Spirituality

Pretension

Have you ever noticed that if someone is flying in First Class from here to LAX they will announce their seat on social media platforms? You never see someone post “Hey everyone! I scored row 29, center seat for my flight to Los Angeles.”

Pretension is, simply put, showing importance that isn’t genuine. It’s rooted in insecurity and that leads to an inflated ego. Arrogant people are difficult to spend time with. They lack substance yet portray themselves as an expert on just about everything. I hope they find themselves, their true self, someday.

God doesn’t care if we fly First Class or take a slow boat to China. He does care about developing our hearts and minds. He reminds us to care for the poor, the marginalized and the hurting children, the non-pretentious people. And we are reminded through Scripture to do it quietly. Our audience is just one.

This world will always have people who love to show the world all their greatness. But inside they might have the mindset of a scared child. Be kind to them. They need kindness, too…

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Spirituality

Success Through Service

I’ll spend a moment talking about success. Many people define success as acquiring fame and fortune. Those things may happen, but they cannot be your goal. Otherwise you will be chasing all your life because you will never have enough.

Achieving success is about living a fulfilling life. We must be willing to give more than we are paid for. Do more than is required or expected. Replace the word success with service. Leaders have a servants heart.

The mediocre never go the extra mile. They believe they are cheating themselves if they work longer than they are paid for. They are cheating themselves out of missed opportunities because of their shortsightedness.

Arrive early. Stay late. Write “thank you” notes. These qualities set you apart from the rest of the world. Go about your work quietly without feeling the need to be in the spotlight. The right people will notice…

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Spirituality

Time, Energy and Heart

Every day I wake up I consider myself to be the most fortunate man alive. Not only have I been given another day to live, but I have an opportunity to make a difference in this crazy world we live in.

Did you know that 25% of the world lives on less than $2.00 per day? That’s 2 billion people! Over 36 million people live in poverty in the United States. The line on poverty is drawn at around $14,000 per year. People are struggling to make ends meet.

We can make a difference, both individually and collectively. Volunteering is a regular part of my life. I’m fortunate to have a career that gives me tremendous flexibility with my time. And the Creator gifted me with an enormous energy level. Put those two together, time and energy, and I pour my heart into causes that touch me emotionally.

The faith and philanthropic communities serve the least among us very well. They waste little and move heaven and earth with what they have. Those people are true role models, not our feckless politicians.

Find your cause(s). Get involved. We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone. Commit…

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