Tag Archives: #confidence

#inspiration, #spirituality

Including Others

Remember when you were a kid and you got picked to be on a team? If we were playing basketball, I got picked last or not at all. I was horrible at basketball.

Everyone wants to belong, to be a part of something bigger than themselves. Kids join gangs because they think they’ve found their people. Their family lives are a mess or nonexistent. Adults join car clubs and country clubs. They belong to a unique, sometimes exclusive group.

We should always treat others with kindness and respect. They might not belong to something we do, but that doesn’t make them less important.

Our identity is found in who we are, not what groups we belong to…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Hidden

When I was a kid, there was a popular television show called “Candid Camera.” Goofy pranks were played on unsuspecting people and their reactions were recorded by a hidden camera. The show was hilarious.

People hide their inner pain. We show the world that we have it all together. But the truth is, many people are barely holding on. For some, all they have left is hope.

Words can heal or they can hurt. Whatever is going on inside a person’s head and heart is reflected in what they say or how they act. Hurt people hurt other people. Healthy people heal others.

Our world is struggling. It’s expensive to live. Mental health was shredded from isolation during the pandemic. Masking inner pain with fake smiles doesn’t heal the wounds.

Let your guard down with others. Allow them to see you for who you are. And let them show you who they really are, not who they want us to think they are.

Be kind. Always…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Joyful

As I write this, I’m sitting in my hotel room in Gatesville, Texas. I had the privilege of speaking in two prisons earlier today, one with male inmates and the other female. Tomorrow and Thursday I will be speaking in four additional prisons. I’m ecstatic.

Public speaking is something I have enjoyed for decades. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would do volunteer work in prisons, but I’m glad I decided to. It gives me tremendous joy when I connect with the inmates. They feel seen and heard. And I make them laugh!

Get involved in volunteer work. You will get more than you give…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Love Your Neighbor

Jesus told us to “love our neighbor as we love ourselves.” Yet you can’t truly love people you don’t know. You can show compassion, though.

Two months before her death, Rachel Joy Scott wrote a paper titled, “My Ethics: My Codes of Life.” In her piece she wrote, “Compassion is the greatest form of love humans have to offer. I have this theory that if one person would go out of their way to show compassion, it would start a chain reaction of the same. You never know how far a little kindness can go.” Showing compassion to our fellow man is demonstrating our concern for their sufferings. We can show we care about what happens to others.

In addition to showing compassion for others, let’s be kind to ourselves. Hold yourself accountable, but don’t beat yourself up over past mistakes. After all, you are a perfectly imperfect human…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Look Away

Many people enjoy the limelight. But don’t get too close because you might expose something.

Superficiality, whether in conversation or in closeness, prevents people from seeing the true person inside. But it’s what’s inside of us that defines who we are. And when we let our guard down it encourages others to let theirs down, too.

Believe in yourself, and accept yourself. God does. And He sees everything…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Breaking Out

Breaking out sounds like a plan a prisoner might have. And in some ways we are all prisoners. We are also able to grant ourselves parole.

Life is full of routine. We go through the same thing every day. But I encourage you to free yourself of routine. Take some time away from your phone. Instead of watching and posting on social media, call someone and have a conversation. Attend a seminar on something you know nothing about. Start a blog!

It’s time to stop fitting in and start standing out. Conformity is the breeding ground of mediocrity…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Trust

The foundation of every relationship is trust. Trust must be earned, and that takes time. Trusting someone else, as well as being trustworthy yourself is a high honor.

How do you know you can trust someone? We trust that the airline pilot knows how to fly the plane. We trust other drivers to obey the law. We give those types of trust without question.

So why don’t we trust God fully? I believe it’s partially because we humanize God. Not everyone we encounter has honest intentions. We can’t see God and that makes it even harder.

Here’s where faith intersects logic. We trust the promises of God, and we trust that He only wants good for our lives. Believe in Him, and when you are in doubt, talk to God. He’s always listening, and that’s a promise…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

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…

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#inspiration

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…

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