Tag Archives: #mindset

#inspiration, #spirituality

Measures

How do you measure success? Many among us use wealth, position or their zip code as representative of how successful they are. It is true that moving into a more desirable zip code might give your children access to better schools, but that doesn’t guarantee they will take advantage of it.

Chasing wealth is fleeting. Someone has more, so the rat race continues. Fame rarely lasts. Look no further than the child stars who have become train wrecks of adults.

Success can be defined by the amount of fulfillment we have in our lives. Anyone with a pulse would consider Mother Teresa to have been successful. She had no money, and she didn’t seek the fame she received. Yet, she found fulfillment in her life.

We can learn a lot from historical figures. Read the autobiography of Booker T. Washington. You will be inspired by his drive, determination and work ethic.

Success comes from making a difference. Start making yours…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Insults

Have you ever been made fun of? I believe we all have been, and much of it is harmless teasing. I certainly give people a lot to work with!

I have observed people making fun of how people look or calling people dumb, even deplorable. Most of these insults occur from behind a computer keyboard, but occasionally I have experienced people making fun of others to their face. Either way it’s wrong. When an insult is hurled at someone, the offender is ridiculing one of God’s creations. God doesn’t make mistakes, nor does He second guess himself. There is a purpose behind every creation.

Let’s think before we speak. If what we are about to say is harmful, let’s quieten ourselves. Remember, God knows what He’s doing. We don’t always…

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#inspiration

New Roads Await

Today we will revisit doing inner work and why it is vital.

Many people shy away from doing the self work required to grow and mature. The work challenges you to look at yourself and the decisions you’ve made, and why you went down that road. But on the other side of darkness lies peace, wisdom and new, healthy neural pathways.
Fourteen years of self-work and counting for me.

But it has been so worthwhile…

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#inspiration

Dividing Lines

It’s an election year and you know what that means. People are drawing lines in the sand over their candidate. There are many factors that influence voters selection: history of voting for a party, a desire for change, they like the way a candidate sounds, or they just plain hate one of the choices.

Arguing over politics is as old as America herself is. You almost can’t avoid it. In today’s internet connected world the debate sometimes turns nasty. People hurl insults at others from behind their computer keyboard, with no consequences for the ugly things said. We get to peer into the heart of others through their words and actions. It’s not always pretty.

Take a moment to examine your own heart when you feel yourself getting amped up over politics. People throw insults at me regularly because of what I believe. They don’t bother me. I have a sound basis for what I believe, and I won’t lie or exaggerate. Facts matter. Opinions are…just opinions.

I encourage you to reach out to those with whom you disagree with. Listen and learn from each other. You will be better for doing it, and so will our country…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Left Behind

We go through different periods in our lives. From childhood through the teenage years, and finally to adulthood. Our experiences shape us. Even our bad days can be used for good. Maybe they were just learning experiences. And hopefully we learned!

Over the course of our lives we have developed habits, both good and poor. We learn how to make friends and develop relationships. We make a habit of exercising and eating well. Yet I meet so many people who focus their attention on their faults. They have low self esteem and rather than focusing their energy on what they do well, they beat themselves up emotionally.

If this is something you struggle with, please be aware that you aren’t alone in your struggle. Everyone has to learn to leave the self-defeating behaviors behind and mold themselves into who God intended them to be. The Spirit is strong and will help you. Just believe in Him and believe in yourself.

It’s time to leave anything destructive behind. Sometimes this includes people…

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#inspiration

Balanced Life

I hear people preach about getting balance in your life. You know, the whole work-life balance thing. I’m not sure that’s good advice.

It is true that all of us need rest, play, social interaction and nutrition in addition to our work. These are vital elements to maintain our mental health. Yet I have always leaned into my work while adding new projects. I enjoy it. That’s how I’m wired. Some people want a structured 9-5 job along with an element of predictability in their lives. That’s fine, too!

I believe the most neglected part of life is getting enough rest. You must take time to recharge. Deep, restful sleep prepares us to go fight another day.

Play is important, too. Take some time to let loose and have some fun! And don’t feel guilty for it. Solid playtime makes you better.

Find the balance that’s right for you. Don’t copy the templates of others, or what the “experts” tell you. You know what’s best for you…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

More

When my kids were little, I would take them to the pool and we would play a game. They would stand on the edge of the pool and jump into my arms. I would “play” for hours because their battle cry was “one more time, daddy!” We would do this until my arms felt like they were going to fall off.

I don’t believe I was teaching my kids to be greedy just because they wanted more of a good time. But our society has become one of greed. It’s everywhere, from who has the most toys to getting super sized at your favorite fast food restaurant. Greed is so pervasive that the politicians want in on the game by taxing us as much as possible. In a touch of irony, when you lower taxes you actually increase tax revenues. That’s because people spend more when they have more!

Contentment brings peace. Peace brings an intangible prosperity into your life. Don’t misunderstand, I’m more ambitious now than I have ever been, but if I accomplish nothing else I will be okay. Being content doesn’t take away drive and desire, it gives them a higher purpose than simply making money.

I encourage you to take inventory of any areas of your life where you are dissatisfied. If the source of your dissatisfaction is greed, go to work on eliminating it. Then peace follows…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Today

Today has arrived! It has already started out well for you because you woke up and are here reading this.

Some have awakened yet they wished they hadn’t. Years ago I was in the same position. Every morning I awoke with the same dread as I had the day before. And before. And before. I wasn’t suicidal, just severely depressed. Every day I would go through the motions, just faking it through life the best I could. I had responsibilities, and I couldn’t let my children or clients down. I pressed on.

Today, that period of my life is a distant memory. I’m grateful to have gone through it. You see, it was during that time in my life that I began my self work. I found the right psychotherapist, and started down the road less traveled. It’s difficult to look at yourself, accept responsibility for your decisions, and then create new, healthy neural pathways. But it’s worth it.

If you are feeling the same way as I was, I encourage you to start building your life back. It won’t be easy, but anything worthwhile is going to be a challenge.

Do it…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Lost

Every week, I encounter many people and have a lot of conversations. By the end of the week, I’m pretty exhausted, but in a good way. What’s more telling to me are the people I don’t have an opportunity to engage with.

People look lost, merely drifting through life without any real sense of purpose. Life has beaten them down. They are existing, not living. I get it. We all have highs and lows to navigate through. It’s very expensive to live nowadays, and there’s no end in sight to the effects inflation. But you gotta keep going.

If you are experiencing a dark period in your life, I encourage you to get rid of any negativity. Turn the television off. Read great works and listen to podcasts that feature inspiring stories. You will make it if you refuse to give up.

Just keep going, no matter what happens…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Awareness

It seems that every month is some “awareness” month where we are encouraged to become aware of something we should already be aware of. Seriously, aren’t we already aware of Alzheimer’s Disease, Breast Cancer, Men’s Health and many other worthwhile causes? I believe it is naive to believe we could forget about any important cause we are supposed to be aware of.

On Sundays, we get cleaned up and head to church. But what about the drug addict we pass on the street corner. Are we aware of him and his needs, or do we look the other way and pretend he doesn’t exist? We should invite him in. That might make us get a little involved and perhaps a little dirty. But we need to remember (be aware) that in the eyes of our Creator the drug addict is as important as we are.

I encourage you to be aware of opportunities to lift others, not tear them down or ignore them. Remember what Jesus said: “what you do for the least among you, you do for me…”

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