Tag Archives: #growth

Spirituality

Why I Write

Why do I write? As I was driving home yesterday, I spent quite a bit of time thinking about this.

I became a writer in 2015. A friend of mine encouraged me to write. He would say encouraged, but I say pestered! Yet, I’m glad I listened because without his constant harassment I would have never begun. And the truth is, I am the least qualified to write anything. I didn’t take English in college because I hated the subject so much.

My encouragement to you is to listen to those who encourage you to try something new, something that is worthwhile. You might really enjoy it, even when you believe you won’t.

The reason I write is to inspire and help people. In a divided world, my hope is to build bridges, not tear them down.

Anyone can criticize others and bring them down. That’s easy. I choose to lift them up through words and actions.

Be a peacemaker…

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Spirituality

Lead The Way

Upon occasion, everyone has been placed in a position of leadership. Leadership isn’t confined to the workplace. You can lead there, but you are called to lead your family and friends as well.

Great leaders don’t boss people around. They set the tone and empower their followers to think for themselves, use their creativity and get things accomplished. The best leaders are those who have the heart of a servant.

Consider Jesus, if you will. He took a ragtag group of men with different backgrounds and personalities, and he led them by example. After Jesus died, his disciples (now called apostles) were equipped to build the church. They had learned well because what they started is still going over two thousand years later.

If you are in a position of leadership, allow your people the ability to grow. Teach them well, and get the hell out of the way. Give guidance when needed, and allow your people to make mistakes.

Lead well…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

Remorse

Have you ever felt remorse? Of course you have, and so have I. By definition, remorse is a deep regret coming from a sense of guilt for past wrongs.

You can stop feeling remorse. If you have wronged someone, apologize immediately. Commit to not speaking rudely or judgmental towards someone else again. Then keep your commitment. Treat others well going forward. Accept them as they are, where they are in life.

Let go of guilt if you are truly sorry for your actions. You cannot change the past, but you can resolve to do better going forward. If you find yourself constantly beating yourself up for sins of the past, you can stop that now.

If you are working on improving yourself, keep working! And remember to be kind to yourself along the way. Growth takes time…

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Spirituality

Phonies

You have probably heard of imposter syndrome. People believe themselves to be a fake because they are acting like things are better than they really are. That’s not being fake. It’s simply not airing everything in your public life.

Phonies are like chameleons. They shift their energy from crowd to crowd. You are never sure who you’re going to get. Being a phony is pathological when it is manipulative. Other people are just insecure, so they put on a front.

Get comfortable with who you are. Accept yourself and work on personal growth. You are here for a purpose, and there’s nothing phony about that!

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Spirituality

The Critics

Critics are everywhere. You know who I’m talking about. Critics are the people who have a problem for every solution. They can identify every wrong thing in the world, but they contribute very little to nothing in making things better.

Many people fear criticism, so they stay in the shadows rather than speaking up. Or perhaps they don’t want to waste their time and energy trying to engage with the self-righteous. Self-righteous people have an insane desire to be right, and they will go out of their way to prove others wrong about everything. Those people are energy drainers.

Constructive criticism is essential for improving ourselves. Most anyone is open to learning which facilitates growth, both personal and professional. It is possible to deliver a constructive message without destroying a relationship. Yet, the divorce courts are full and the Human Resources Departments are ever-expanding.

It’s important to not be too critical of yourself. We can hold ourselves accountable while being kind to ourselves. It’s possible…

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Spirituality

And The Beat Goes On…

Every time I tap into social media, it makes me think we are on the verge of destruction because of politics. We aren’t, and I’m being facetious. I don’t pay attention to the noise.

People have been fighting over their political beliefs since before the Constitution was written. And the people will be still be fighting long after I’m gone. For some, it seems to give them a sense of purpose. They dig their heels in and express their righteous indignation with a passion they weren’t aware they had.

Human decency should triumph over politics. People are what matters, regardless of their politics.

So, my encouragement to you is to take a break from political noise. Enjoy your life today and every day. Get outside. Take a friend you haven’t seen for a while out to lunch. Read for pleasure.

The noise will always be there if you want to return to it. I hope you don’t miss it…

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Spirituality

Tone

When I was raising my children, I told them they could say anything they wanted to me. I was listening to how they said it. I wanted them to feel free to express themselves. Their tone of voice revealed more than their words.

This holds true in life. An angry tone is usually easy to pick up on. So is a happy tone. When we combine the tone of someone’s voice with the look in their eyes, it gives us an opportunity to connect at a deeper level.

Take the time to listen to others, really listen. Then watch how your communication with others improves…

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Spirituality

The Next Ten Years

Do you think about what your life will look like in ten years? You should. Making long-term goals is a wise decision.

I meet many people who aren’t looking too far into their future. Many of their goals are about retirement. But it’s vital to remember, there’s a lot of life to be lived after retiring.

Your first step is to write down your long-term plans on paper. Read it often. If it involves learning a new skill, focus your reading on the skill. Do you want to write a book, a novel per se? I encourage you to take a class on writing. A physical class where you can meet and interact with other future writers. You will learn a lot, and your creative juices will begin to flow like a river.

Take the steps necessary to create the life you want. Start today. In fact, start now…

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Spirituality

A Fresh Start

Every day is an opportunity to begin again. If your resolutions have gone bye-bye, today is the day to welcome them back.

Change is difficult, and permanent change requires effort and commitment. We need time to renew our thinking, creating and strengthening new neural pathways in the process. Change happens when we want it to happen.

Be kind to yourself and be patient with your progress. The world will beat you up enough, so don’t pile on yourself. Give yourself a wide margin.

You can do it. And offer encouragement to others who are trying to change. They need it, too…

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Spirituality

Outta Time

You once had great dreams for your life. Then the harshness of life happened. A failure here, a heap of pain there and, poof, they’re gone in an instant. But here’s a little secret: your dreams still live, they have just gone dormant.

Every experience, every success and every sensation over the course of your life has been stored in your subconscious mind. This includes all of the wonderful, even outrageous dreams you had for yourself. They are available for you to recall any time you want.

Go somewhere quiet that brings you peace. Turn your phone to silent. Be still and listen to your breathing. See yourself as you want to be, succeeding beyond your wildest dreams. Feel it and believe it to be true. It will happen if you believe.

Your mind will work for you when you allow it to. Thoughts are powerful.

Start today. One day you will be outta time…

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