I’m suggesting is, there is nothing random in this life. We are here for a greater purpose, and God is guiding our steps. He is putting the people He wants us to know in our path.

Sometimes people are in our lives for just a short period. We create great memories of them, yet we have both moved on. I believe you understand precisely what I mean.

It’s important to remember that we can learn something from everyone. There are valuable lessons in our interactions, whether we are talking to the CEO of a company, or the housekeeper who cleans our hotel room. But we can only learn when we are taking the time to listen. Be willing.

Everyone is equally important in the eyes of The Creator. Let’s treat them as equals…

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#inspiration

National Days

Today, December 12th is National Ding-a-Ling Day. Yes, you read that correctly. It’s a day to call people you have lost touch with, or just act a little weird if you like.

There is a day for everything. Literally everything. The only day we don’t have is White Mans Day. That makes sense. Being a white man, I’m told by some that I’m the problem. I’m not.

When I speak in Texas prisons, at least one-third of my audience is black. Another third is Mexican or Latino. No one has ever had a problem with my race or gender, and I’ve spoken to thousands of people. It has never come up.

People will sometimes make assumptions about others based upon baseless evidence. This is wrong. None of us want to be classified by merely our race, gender or politics. We are more than that. So much more.

I encourage you to approach everyone with an open mind. We can learn something from everyone…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Boredom

Boredom can facilitate bad behavior! When I was a kid, I was bored in school. Most of the teachers didn’t keep me interested, so I got in trouble. Being bored and having a very high energy level is not a good combination.

Most of life is routine. We have schedules to keep, deadlines to reach and we find the time to eat. If we are doing the work God intended us to do, we will be fulfilled no matter how tedious the days are. God wired each of us individually and uniquely. There is only one you who has ever been created.

Are you experiencing a lot of boredom? Find your frequency…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Draw The Line

You have probably heard people say “that’s whee I draw the line.” This signals that someone has crossed an imaginary barrier and the declarer says no more!

Setting boundaries and saying no to things that aren’t enriching to your life is healthy. Sadly, there are people who will prey on others, taking advantage of them But when you say no to something or someone, you are saying YES to yourself. And you are making room in your life for something better.

In the United States (and possibly the rest of the world), people drew their lines in the sand over political differences. When you stop and consider the infighting that happened between the Founding Fathers, you realize there’s been an element of this in our DNA for centuries. It got so bad that George Washington called for a three-day recess for fasting and prayer. Yep, he did.

Do what you need to do to take care of yourself. Sometimes that’s as simple as saying no…

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#inspiration

Breakfast

Eating breakfast is a rarity for me. But after doing some research, I might need to rethink this!

Someone, possibly a lobbyist, coined the phrase, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” If it was a lobbyist, I’m not sure his or her intentions were pure. But there is value in eating something in the morning.

Eating stimulates your metabolism. Your glucose levels rise after being depleted during the night, and your body stays in the rhythm of fasting and eating. If your body believes it won’t get fed, it will store energy in your fat cells. So, eating establishes communication with your body. But there’s no need to overdo it. Just some fruit, carbohydrates and protein will do the trick!

I’m traveling today. The hotel I’m staying in has bagels and peanut butter downstairs. I’m off to have breakfast now!

Be well…

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Deleterious

Before writing today’s blog, I wasn’t certain what the word deleterious meant. I just think it sounds cool. I’m still not sure when I might use it in a sentence!

Sometimes people use words that the crowd doesn’t understand what they mean. Maybe they think they sound smarter than the rest of the population, or perhaps they’re insecure. In communication, the simpler the better. When you’re trying to make a point or explain something, using common words will go a long way in being understood.

And by the way, if I had titled today’s blog “Causing Harm,” you might not have read it!

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Eyesight

As I have gotten older, I have noticed my eyesight is not as sharp as it once was. But there are certain things I see clearly.

Consider the story of the man who was blind since birth. Jesus healed the man and restored his eyesight. In those days, when something bad happened like blindness, the people attributed it to either the sin of the man or his parents. Jesus declared it to be neither. The man was born blind so that in that moment, God would be glorified.

Some of the Pharisees were outraged because Jesus had healed the man on the Sabbath. They missed it completely! Only God could restore the man’s sight, but they were blind to this because they were only looking at the law. Jesus didn’t come to bring us more religion. He came to show us the character of God. As you can see, there’s a lot of levels to this beautiful story.

I encourage you to open your eyes. See the unseen. When you see a wrong, don’t walk away. Make it right.

The unseen is not just the spiritual. It’s the people around us, too…

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