Everyone enjoys happy moments, but that’s what they are, just moments. People pursue happiness, but, and I’m not being negative here, pursuing happiness is futile. Find fulfillment. What fulfills us will keep us going, even during those times we aren’t happy…
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The Heart of Mankind
We see posts on Facebook and instagram encouraging us to “follow our hearts,” but that’s bad advice. The heart is deceptive. Therein lies the issue.
Our emotions are reflected by our hearts. Emotions can be tricky, wouldn’t you agree? Perhaps instead of following our feelings we pay attention to our instincts. Our instincts are there for a purpose. They give us pause when danger is near. Our instincts work for good, too.
I encourage you to work on your heart. Are you reacting or responding?
When you get your heart right, worthwhile actions follow…
Playing It Safe
Do you like criticism? I believe most of us would say no. But the only way to avoid criticism is to hide from the world.
Playing it safe might sound appealing. You never ruffle anyone’s feathers. But you never achieve anything, either.
In today’s world people get criticized for doing what’s right. Our world has turned upside down, and that’s not progress. But I say, stand up and speak up for goodness. You might get some pushback, but keep doing what’s good and right…
Leaps and Bounds
Progress is slow, sometimes painfully slow. Other times we grow by leaps and bounds. It’s never just one way or the other. Progress is a mixture of both.
I know this to be true: if you keep working on what you are trying to accomplish, you will succeed. Don’t give up when things go slowly. Your next breakthrough is just around the corner…
Originality
We are made in the image of God, the one who creates everything. We are given the gift of creativity which can, and should be used for good. We can lift others or bring them down.
I read that someone in Hollywood has plans to remake “The Wizard of Oz” and “It’s A Wonderful Life,” two great movies. They plan to make the stories about people of color. No problem here, but why bastardize these classic works of art? Create something new, something unique. Most of the storylines are the same common theme. Come up with your own story.
I encourage you to tap into your creative talents. The world is waiting…
Informed
It’s vital to keep informed about important events. It’s equally important to question who is giving you information, and whether or not they report accurately. We should not believe everything we hear.
In 1963, the Warren Commission was formed to investigate the assassination of President John Kennedy. After months of testimonies and interviews, the commission determined Lee Harvey Oswald was the assassin and that he acted alone. What is interesting about the commission is, one of the investigators was Allen Dulles, the former CIA Director. Kennedy had fired Dulles after the failed Bay of Pigs invasion, and said he “wanted to break the CIA into a thousand splinters and throw them in the wind.” Does it sound like Dulles had a conflict of interest? He did, and it makes one wonder why he was on the commission. I’ll leave the reason up to you to investigate for yourself.
Question everything. And I mean everything…
Inaction
People on the internet can act like real jerks. They will insult others, offering unsolicited opinions about how we should vote. Rudeness has become part of life, I guess, but some remarks are incendiary.
In the United States, we live in a totally free society. Freedom of speech is one of our greatest treasures. Therefore, people are free to say whatever they wish. Yet I don’t believe insulting others is productive. You can disagree without acting like an ass. With every generation that passes away, some decency dies with it.
When dealing with passive aggressive behavior, no response is the best response…
Encouragement
I’m known by friends and acquaintances as an encourager. It’s a mantle I’m happy to carry. People have called me all hours of the day and night looking for a word of encouragement. A couple have been hanging on to the last amount of hope they had in them. I’m glad I answered my phone.
When you see an opportunity, encourage others. Take the time because you don’t know what people are going through, or what they’ve experienced. Mental health was shredded during the pandemic. Many are hurting.
Take the time…
Outsiders
Do you ever feel different, like you are an outsider? You are, and that’s a good thing.
You are an outsider because of your uniqueness. There’s no one else like you. There’s no club of people exactly like you.
Be proud of this. It’s the outsiders who change the world….
Expressions
From an early age we learned to express ourselves. Babies have different cries. They have one cry when they are hungry, another one when they are tired, and yet another when they want attention. As a parent, you can distinguish the subtle differences and meet their needs.
When I was a child, boys (and men) started growing their hair long. From most parents reactions you would have thought they had started worshipping the devil! . They weren’t, they were simply expressing themselves.
Today we see more and more people displaying tattoos and piercings. These, too, are self expressions. If I am in a Starbucks (or wherever), I try to be served by the freakiest looking person who works there. I treat them as an equal, with respect because they are equal in God’s eyes. I want to leave an impression on them that they are seen.
Look beyond what you see on the outside. Look at the heart…
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