Tag: Words to ponder

Words to ponder

Opinion

Hope is the anchor of the soul

We all need hope to move forward. Dark days demand faith in our fellow human beings and that is the strength of our species. Human beings have been able to overcome formidable challenges in the past by banding together and multiplying our power. Covid19 is pushing all of humanity to think in ways that we have not thought before. Money cannot buy a person out of danger in a pandemic. A person is only as safe as their community is with an invisible and deadly virus. Other people are not the enemy in a viral pandemic; we are forced to lean on each other and what we have created for our protection. I am hopeful that testing, treatments, and a vaccine will be coming sooner rather than later. I am hopeful that good and smart people will emerge to help us to a better day and prepare to confront the challenges that are coming next. We need new leadership; vote in 2020!

Opinion, Words to ponder

The Power of Words

Words matter because they are the way we communicate our thoughts and ideas. It is true that a large percentage of communication is non-verbal, but the words we choose and our tone are what we cling to. Listening to a Jocko Podcast it was revealed that the most important c;characteristic of a Marine officer is tact. Knowing what to say, when to say it, and how to say it is a cornerstone of leadership. I recently listened to two politicians discuss America going back to work. One politician just threw out a date and said he would like to see everyone back to work by that date, the other said there will come a point where the threat of virus and the need to get back to work will cross, but he did not know when that would be. The two men likely had similar ideas about Americans returning to work, but one man had little tact and is not seen by many as much of a leader.

Opinion, Self improvement, Words to ponder

It is hard not being in control

Most all of us are dealing with the specter of disease having so much control over our lives. As a believer in God it is comforting to lean on Lord in a world of uncertainty. I know that many people do not believe in God, but for me belief makes more sense than not doing so. Life is amazing even with horrific events, pain, and injustice. I feel fortunate to be able to count my blessings and to know that I need to. Coronavirus is scary on a personal level. Fight back by thinking of all of the things you are grateful about that a virus cannot take away.

Opinion

Remaining hopeful and learning

The situation that we find ourselves in with coronavirus offers reasons to be hopeful and to learn from our mistakes. I believe the largest mistake for many Americans (but not the majority) was voting for a person who was clearly unfit and unsuited for the job of president. Leadership is not something to be taken lightly by citizens, or to be used as a way to attack fellow citizens. Our constitutional system has been challenged in ways that were not imaginable five years ago, but has been shown to be a strength with local leaders stepping up to fill the current void in the executive branch. The delay in testing is perhaps the largest failure of American presidential leadership since Reconstruction. Hopefully future presidents who are light on mental capacity will respect experts and science when the nation survives the current fiasco.

Self improvement, Words to ponder

Is it your life, or are you a puppet?

Increasing information and research shows that human beings need to own their results and behavior to maximize potential. Everyone with experience knows that there are forces beyond our control that impact our lives, but that giving our power away to others or the unknown weakens us. It is important for our mindset to realize the importance of our choices while not being paralyzed by them. Life takes courage, humor, and confidence in the face of shifting fortunes. Whatever happens maximize your ownership, skills, and confidence by believing in your ability to influence the life you lead. Believing in yourself and your power is the best hand you could ask for in this life.

Self improvement

What do you deserve?

What do you believe you should have in life, and how much control do you have in achieving it? This question drives our behavior and interaction with other people. Our internal dialogue and beliefs weigh the question of what we feel is deserved in our lives. How do we get what we deserve? What are you willing to do to get what should be your destiny? How are other people effected by you achieving your goal? Recently I have read and heard discussions on what people consider success in life; the answer seems to be contentment. They say contentment is reached by developing your potential and helping others while doing it. Contentment it seems is not dying with the most toys, but in having done your best while helping others do theirs.

Self improvement, Words to ponder

“We all live in prisons made of what we believe to be true but is not.” – Unknown

The thought expressed by these words is provocative and rings true. When I heard these words I was listening to a radio program about reaching your potential and how our beliefs can keep us from our potential. Beliefs about our world and ourselves that are not true are probably the most common beliefs, and likely hold our world back from what it could be. Knowing the truth will set us free thank God, and to get to it we even have to get beyond ourselves. The words make me think of what I believe to be true and why. What does freedom mean to me, and how do my beliefs create my understanding? What questions does the quote bring to your mind?

Self improvement

Balance and Situational Awareness

I have observed that when we are under stress our situational awareness and ability to think critically decline. It is important to stay in your higher brain (neocortex) and away from the reptilian (fight or flee) part for good decision making. To stay in the neocortex you need to think beyond yourself in the moment or detach to look at the situation and possible outcomes of choices. Another way to think of detaching is the term delayed gratification or sacrificing immediate pleasure for long-term success. Everyone deals with temptation and choices in the moment where your ego or desire tells you to do something that will expedite satisfaction, but many times leads to undesired outcomes in the long term. If we can get our mental state to a place where we are feeling positive about our ability to create what we want, we can work to achieve a better future and likely to make good decisions. You can call this belief in our power to meet unmet needs self-confidence, and our mental ability to detach, recognize, and overcome our own strengths and weaknesses balance.

Opinion, Self improvement, Words to ponder

Black History Month

February is Black History month. It is a time to remember the many people who risked their lives to push for greater freedom to a group of people targeted for harassment and marginalization by the larger society. I think of heroes from Fanny Lou Hamer to Crispus Attucks who not only dreamed of a better day for African Americans but bravely risked everything to make it happen. The courage of heroes is necessary to overcome the strength of evil ideas that gain acceptance because they are expedient to the larger society. Everyone wants to feel special and advantaged in life but the question is who are you willing to handicap to get that feeling? Minorities around the world have been victimized by the answer to this question. Human beings have grown in their ability to see those who are not like them as people deserving of dignity, but we live in a time of increasing insecurity and tribalism. What will the future look like for human dignity? The answer to the question seems bleak right now, but I remain hopeful that there are many more heroes among us who will lead humanity toward the light.