Categories
motivation

Order and Chaos

Each day, we have an opportunity to bring order from chaotic circumstances. If you leave things as is, chaos soon becomes the norm.

  • A city street eventually becomes filled with potholes and debris.
  • Buildings breaks down over time and needs repair
  • Unopened email soon explodes into thousands of unread bits and bytes
  • A pile of unraked leaves kills the grass underneath
  • An unscooped litterbox causes the cat to do the unthinkable behind the bed
  • The pile of dirty dishes becomes a calcified mass of gunk

Some of us can deal with a little more chaos than others. But most of us can agree that all chaos, all the time is stressful and unproductive. There is something in all of us that wants to understand, categorize and order things.

We value systems that bring order. Language is a system that allows us to communicate. The written form of that language has a slightly different system. We like to turn on the TV and reliably get a channel that we like. It would be very disconcerting if everyone you knew began speaking differently or writing in some unknown code. If your favorite channel was on one number one day, and another the next, it would get frustrating.

We like systems. We like to categorize people and things. And we like to believe that everything that is good and bad can be understood. And if an answer doesn’t come easily, we like to manufacture a reason. We assume we know the motives of someone we don’t even know. We continually tell ourselves stories about people and actions out of our control.

As a result, I can assume the best about someone or the worst. I can make assumptions based on the stories I tell myself that may be correct or way off. It’s my little attempt to bring order out of chaos. But are those stories helpful if they assume the worst?

Our stories can assume the best or the worst in people and events. Sometimes, we need to realize our stories are just that—stories. We can assume the best or the worst. Both carried to the extreme can lead you astray. The challenge is to assume the best in others while keeping oneself from denying when something needs to change.

How does one bring order out of chaos in an accurate, realistic way even when we don’t have all the facts? Are the stories we tell ourselves accurate? That is the question I am pondering today.

Categories
CHOG News Christianity growth judgment Newsletters

New Article: Asian-Indian Congregation Launches in the United States

I recently wrote an article about a unique church plant. It is an Asian-Indian congregation that is in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Published July 3, 2021

One aspect I liked about writing this article is how it upends stereotypes. I would not have expected a need for an Asian Indian church in Texas, but apparently, there is quite a need. The church had a great launch and appears to be going strong.

Most people don’t realize there has been a history of Christianity on the Indian Subcontinent almost from the very beginning of the Church. Tradition says, the Apostle Thomas sailed to India and baptized Syrian Christians in the area around 52 AD!

Assumptions and Categories

We make assumptions all the time because it’s easier to come to a conclusion than do the homework. Stereotypes are one way we do that. Another way to do this is by categorizing people and things. But what if something doesn’t fit into our category? What if something is in a category you know nothing about?

For instance, how many languages are spoken in India? Before I wrote the article, I would have assumed most Indian people speak Hindi. But while that’s the official language, there are up to 447 languages spoken on the Indian Subcontinent. The congregation in my article speaks Malayalam. I had no idea this language existed. It can be foolish to jump to conclusions right away about categories!

I love having the privilege to write an article where a learn a few things. Hopefully, I do the same for readers. There is so much knowledge in the world to uncover. I’ve learned over the years it’s wise to admit you don’t have all the knowledge in the world. No matter how knowledgeable a person is, they can’t even come close to knowing it all!

Categories
motivation

Do you know why with certainty?

When something happens, it’s easy to assume we know the answer to the event. But what if the “obvious answer” isn’t all that obvious? Our assumptions can deceive us, can’t they?

The little bird in my cartoon thinks he knows why his yellow friend is so large. Naturally, he must be eating some killer birdseed! But is the bird’s assumption correct? What if another factor caused the yellow bird to have some hefty prominence?

  • What if the yellow bird was an escapee from a science experiment?
  • Could the yellow bird have an overactive pituitary gland?
  • Maybe he had been on Sesame Street and birds naturally get yellow and large there
  • What if he is a she and in this species of bird, the females are larger?
  • Perhaps he is simply a different species?

Humor works because a joke or a cartoon sets us up to think in one direction, then the punchline takes us in another. It’s a bit of mental whiplash. Henny Youngman was great at it.

“If at first you don’t succeed…so much for skydiving.”

Henny Youngman

We make assumptions all the time. Could it be we shouldn’t be as certain of our assumptions as we are? Perhaps we need to be humble enough to consider there are other answers to why something is the way it is. It could lead to creativity…and perhaps a breakthrough.

Cartoon of birds on a wire
Categories
motivation

Sunrise or Sunset?

Depending on when you read this post, you may be sure this photo is of an early morning sunrise. Or is it? Is it an evening sunset?

Our perspective influences what we see.

  • It may be close to your bedtime
  • You may be an early riser and love seeing the sun come up
  • It’s nighttime and you are ready to call it quits
  • It reminds you of a sunrise/sunset you saw with similar clouds or landscape
  • The colors give you a clue
  • You are ready to start something new and get at it

So is it a sunrise or sunset?

Frequently, we see images and make assumptions. We all have biases. Be careful about making conclusions that can limit your thinking.

(P.S.: If you really want to know, you can check out the alt text for this image or you can ask me.)

Sunset over Southwest Ohio
Categories
Career Guest Blog Post

Guest Post | Career Connectors

On Wednesday, I had the privilege to write a blog recap on the Phoenix Area Career Connectors site.

Source: 10-27-15—The Work Before the Work

Pamela Heward was the keynote speaker. She did a great job talking about the personal development we need to do and assumptions we must let go of when in a career transition.

The presentation was also great for anyone starting their own business needing  to let go of assumptions that hold them back.

There is also some information on Phoenix area employers and resources for job hunters. Enjoy!