Tag Archives: #purpose

Spirituality

Free Range Chickens

The term “free range chicken” has a nice sound to it, doesn’t it? It makes us think that the chickens are running wild in the barnyard, and so they must be better to eat and the hens produce superior eggs. It’s really just a marketing term, nothing more.

People are free range beings. We are independent thinkers. We don’t like being labeled or confined. All of us are unique. We come and go as we please. As long as we obey the law, we remain free.

We also have a desire to be part of a group, a community where we “fit in.” This makes sense because we do need other people in our lives. But let’s not take unity too far. Being part of a unified group is good unless the group doesn’t want people to express themselves freely. Go against the group and you’re out.

Stay true to yourself. The qualities and characteristics you possess are what makes you the beautiful person you are. Be who you are, not the person that others want you to be.

Be free range…

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Spirituality

Clear Vision

Seeing the world around us as it is rather than how we wish it was is vitally important for objective thinking. Believing things are better (or worse) than they are is a form of denial. Reality never denies the truth.

Do you have a vision for your life? Many people are just going through the motions, getting by, and living for the weekend. Living with unfulfilled dreams is merely existing. There is a lot of life on the other side, but you gotta go get it.

We were placed here for a reason. God created everyone with a purpose in mind. There is nothing random about your life. You know in your heart that this is true.

Life may have knocked you down but it didn’t knock you out. It’s time to re-engage. Bring the calling on your life to the front of your mind. Create your unique vision for your life and get started. Conditions may change but your vision doesn’t have to.

Remember the writings of Thoreau and plant his words in your heart: “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation and die with their song still in them.”

Don’t allow your music to die with you. The world needs what you have to offer…

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Spirituality

Uninspired

Do you ever have days where you just can’t find any motivation? Of course you do. It’s natural. But the real question is, how do you respond on those days?

Periods like this are when you must be careful. Be careful to not allow your mind to play tricks on you. Your mind will tell you to coast, that you deserve to slow down or not give your best. Don’t fall for it!

My encouragement to you is to walk away for a moment. Get outside if it’s possible. Breathe deeply. Your waning motivation is merely a feeling, nothing more. Feelings pass. Taking that brief recess will get your mindset right.

Once you’ve reset your mind, get after it! You have a reason for being here…

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Spirituality

If Only

Have you ever used the term “if only?” If only I was wealthy. If only I was taller. You get the point.

God made us not only in His image, but he created us exactly as he wanted us to be. Being dissatisfied with ourselves is an insult to the one who made us. And consider this: you were thought of before the earth was formed. That should blow your mind.

If only is a cop out. It’s an excuse, nothing more. It’s time to recognize there is nothing random about your life. You are here for a purpose greater than yourself. Live like it.

Get rid of if only. Replace it with “I get to.” Watch your world change…

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Spirituality

Considering The Impossible

A survey of 50 adults over the age of 95 revealed three interesting themes. As the oldest generation looked back at their lives, they wished they had risked more, reflected more, and they wished they had created something that would last, a legacy.

If you are reading this, it’s not too late for you to pursue your dreams. Even if they have been dormant for decades, they still exist in your mind and heart. Look forward thirty years and think about how you will feel when you have done what you were sent here to do.

We pursue our purpose for fulfillment, not fame or personal glory. We give the glory to God. After all, he’s the one who gave us our unique talents we use to make a difference in the world. If we keep it to ourselves, we have lived selfishly. There’s no fulfillment in selfishness.

The excuses will flood your mind. “I’m too old. It’s too late for me. I don’t have enough education.” Those are just a few of the excuses, and they are all lies you might tell yourself. Ask yourself, “how big is my God?” Then go do what he put you in this generation to do, even if it seems impossible to you.

Henry David Thoreau wrote, “the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation and die with their song still in them.” It’s time to let the world hear your music…

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Spirituality

Tunnel Vision

If you experience tunnel vision, it means your field of vision is limited. Perhaps all you can see is the middle. Sometimes it clears up on its own, but it could be due to a medical condition.

There’s a good kind of tunnel vision. When you get so focused on a goal that all you can see is your end result, you are in the tunnel. You are progressing towards the one thing you want. It might be a college degree, a book you are writing, or an important work project. Whatever it is, it has all your attention.

In life, we need to decide what we want. What fulfills us? It shouldn’t be something hollow like money or fame. Those things go away. It must be something that lasts, something worthwhile.

You are here for a reason, a great purpose. Don’t waste it by chasing the wrong things. Find your purpose and pursue it with everything in you. Have tunnel vision where this is concerned. Then you will feel more alive than you ever have…

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Spirituality

The Cool Kids

Do you remember when you were in school and there was a group of kids who were popular? You know, the cool kids. High school days end, but we still have our identity whether we were considered cool or not.

As we age we learn what is really important and what’s not. By now we have a select group of friends. Having the right people around us is vital for healthy relationships. We need people who will be honest with us, telling us what we need to hear, not what just sounds good at the time. This can create conflict in relationships. We must find the humility in ourselves to know that what we are being told is true whether we like it or not. When we do this, we grow. And solid friendships can withstand conflict.

Our identity is who we are, not what we do. The lines can get blurred over time. Attaching our identities to our careers can cause people to lose themselves. One day they wake up and realize they don’t know themselves anymore. If this is you and you’re reading this, it’s not too late!

Take some time to get back in touch with yourself. Remember the dreams of your youth. Use your talents to benefit others. When you are have become who God created you to be, then you are one of the cool kids…

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Spirituality

Repurposed

Old, vacant buildings can be renovated and repurposed for a new business. In the Midwest, especially, there are hundreds of former factories sitting vacant due to jobs going overseas. That’s a lot of unused real estate!

Maybe it’s time to change your life, a sort-of personal repurposing. The life you have been experiencing hasn’t really fulfilled you. You want more. It’s possible if you’re willing to turn the reins over to God and stop trying to do everything yourself.

You were created for a great purpose. There’s nothing random about you being here during this phase of history. Ask God to lead you where He wants you to be. If you’re willing to follow God, then get ready to be uncomfortable.

Growth requires change. Change isn’t negative if it gets you to where you are supposed to go…

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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, Uncategorized

Who Do You Love?

I have read multiple studies that say over 85% of adults in the United States don’t like themselves. They look in the mirror and want to turn away from their own image. This goes beyond just physical appearance.

Self-acceptance is something you must work on if this is a struggle for you. I’m not suggesting an inflated ego or false confidence. Merely accepting yourself and who you were created to be is a good first step.

The challenges life has thrown your way can become obstacles to a healthy self image. When you were a child, you couldn’t wait to make your mark on the world. Then life threw you some curves and perhaps you allowed them to shake your confidence.

No more. This is the dividing line of your life. There is nothing random about your life. You aren’t here as the result of a whimsical, careless Creator. There is a great purpose attached to your existence. Don’t quit until you find it. Then act on it.

You might have been knocked around in life. Most of us have been. But you are still in the game unless you decide you don’t want to be.

Keep going…

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