Practical Tips for Productive Living
God willing, you will be gifted another decade or more of life experience.
But even if you aren’t, the core principle of this article remains relevant:
As you age, you will learn to value your time, genuine relationships, meaningful work, and peace of mind, much more. Little else will matter.
Deep down you know this already though, right?
Yet today, just like the majority of us, you are distracted by almost everything else.
You give too much of your time to [Read more…]
All the world is full of suffering. It is also full of overcoming.
— Helen Keller
Character and wisdom are both sculpted over time. These qualities come with loss, lessons, and triumphs. They come after doubts, second guesses, and exploring unknowns. If there was a definitive path to personal growth, everyone would be on it.
Truth be told, the seeds of your progress are often planted in your past failures. Some of your best stories will likely come from overcoming your greatest struggles. And your praises will be birthed from your growing pains.
Marc and I learned some of this the hard way. Over the past fifteen years we have dealt with several significant hardships, including the sudden death of [Read more…]
If somebody is working on themselves and changing for the better, it’s unnecessary to keep bringing up their past. People can change and grow. You know that’s true. But have you given yourself a fair chance to change and grow, too?
Have you consciously loosened your grip on what’s behind you, so you can step forward again with grace?
If you’re shaking your head, you aren’t alone. At times we all fall victim to our attachments. We simply don’t realize how often we block our own present blessings by holding on to the past.
Thus, it’s time for a quick true story about life and letting go…
She rarely makes eye contact. Instead, she looks down at the ground. Because the ground is safer. Because unlike people, it [Read more…]
When I was a high school freshman, a 260-pound freshman girl showed up for track and field tryouts right alongside me. Her name was Sara, and she was only there because her doctor said her health depended on it. But once she scanned the crowd of students who were on the field, she turned around and began walking away. Coach O’Leary saw her, jogged over, and turned her back around.
“I’m not thin enough for this sport!” Sara declared. “And I’ll never be! It’s impossible for me to lose enough weight. I’ve tried.”
Coach O’Leary nodded, and promised Sara that her body type wasn’t suited for her current weight. “It’s suited for 220 pounds,” he said.
Sara looked confused. “Most people tell me I need to lose 130 pounds,” she replied. “But you think I only need to lose 40?”
Coach O’Leary [Read more…]
Daily journaling is a voyage to inner peace.
Oprah keeps a journal. Taylor Swift keeps a journal. Eminem keeps a journal. Successful people all over the world — those who consistently make positive changes in their lives — reflect daily and learn from their life experiences. And they often use some kind of journal to accomplish this.
If you want to get somewhere in life, you need a map, and your journal is that map. You can [Read more…]