Tag Archives: #relationships

Spirituality

Trappings

Some people work their lives away seeking wealth, power and prestige. If you are reading this and find it relatable, I encourage you to stop the chase. It’s a trap that can leave you feeling hollow. No one wants to feel hollow.

Money is nice, but it’s only a tool. A big house is comfortable and inviting, but eventually you won’t be satisfied until you get a bigger, more modern home. The chase continues until you decide to seek what will fulfill you.

The most important thing in this world isn’t a thing, it’s people. Relationships will provide you a sense of satisfaction and well-being you cannot get from the trappings of this life.

And speaking of life, take a moment to thank God for another day on this side of eternity. We have an opportunity every day to make a difference in the lives of those around us.

Make your difference…

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Gift Giving

When I was a child, I would return to school after the Christmas break and all the kids in my class had the same question: “what did you get?” We were more curious about the quality and quantity of gifts we received rather than why we celebrated Christmas.

Fast forward to today, my sons tell me I’m difficult to buy for because there isn’t anything I really want or need. That’s true! All I want is to spend time with them. They are busy building their lives and we don’t get to see each other often. So, their time is the best gift I could receive.

When I buy gifts for others, I do my best to put thought into it. What will be important to the recipient and touch them in the heart is what I’m seeking. Thoughtfulness says more than the cost or opulence of a present.

As I have gotten older and perhaps wiser, I have learned that the greatest gift we have to offer is our time. Time is something we can never get back. Spend it well…

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The Scapegoat

As we all have, I have known a couple of people during my life who wanted to blame me for their lack of a successful outcome. They needed a scapegoat and didn’t place value on our relationship. Needless to say, these people are no longer in my life.

Our actions have consequences. We are responsible for the decisions we make, and we must be willing to accept the outcomes of our decisions. Holding ourselves accountable doesn’t make us heroes. It does keep us steady and reliable.

Do not allow yourself to be anyone’s scapegoat. And don’t blame anyone but yourself for poor decision making. Give yourself a break if your decision was well thought out, but things went awry. You can’t control everything.

Do your best. Always. And if someone wants to blame you for their actions, you will see how they define your importance to them.

Find the healthy people. Keep looking until they show themselves…

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Spirituality

Constructive Dialogue

There’s a lot of people tearing each other apart nowadays! In case you haven’t noticed, people love to argue about their political opinions. Many are dying on that hill daily.

This has been going on for a very long time. The advent of social media has brought the battle into the public. But one thing I have observed is, no one has been changed because someone is yelling at them. What a waste of time.

Constructive dialogue builds relationships. You can only learn about others by listening to them and observing how they act. We should respect others for what they believe. They have their reasons and it isn’t our place to try to change others. People can make decisions for themselves.

Ask yourself if what you are about to say is helping or hurting. There has been a lot of hurt heaped on other people because they believe differently.

Be different. Be helpful…

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Spirituality

It’s Valentines Day

In the United States today is Valentines Day, the day of love. Or is it?

This day provides the florists, the chocolatiers and Hallmark cash flow to get them through until Mothers Day. Not a bad thing, but people build this day up to be something that can set the stage for disappointment.

If your significant other truly cares about you, he or she will show you all year long. You will know you are loved. Your relationship will be close and intimate, not one that is taken for granted.

The greatest demonstration of love is one we cannot fully understand. God allowed His son to be tortured and beaten beyond recognition so we, lowly humans, could be reconciled to God. There is no love like Divine love, and God loves us all the time, not just on February 14th.

Show people you care through your actions. This includes every other day besides Valentines Day…

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Spirituality

Winter

It’s winter in Texas. This means we will have about ten days of cold weather and then we will be back in short sleeves. You gotta love it.

Personally, I like winter. I believe it’s because we don’t have a winter here like much of the rest of the world. Winter can be a difficult period for some. People don’t get out as much and socialize. Mental health can take a further hit.

Isolating ourselves from others puts us inside our own heads more than we should be. Podcasts are great to listen to and learn from, but we need interaction with other people.

If you have a friend who hasn’t been seen or heard from in a while, I encourage you to reach out to them. It will be good for both of you…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Meetups

There is a reason behind everyone we meet. What I’m suggesting is, there is nothing random in this life. We are here for a greater purpose, and God is guiding our steps. He is putting the people He wants us to know in our path.

Sometimes people are in our lives for just a short period. We create great memories of them, yet we have both moved on. I believe you understand precisely what I mean.

It’s important to remember that we can learn something from everyone. There are valuable lessons in our interactions, whether we are talking to the CEO of a company, or the housekeeper who cleans our hotel room. But we can only learn when we are taking the time to listen. Be willing.

Everyone is equally important in the eyes of The Creator. Let’s treat them as equals…

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#inspiration

The Family

Families are in a crisis. It’s estimated that 70-80% of families are dysfunctional. I grew up in a family filled with fear, chaos and sometimes violence. Living in a constant state of “fight or flight” does damage that can last a lifetime.

Dysfunctional families are characterized by, don’t talk, don’t trust and don’t feel. I don’t need to go into a great amount of detail about those. They speak for themselves. When I was a child, I thought the families I saw on television were representative of all families. Boy, was I naive.

Healthy families display open communication, conflict resolution and cohesiveness. Parents lead by example and set expectations and boundaries for their children.

If you grew up in chaos, you have the ability to change the course of the next generation. Work on yourself. It’s difficult, no doubt, but you will be creating a legacy.

Do the work…

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#inspiration

Beautiful

Do you ever look at the night sky and think, how beautiful the stars look? I do. I’m in awe of the natural beauty that surrounds us. It’s everywhere. The mountains and the oceans are magnificent.

It’s said that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” and there’s a lot of truth in that. No one thinks your children are as beautiful as you think they are. The lens we view the world through matters.

Take in all of the beauty around you, and take care of nature. It’s all we have…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Neighborly

Do you know your neighbors, the people who live next door to you? Over the course of my life, I have had wonderful neighbors and I have had some real jerks (nicest word I could think of), too.

Jesus instructed us to “love our neighbors as we love ourselves.” How do we love or even like people who are real assholes (better description)? Let’s examine.

How we love anyone begins with how we feel about ourselves. Having a healthy self image is a good place to start. Self worth manifests when we take care of ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Being overly critical of everything we do can make us judgmental of others.

Take the time to work on yourself. This isn’t a “one and done,” but it’s an ongoing process. The work is hard, really hard, but it is worth it.

And remember the Golden Rule: treat others the way you would like to be treated. This includes the assholes…

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