Tag Archives: #learning

Spirituality

Books

When I was a child, I developed a love of reading. We didn’t have the internet so I used my imagination to create images of what I was reading. This love affair with books continues to this day.

Do you want to learn about history? Real history? Read books written by the people who lived through it. Here’s a great one: “Up From Slavery: An Autobiography” written by Booker T. Washington.

Are you interested in learning about a man who didn’t have indoor plumbing until he was six years old? Read “My Grandfather’s Son” by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. The only time I put this book aside was when I needed to pee! It’s that good.

There’s a faction that is trying to rewrite history to suit their agenda. Don’t fall for it. Learn from those who lived it.

Most of the time I’m reading 4-5 books at the same time. I like a variety of genres from novels to inspiration. And as I’m reading, my imagination continues to grow.

My encouragement to you is to read a little more than you watch television. Then go make your own history…

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#inspiration

Voices

People want to feel seen and heard. Many people don’t speak up because they fear judgment. Perhaps they don’t believe they have anything worthwhile to say.

This is untrue. Everyone has the right to be listened to. Our similarities and differences make a beautiful mosaic designed to make us better. Our differences can actually unite us.

Speak up. The world is waiting…

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#inspiration

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…

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#inspiration

Ignorance

It has been said that ignorance is bliss. Sometimes I believe this to be true.

Some people live in an echo chamber, and they refuse to listen to anyone who disagrees with them. These types of people are self-righteous and believe they are an authority. I believe they are simply arrogant.

Dialogue is essential for civility. Take the time to listen to someone you don’t agree with. Maybe you don’t even like them. But when we listen, we have an opportunity to learn and grow…

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#inspiration

Team Sports

I love sports. Always have. There’s something special about participating in sports and watching exceptional athletes. But there is so much more to sports than just counting wins.

Every team has superstars. To be a star you need a supporting cast. Running backs are recognized for yards gained, but they wouldn’t make a single yard without an offensive line, no matter how fast they run. Michael Jordan was the best ever, but Scottie Pippin fed him with assists.

Sports teach kids responsibility, accountability and sacrifice. It sounds a lot like the skills you need to succeed in life, whether you played sports or not…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

A Little Scripture Study

In The Book of James, Verse 1:9 the author tells us to “be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to get angry.” Over the next few days we will examine this a little further.

James was the half-brother of Jesus. In his letter to the church of Jerusalem, we are encouraged to be “quick to listen.” I interpret this to mean listening should be our first choice when interacting with other people. How many times have I barely heard my counterparty because I wanted to get my voice heard? Too many to count…

Listening is an art form, and to really listen is exhausting. Listening is a verb, an action word. And when you rearrange the letters in the word “listen,” you get “silent.” This is not a coincidence.

More tomorrow…

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#inspiration

Inflexible

There are three types of intelligence: intellect, personality and adaptability. Psychologists have studied these for decades and have come to the conclusion that one of these types of intelligence has the highest correlation to success. Which type do you believe it is?

If you had said intellect, you would be wrong. And while a pleasant personality is necessary to get along with others, that answer would be incorrect, too. The correct answer is adaptability.

Being flexible in your approach to problem solving means you see things from a variety of angles. You aren’t hyper focused on just one. Your ability to adapt will take you far.

If you are fortunate enough to have a high amount of all three, there’s no stopping you…

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#inspiration

Timing

Timing is everything. God’s timing is perfect, even when I don’t agree with it or like it. But I don’t think He needs or wants my input!

Let’s look at the timing of human interaction. When you have to deliver a difficult message to a friend, the timing of your delivery is key to their receiving and listening to the message. A message given at the wrong time often falls flat, while a message delivered at the right time is well-received.

When you find yourself in this situation, remember that it might be a good idea to wait until the mood is right. Life isn’t always a good time…

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#inspiration

I Don’t Know

I cannot count the number of times I’ve made assumptions without knowing the facts. As I have gotten older and, hopefully wiser, my assumptions have become less frequent.

Those three words, “I don’t know,” are powerful. They give you freedom from believing you should know everything. Further, those three words open up a world of curiosity. You make yourself available to learn. Learning about things keeps our minds alive with wonder and awe.

Try it! Admit when you don’t know something, and then go learn about it. Curiosity reigns…

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#inspiration

Accurate Thinking

We lie to ourselves all the time. We tell ourselves we aren’t good enough, or perhaps we believe we are better at something than we really are. Remove the lies and watch how life becomes a mindful experience.

Take a searching and transparent inventory of yourself. Ask yourself if there are areas you need improvement in. Are you self-disciplined, enthusiastic, in good physical condition and are you pleasant to be with? It begins with accurate thinking…

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