Tag Archives: #growth

#inspiration, #spirituality

Dopamine

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is present in all of us. Dopamine is involved in a lot of what we feel during the day. Motivation, our attention span, and pleasure are some of the areas dopamine effects.

Dopamine can manifest some negative effects, too. Addiction to drugs, alcohol, online games, anything really addictive are related to dopamine production.

We can increase our dopamine levels naturally by exercising, getting good sleep and meditating. If you don’t like to meditate, try your hand at writing because writing hits the same center in the brain that meditation does.

Understanding how our bodies work is key to improving our health, and overall our lives. I encourage you to take time to learn about how dopamine plays a part in your life, and then put what you learned to work…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

You’ve Changed

When God gets ahold of you, you change! Many people are scared to seek God because of false beliefs about how He will change them. Some of those beliefs are: I’ll become weird, I’ll lose all my friends, or, my favorite, God will make me a missionary and send me to some desolate country.

None of those fears are true. It doesn’t make sense that God would turn you into someone other than who He made you to be. God will change your heart and mind to where you start thinking the way Jesus did. Then your actions will reflect this new, better way of thinking. Have no fear. You will still be you!

Jeremiah 29:13 tells us: “You will find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Take the plunge. The waters fine…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Ready

Have you ever read something that you have read before, but this time you got something completely different from it? There’s a message there.

This just happened to me this morning. I was reading a chapter in The Book of Matthew and part of it practically jumped off the page. This time I was ready to receive the message.

Being ready is an ongoing process. We evolve. We grow. And as we change our receptivity changes, too. This comes from having an open mind and an adaptable mindset. You are not restricted by limiting beliefs.

I encourage you to keep growing. Embrace the new. You never know where life will take you when you’re open to possibilities…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Decisions Decisions

How many decisions do you think you make every day? According to my Google search, we average between 33,000 and 35,000 decisions daily. That’s mind blowing and inspiring at the same time!

We, occasionally, are asked for advice from others. I’ve had people say “just tell me what to do.” But it’s not my place to decide things for others. We learn and grow through experience. We learn more from our failures than our successes.

When I was raising my children, I made decisions for them while they were under my care. They are adults now, and must make their own way through life. Fortunately they are young men with solid character, so I’m confident things will work out well for them in their lives.

I encourage you to make a conscious decision to make a difference. That’s one of the best decisions you can make. Decide today…

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#inspiration

Reels

Each of us have highlight reels of our lives and we have what I call “lowlight” reels, too. Both are available for replay in our minds all the time. Which reel do you play the most?

When looking back on your life, replay the good moments the most. Don’t get stuck there, thus you might think your best days are behind you. That’s simply not true. And don’t get mired down in memories of your setbacks and failures, either. This might stop you from trying anything new.

Focus on the here and now. Leave the past in the past, right where it belongs…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Inside Job

We love to be on the inside of things, to be “in the know.” We might believe this gives us a leg up on the rest of the world.

Here’s some truth for you: change is an inside job. We cannot fix anything about ourselves by changing something external. Botox might make you think you are staving off the aging process, but it is a temporary solution at best. The only way to slow down aging is intense exercise. Hard exercise changes your biochemistry, your inner organs.

Every one of us needs inner work. This never ends. But take heart! We grow when we change from within…

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#inspiration

Looking Back

Today’s post is not about reliving your past. Long time readers know me to say that our best days are ahead of us. That hasn’t changed. The focus for today is on growth.

Change is gradual. This is true for positive change as well as developing bad habits. It happens little by little. But when we reflect on where we were ten years ago, we can see how we have changed. We have gained wisdom, and perhaps we are in better physical shape now than we were before. If our bad habits are the same today, then maybe it’s time to face the root cause and remove it.

If you feel like you haven’t gotten to where you planned to be, give yourself a little grace. You certainly aren’t the same person you were a decade ago. And that’s a good thing…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Marathon Runners

Life is a long journey, a marathon if you will. It seems to pass slowly and then one day you wake up and wonder where the time went.

If you are reading this, I have a revelation for you: God isn’t through with you. Or me! He wants to grow us, even stretch us to become who He created us to be. It’s not easy, but anything worthwhile is not going to be easy. We grow from our discomfort.

Pursue your true purpose. Stop wasting time and start living the dream God has for your life. Start now…

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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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