Category: motivation

Categories
motivation

Keep the Children Laughing!

adorable baby cheerful child
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

It appears we are living in heavy times. Between plagues and wars, it is enough to bring a person down. But the heavier the situation, the more we need to keep the children laughing.

It is their innocence that gives us hope for the future. Besides, can you really trust someone who hates a child’s laughter?

“Beware of him who hates the laugh of a child.”

Johann Kaspar Lavater
adorable baby cheerful child
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

When a baby discovers something surprising for the first time, their spontaneous laughter can be contagious. I suppose this is another reason I love working in children’s ministry. The pure joy of a child’s laugh is a balm for society’s ills.

I once asked in a post, “Can a baby be too happy?” I thought it was possible then, but not so much today. Bring on the laughter! We could use a lot of it this year.

One redeeming quality of YouTube is it’s easy to find laughing baby videos. I leave you with this clip and pray you will find some joy and laughter on this day. And keep the children laughing!

Best Babies Laughing Compilation

Categories
motivation

Biggest Obstacle to a Leader’s Growth

We consider leaders to be people with huge egos. And it does take self-confidence and bravado to rise up through the ranks of any organization or field. However, Ken Blanchard reminds me the biggest obstacle to a leader’s growth is their ego.

“The biggest obstacle that stalls leaders’ growth is the human ego. When leaders start to think they know it all, they stop growing.”

Ken Blanchard

We stop growing when we begin to think we know it all. After all, why stop growing if you’ve reached the pinnacle of knowledge and accomplishment? The ego is very good at stunting our growth.

woman standing in dry valley with leafless plants
Photo by Julia Volk on Pexels.com

And in an ever-changing world, it is foolish to believe we know it all in any and every situation. If the situation changes, how can past knowledge possibly account for that?

We experience this roadblock whenever we present a new idea and someone says, “We tried that before and it didn’t work.” Or, “The old way got us here. If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.” Not only does ego keep us from growing, but it also stops us from moving forward.

Pride and haughtiness blind us. The moment we think we know it all is the moment we have chosen to close our eyes to possibilities. We stop thinking and start making excuses.

When a Leader Stops Growing

When a leader decides they know it all, they stall their growth. As a result, the organization they lead stalls. It may be subtle at first. It can take years to see the results. But slowly and surely, the organization begins to die.

A leader who lets ego define them soon finds their influence dying. Without growth, there is death. And without the humility to change, people and organizations tend to fade away.

The biggest obstacle to a leader’s growth is their ego. Let’s remember to have the humility and courage to acknowledge we don’t know everything.

Categories
Christianity motivation

Passion Brings Possibilities

Passion for our work and life is a curious emotion. If what we are doing fires us up, time and difficulties vanish. But if we are not careful, challenges can begin to extinguish our flame. That is why it is so important to keep our fervor because passion brings possibilities.

www.brainyquote.com/s/a_1fb24

What Fires Our Souls?

This quote by Jean de La Fontaine fires me up! What is it does the same for you? Is it a god-given talent that you love to use? Could it be the people or place you grew up with? How about the family you are raising?

In our world, passion gets confused with the love someone has for another. And yes, that is one facet of passion. But it is much more than romantic love.

We may be good at something. But as I learned from a friend, we can have talent, yet our passion lies somewhere else. We may excel at our jobs, but long for something more fulfilling. When we find our enthusiasm, passion brings possibilities.

The Passion of Christ

When I first heard that phrase, I was confused. Society’s definition was all about romantic love. Why would anyone call Jesus’ road to the cross a passion?

But today, I see that emotion was the key to Jesus’ commitment. Why else would anyone give up their life for anyone else? Everything within us wants to live as long as we can. While it is true some contend with tragic situations and emotions that cause them to take their lives, it is a whole other level to willingly give one’s life for the sake of the other. Such sacrifice is profound.

Passion causes us to have hope and a future. It brings possibilities far beyond our imaginations. Never discount the value of passion. It not only makes life worth living, but it also renews life.

Christ’s passion for us caused the impossible to become possible. It is amazing how passion brings possibilities.

Categories
motivation

Why is it Important to Have a Sense of Humor?

Erma Bombeck was born 95 years ago today in 1927. She was a writer that had a great wit and style. One of her quotes goes right to why it is important to have a sense of humor.

“When humor goes, there goes civilization.”
Erma Bombeck

Erma Bombeck Quotes. BrainyQuote.com, BrainyMedia Inc, 2022. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/erma_bombeck_131317, accessed February 21, 2022.

A few years ago, the editor at a blog I write and draw cartoons for interviewed me about why I contribute. One quote from that article sums it up:

“The one thing I love about humor, if you’re dealing with a serious topic, humor can ease the blow.”

Kevin Spear
Photo of me drawing on a light table.

Yes, I just quoted myself. No, I don’t think I’m that important. On the contrary, the nice thing about quoting yourself is that it is easy to verify the source!

The Healing Power of Humor

Humor is important because it can break the tension in a situation. It can bring healing when we are able to see there is something in a tragedy that we can laugh about. When we feel stuck by a malady, or by circumstances out of our control, humor has great power to ease the blow and be a healing balm.

I may not know what your situation is or what you have experienced. In fact, I may not have had as challenging of a situation as you have had. But one thing we can all agree on is that we have all experienced tragedy, heartache, and situations that have broken other people.

How do some go one while others break under the pressure? I have observed that those with strong faith and a strong sense of humor can make it while others cannot.

Humor is not some frivolous act. It can get us through a lot. As Erma said, humor is important because civilization needs it to survive. We need it. I am going for the trifecta and adding a third quote for today.

“Humor is a prelude to faith, and laughter is the beginning of prayer.”

― Reinhold Niebuhr

Categories
motivation

Why Move Forward?

When we make our plans, we like to think that the path we have laid out is the only correct one. But when we have trouble plotting that path, it can spin us into an infinite loop of analysis paralysis. We tend to forget that there are many ways to move forward.

www.brainyquote.com/s/a_18d40

Frequently, there is more than one way to make progress. And it is better to move than to sit still. Yet the fear of getting the journey wrong can stop us. It did for me several years ago. I learned that fear is not motivational. It just freezes us in our tracks.

When We Are Lost

There are times when it is better to stand still. When we are lost, it is better to stay put while someone attempts to find us. That is good advice when we are lost in a wilderness and we know someone is looking for us.

If we have no clue of what “forward” is, then perhaps it is best to wait until we have a sense of what our true north is. However, if we are called to do something, and we know the general path, It is best to get moving.

Our plans of how we get there may change. But if we have a destination, detours and unforeseen roadblocks are okay. After all, a GPS or map app usually has two or three ways to get to a destination, does it not? If we know where we are going, an alternate route will get us there too!

It’s the difference between strategy and tactics. Our strategy may be solid while our tactics need to change with new circumstances. Even if we have gone a similar path before, new data and challenges may force us to readjust our path.

There are many ways to move forward. But standing still when we should go isn’t very helpful.