Tag Archives: #thoughts

#inspiration

Catalysts

A catalyst makes things happen. Every chemical reaction in our bodies was started by a catalyst. In the non-scientific world, a catalyst can be a person or an event.

The terrorist attacks of 9/11 were a catalyst for a renewed sense of patriotism in America. Flags were everywhere, and the demand for them was so high you couldn’t get one for months due to them being on back order. People felt unity. They knew we were in this together.

People can inspire action, too. Jesus is the greatest example of a catalyst. He started something that has not only lasted but expanded for over two thousand years.

Find your cause, your purpose for good. Take the lead and be a catalyst, too. Inspire the world…

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#inspiration

Forced

Acceptance is big to me. Accepting everyone for who they are allows people to know they are seen. Yet our radical culture of today demands we accept people who act like complete jerks. This doesn’t work for me.

Corporate America is increasingly trying to change the landscape and cow tow to political pressure. Anheuser-Busch alienated millions of beer drinkers when someone in their marketing department decided to make a transgender person their spokesperson. Transgenders represent 1% of the United States population. The company continues to pay dearly for this miscue. Anheuser-Busch clearly doesn’t know it’s market.

If you are a man and want to wear dresses, go for it. But stealing luggage from the airport is never acceptable like this guy did.

The point is, to the people trying to force agendas down our throats, I say stop it. Be yourself, and allow others to be themselves, too. You cannot make lasting change by forcing outcomes…

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#inspiration

Money

I know people who have tremendous resources, and I know people who have very little money. I treat both equally.

Money can change people, and not always in a good way. It’s important to remember that money is no more than an instrument to provide for our needs, and it’s a tool to use for good. We get to choose.

People are what’s important. Let’s focus on who people are, not what they have…

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#inspiration

Wellness Check

People are struggling nowadays more than I ever remember or imagined. Many feel alone, like they have no one to talk to. Some feel ashamed because they have never experienced the emotional turbulence they are experiencing. If you feel like I’m describing you, I want you to know that you are not alone.

I encourage you to reach out to someone. Anyone. There are crisis hotlines you can call anonymously. Talk to someone. There’s something magical about talking things out. You get some peace, even for a short while.

If you haven’t heard from someone you normally would, give them a call. You might be their last, best hope…

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#inspiration

Obstacles

Life is going to present us with challenges. Some might be as simple as running late due to an accident on the freeway, while others might be life-altering. We are going to be tested.

How we handle life’s obstacles depends upon our attitude. If we have the mindset of going through the challenges no matter how hard, we build resilience and are eventually on the other side of it. Should we decide it’s too hard, we will cave. But it really is up to us.

And our biggest obstacle lies between our ears, not in the challenge itself…

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#inspiration

Successful People

Have you heard of people who are called an “overnight success?” Usually those are people in the entertainment business. But there is no success that happens overnight, regardless of the industry.

We see the outcomes, the great achievements. What we don’t see are the lonely times, the failures, the inner doubts and frustrations. Successful people continue trying when things aren’t going well. They simply refuse to accept defeat.

To be successful, you must find what you are meant to do and be willing to work when others aren’t…

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#inspiration

Amazing

The word “amazing” comes from the root word amazement. Amazement means great surprise or wonder and awe. Let’s briefly explore this overused word, amazing.

We use amazing in a commoditized way. It seems that everything from ice cream to cheeseburgers are amazing. When overused, the word loses its value. Are we really in awe of those things?

Let’s pull back on our use of the word amazing. Then when something that truly holds us in awe arises, we will be amazed…

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#inspiration

Sacrifice

Today is Memorial Day in the United States. We have this day to honor those who lost their lives defending freedom and justice throughout the world.

We must revere those who sacrificed everything for generations of people they would never know. To give your life is the ultimate sacrifice. In the words of Jesus Christ, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

Never take for granted the sacrifices others made for us so we may live freely. Let’s #neverforget…

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#inspiration

100 Years Ago

Life is hard, no doubt. But let’s assess how far we have come.

In the 1920’s the average U. S. worker made about $30 per month, coffee cost 15 cents a pound, and women washed their hair only once a month! Even more remarkable is the fact that 95% of children were born at home.

One hundred years from now life will still be challenging. People in the year 2123 will look back at our lives today and be amazed we made it!

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#inspiration

Opened Eyes

The United States is close to defaulting on their debt unless a deal to raise the debt ceiling is reached. Let’s open our eyes to a bigger threat: China.

We are so dependent upon China for most of our pharmaceuticals and supply-chain products which fuel our economy it’s sickening. Our “leaders” have learned nothing. We could make massive investments in developing countries to flip this to our favor. Yes it would take time and energy, but maintaining the status quo will cripple us in the future. China is building a naval base in Equatorial New Guinea. This is the first naval base on the Atlantic Ocean to be maintained by an enemy of ours. (The Atlantic is one of our borders). We must take the steps to decouple from China while bringing economic prosperity to other countries.

We won’t default. It’s just political theater we go through every few years. Both sides will claim victory and will vilify the other. Email your Congressmen and Senators demanding we solve our biggest problem, which is China…

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