I am a content creator and storyteller based in Florida, where I work for OneHope. I love digital and content marketing, writing, and the occasional doodle.
Like most English words, pride is a nuanced word that can have both good and bad meanings. I like what John Maxwell says about pride and humility.
“There are two kinds of pride, both good and bad. ‘Good pride’ represents our dignity and self-respect. ‘Bad pride’ is the deadly sin of superiority that reeks of conceit and arrogance.”
John C. Maxwell
Just when we think we have humility figured out, it causes us to experience pride. The poor guy in the cartoon hasn’t figured this dilemma out yet.
It might not work. Some will like your style while others don’t. There are those who will get what you are conveying while others have no clue. Let’s face it. Matisse knew what he was talking about!
“Creativity takes courage.”
Henri Matisse
Whenever we do something new, we are going to welcome critics. Let’s face it, we don’t get what others are creatively doing either. We have our tastes and preferences. An artist could spend years working on a technique that appears effortless. And that appearance of effortlessness will make others dislike it.
Creativity is messy. It is also noisy. After all, one person’s musical symphony is another person’s rude noises!
Not every creative endeavor is meant to make money or be popular. Who can really predict what is popular next week anyway? If we make those our goals, we may be in for a disappointment.
The pursuit of perfection can kill creativity. If we are searching for the perfect pitch, technique, or approach that will knock everyone’s socks off, good luck! That pressure will squelch creativity.
Besides, my view of what is perfect can be very different from yours. How can perfection be defined in artistic endeavors? Is it the reaction of the public? Or the guarantee of an award-winning project? Perhaps it’s the approval of a client. What if they had a bad day and you didn’t know they hate that shade of purple?
If we are working with businesses, creativity takes courage. Very few business leaders have that chutzpah. Editors will turn down books that become bestsellers. Movie producers will reject movie concepts until they become popular and demands sequels. That song that a producer was convinced was a flop is suddenly his favorite when it becomes viral on TikTok.
Creativity takes courage. It isn’t easy to put our ideas out there. But it is worth it. It is far better to try something and see whether it works than to stay safe and churn out the same old concept.
Circumstances we weren’t expecting will happen. There are things we can’t plan for such as natural disasters, disease, and the unwelcome actions of others. Yet, generally, we are better off when we search for good things. This proverb answers the question, “Why is it better to search for good?”
“If you search for good, you will find favor;
Proverbs 11:27 (NLT)
but if you search for evil, it will find you!”
We really do find what we search for. Jesus said it well in Matthew 7:7. We will find what we search for. That can be troubling when we seem to find only bad news these days.
In fact, it is much more challenging for us today to find good. Mass media and social media aren’t helping us. It seems while we are starting to wind down a pandemic, war and inflation have given us more to worry about.
Unfortunately, we don’t have to search much to find bad news. But that makes it that much more important to search diligently for the good.
Several years back, my wife and I read Mark Batterson’s devotional, The Circle Maker. One passage referred to 2 Corinthians 10:5 and the phrase, “Take captive every thought.” It was a stark reminder to me how our thought life must be disciplined, especially today.
This isn’t a call to pretend everything is awesome when it isn’t. We live in a broken world that needs fixing. Broken people need help that we can’t, nor should we ignore. We aren’t compassionate if we pretend everything is great when there are so many needs.
However, we won’t find any solutions if we are focused on how bad things are. We can bring hope to others. In addition, we can help those who need a hand when we know we can be part of the solution.
There is hope and a solution when we search for it. That is why it is so important to search for the good in the world. If it just isn’t out there, perhaps we can make some good happen.
Today is a Monday. While I am writing, it is raining outside. It’s not perfect circumstances. Then again, are there ever any perfect circumstances? We may see a gloomy situation on the horizon. But there are good reasons why it is better not to give up.
“You just can’t beat the person who never gives up.”
Babe Ruth
Whenever we are convinced we can succeed, we can move forward when it looks hopeless. We can meet obstacles with confidence. Temporary setback do not deter us. Rather, we can keep going and know that sooner or later, we will succeed.
It never makes sense to give up! This link is about a game I was sure the other team won. My team looked like it wasn’t their day. However, after I turned off the TV, my team overcame a fourteen point deficit and went on to win by thirteen points. The only reason that happened is that the team never lost hope. They kept going when it looked hopeless and won.
If we expect to be students for the rest of our lives, we can learn and adjust to any situation. Beware of the naysayers that say it is hopeless before we really have a chance to succeed. We can make a difference and win when we believe it. When we learn to change obstacles into opportunities, the win will come.
Today, I get to teach kids about cooperation. It’s a skill that seems antithetical to American culture and politics. But as the good word says, “Two are better than one.”
“Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.”
Ecclesiastes 4:9 (KJV)
We see it all the time such as when two churches from two culture work to make a big impact. Businesses can’t expand if only one person remains the sole employee. Healthy marriages are far more effective than a Lone Ranger.
Mavericks are limited in their effectiveness. I hope to teach kids today that they are better together than alone. And I will need some all-star teachers and helpers to do just that. We really are better together!