Tag Archives: #greatness

Spirituality

With Honor

We admire those who do the right things when others might be tempted to do wrong or take a shortcut. Those people handle their lives and decisions with honor and integrity. A lot of good happens in the dark, out of sight, too.

During most of Jesus’ time on earth, he didn’t call attention to himself. There are many miracles he performed, yet instructed the recipient to not tell anyone. He wasn’t trying to bring honor to himself. Weird, huh?

When your eyesight has been restored from a supernatural experience, human nature is to tell everyone by shouting it out! I probably would. In fact, I know I couldn’t keep quiet.

Every day we have decisions to make. We all make some left turns when we should have gone right. But hopefully we get more correct than incorrect. When we make a mistake, or we treat others wrong, make an apology unless it might cause more harm than good.

Handle your business quietly, and with honor. Allow God to guide you. He sees everything, including the heart of man…

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Spirituality

A Little Extra

During the time of Jesus, a Roman soldier could order a Jew to carry his equipment one mile. The law said one mile was required, not one step further. So can you imagine the surprise, shock, and possibly anger the Jewish audience felt when Jesus said, “If anyone forces you to go one mile with him, go two.”

Giving more than is required is the key to a successful life. This applies to your work as well as your home life. Extra effort is one of the ways you separate yourself from the mediocre.

Some people have the mindset that they are cheating themselves if they give more than they are paid for. They are cheating themselves out of the benefits they receive from giving others more of their efforts. The benefits are not always immediate, but you cannot stop the pendulum from swinging back your way.

Give more to get more. See what happens…

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Spirituality

Stradivarius

A Stradivarius is a string instrument created by the Stradivari family beginning in the late 1600’s. They are known for their excellent craftsmanship, tone and durability. There are about 650 instruments remaining in the world, and a Stradivarius violin sold for $18 million dollars in recent years.

As rare as a Stradivarius is, you are more rare than they are. Around 1,100 instruments were created by Antonio Stradivari, yet only one of you has lived, breathed and walked on planet Earth. And considering that over 100 billion people have lived since the beginning of time as we know it, this makes you even more rare and valuable.

Be fearless in showing the world who you are. You were created to stand out and to use your unique gifts to make a difference in the world. Don’t hide your identity. Show yourself!

You have a lot to offer to mankind. Don’t waste your talents…

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Spirituality

Don’t Believe the Lies

We lie to ourselves. We convince ourselves that we are better at some things than we are. That’s just bragging. Or maybe some tequila convinces us we can dance really well! We can’t.

The worst lies we believe are the ones that condemn us to an unfulfilled life. We deceive ourselves into thinking we have no talent, no intelligence, no confidence, and we talk ourselves into believing we don’t have the power to change. We have everything we need to change.

Enough. Let this be the dividing line of your life. God created all of us and He doesn’t make junk. God never second-guesses himself, either. We were created for a greater purpose. There is nothing random about your life.

I encourage you to stop believing the lies and start believing in yourself. You are capable of doing whatever God created you to accomplish.

Believe in yourself. When others criticize you or put you down, remember this: they don’t have the final word about your life…

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Spirituality

Creation

Everything you see around you, from the building you work in to the chair you are sitting in right now were an idea in someone’s mind. All creations began with a thought.

The greatest honor of my lifetime has been to be a father to two sons. It was a role I never saw coming in the way it turned out. I finally knew what unconditional love was. It’s indescribable. It’s something you can only feel by experience.

This is how God feels about us, His creation. In many ways my relationship with my children resembles my relationship with God. I don’t always listen or obey, but nothing I can do will stop God from loving me. Faults and all.

Creating two unique humans with different personalities is a miracle. The odds of a woman getting pregnant are stacked against her. Yet, through the gift of God it happens. Over 100 billion times it has happened.

Look around. Everything you see is a miracle. Try to see life through the eyes of God…

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Spirituality

Faking It

Fake people are everywhere. People have lost their souls, doing and saying outrageous things so they can achieve a modicum of fame and notoriety. One guy in the United Kingdom went so far as to film himself licking a public toilet and posting it to his Instagram account. Yuck doesn’t begin to describe how disgusting that was.

Being known can be a really good thing. When famous people lend their name to a great cause, it increases the awareness and effectiveness of the organization. Think about Paul Newman and his “Newmans Own” salad dressings and pasta sauces. Every dollar of net profit goes to charities for children and education. The company got its start because Newman loved to cook and he wanted to leave a legacy.

If fame is what you seek, that’s perfectly fine. Just don’t lose yourself in the process…

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Uncategorized

The Scapegoat

As we all have, I have known a couple of people during my life who wanted to blame me for their lack of a successful outcome. They needed a scapegoat and didn’t place value on our relationship. Needless to say, these people are no longer in my life.

Our actions have consequences. We are responsible for the decisions we make, and we must be willing to accept the outcomes of our decisions. Holding ourselves accountable doesn’t make us heroes. It does keep us steady and reliable.

Do not allow yourself to be anyone’s scapegoat. And don’t blame anyone but yourself for poor decision making. Give yourself a break if your decision was well thought out, but things went awry. You can’t control everything.

Do your best. Always. And if someone wants to blame you for their actions, you will see how they define your importance to them.

Find the healthy people. Keep looking until they show themselves…

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Spirituality

Five Stones

Goliath, who stood around 9 feet tall, was feared by the entire Israeli army. Goliath taunted them daily. He appeared to be unstoppable.

A shepherd named David saw things differently from the others. David was insulted by “this uncircumcised Phillistine.” Goliath was an abomination to the Lord in David’s eyes, so he decided to do something about him. David’s brothers, along with the other soldiers tried to talk David out of his plan, but David was undeterred. He knew he had God on his side, and God would use David to kill the giant.

You know the story of David and Goliath. David took him out with one stone hurled at Goliaths forehead. The now-emboldened Israelis destroyed the Phillistine army after David had slain Goliath.

David believed. We should believe, too. God is on our side just as He was on David’s. So what stops our belief? We see things through our eyes rather than through God’s eyes. That’s the only difference.

People sometimes ask why David took five smooth stones instead of just one. After all, he was confident that God would show up, right? Well, Goliath had four brothers. David came prepared…

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Uncategorized

Truth in Advertising

Madison Avenue is the epicenter of advertising in America. There are some very creative people working there. Yet, sometimes even the best twist the truth.

A few years ago, Cosmopolitan Magazine featured an array of obese women on the cover with the caption, “This is Healthy.” I’m certain the magazine sold a lot of copies. I’m also certain the potato chip companies, the sugary soda companies and the fast food chains benefited.

Obesity is not healthy. It will shorten your life, and it causes your organs to work overtime. To believe otherwise because Cosmo said so is rationalizing behavior at best.

Not everyone is going to look like a model. Most of us will not grace the cover of a magazine. That’s okay. We have other talents to put on display.

Don’t be fooled. Take care of your health…

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Spirituality

Sanctimonious

Do you like to be lectured to by someone who feels like they are morally superior to everyone else? I don’t. These self-righteous people are a turnoff.

We learn more when we listen. By rearranging the letters in the word “listen” you get silent. I believe this is on purpose. If we are constantly running our mouth then we must believe we know it all.

Healthy, stimulating conversations require two parties. There should be some give and take. And whether you agree with the counterparty or not, your worldview expands.

Listen more than you speak. And avoid the sanctimonious as best you can. They will suck your energy dry…

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