These days, when someone says “you’re so extra,” it usually isn’t a compliment. Typically , it’s an insult. It is most often said in response to some display of emotion or investment of energy that is deemed inappropriate or unnecessary. In fact, most of us learn quite early not to give ourselves freely to anything or anyone to avoid embarrassment or rejection. We tip toe through life, studiously avoiding commitment. As Jim Carey put it, we “disguise our fear as practicality”.
Read MoreI read once that one of the greatest regrets that so many people have at the end of their lives is that instead of living the life they wanted, they lived the life that someone else wanted for them. I am convinced this happens because we give the people we trust and often admire too much influence over our decisions. You gotta know that you know, and be prepared to disappoint people who disagree with you. You might be wrong. But at least the decision will be yours, and not someone else’s.
Read MoreAthletes, particularly veterans, only have a window of opportunity, and they must manage it wisely. It’s why Tom Brady left the Patriots after 20 years to start over. He realized that his window of opportunity was closing.
Read More.Anyone that distracts you from the main objective of building something of lasting value must be ignored, whether they are copycats, critics, or cheerleaders.
Read MoreIf we do not learn patience, If we accelerate through scripture in search of absolutes, in pursuit of popular shortcuts, we risk much more than the food we love.
Read MoreWhenever you make perfection the standard for making a contribution, no contributions will ever be made. We all would do well to remember that there are no perfect servants. Or prophets. Or preachers. Or people. This is the fatal flaw in cancel culture. If you cancel everyone who has ever or will ever make a mistake, no one will be left.
Read MoreAnd as a Christian, I must always believe in the possibility that through the power of the Gospel, human beings can change. This text suggests that even after a lifetime of evil, a few moments in the presence of Jesus can melt the hardest heart, and forever alter one’s destiny.
Read MoreUse this moment as an opportunity to take a good, hard, long look at your life and see what needs to be changed. Don’t go back to normal. Michael Hyatt says we should rejoice over what we have been able to accomplish, recommit to what’s important, revise what we desire but may be currently challenging to achieve, replace what isn’t working, and remove what doesn’t contribute to our progress. Don’t go back to normal. Rejoice, recommit, revise, replace, and remove. Then repeat.
Read MoreA friend of mine recently shared with me a copy of the Christmas list that his nine-year-old niece gave him. I was blown away. The list was compiled with painstaking care. It contained 14 items. Each item was identified, described, and included a SKU code. Finally, the price of each item was included. It was handwritten on a sheet of looseleaf paper and mailed to his address.
Read MoreOne of my mentors used to say, "some things are nice, but they are not necessary." And this pandemic has reminded us of what is necessary. When this pandemic is over, I hope all of us maintain that point of view.
Read MoreCertainly, we should pinch pennies. But sometimes we can pinch the wrong penny. Being stingy is one thing. Being cheap is another. Stingy is making sure you don't overspend. Cheap is an unwillingness (not inability) to spend. And in the long run, being cheap is a losing strategy.
Read MoreIt is a fight to have our behavior match our uniform. I don't want to work somewhere and not like the food. Believing in where you are, what you’re doing, and what you’re selling is the key to lasting effectiveness, impact, and fulfillment.
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Some of us are in battles right now, and our opposition is not fighting fair. But just because the opposition may be cheating doesn't mean you have to. Paul reminds us not only to fight, but to fight a good fight.
But in some ways, I think that our obsession with who's going to the White House might distract us from what's going on in our house. The truth is, we can be so interested in THAT house that we forget about OUR house.
Read MoreBut please don’t allow the opportunity to overwhelm you! When you find yourself in a situation that may seem “too big” for you, realize that the situation is “an acknowledgement of your growth, and an investment in your future.
Read MoreMost of us have upgrade-itis (Yes, I made that word up). We are constantly bombarded with savvy marketing messages that attempt to persuade us that we need the newest and latest shiny object. Of course what they fail to tell us is that rarely do the new devices do a better job of what they already do.
Read MoreIdeas. Attitudes. Behaviors. These are the key ingredients to success in any realm. Find out how the people in your promised land think, feel, and behave. Then adopt those practices.
Read MoreWithout focus, we waste time, energy and resources. Without focus, we expend precious resources on a plethora of insignificant objectives and lesser aims. The result is unhappiness, frustration, boredom, and envy.
Read Moreday’s miracles.
When I learn how to interpret my situation from a seasonal perspective, it provides me with enormous comfort in the face of challenging times, because I spend less time grieving over the last season, and more time getting ready for the next one!
Read MoreFar too often, our prayers pass through our lips without having passed through our minds, lingered in our imaginations, filtered through our hearts, or coursed down our veins into our hands and on to our feet. And perhaps that is why some of prayers have not been answered. Maybe God doesn’t take our requests seriously because it is apparent to him that we do not.
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