Category: motivation

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motivation

Seeking the Lofty

Seeking the Lofty Thornton Wilder

A quote by Thorton Wilder reminds me how we need to be involved in seeking the lofty and watch our mental diet as much as our physical one.

“Seek the lofty by reading, hearing and seeing great work at some moment every day.”
Thornton Wilder

Thornton Wilder Quotes. BrainyQuote.com, BrainyMedia Inc, 2022. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/thornton_wilder_122026, accessed January 4, 2022.

Garbage in, garbage out is a cliche not just for computer programmers but for people as well. Do we consider how the media we consume affects us? Could we do better by intentionally consuming material that will lift us up as well as others? In other words, is what we’re taking in edifying?

Cartoon of a pastor at a pulpit with a coffee maker. He says, "Today's sermon will be fully edifying, inspirational and caffeinated."
Published in the “Church of God ENewsletter.”

I will confess that I have to watch this all the time. Like everyone else, I am prone to take the bait of breaking news that is really more broken than breaking. I can be drawn to clickbait about a football player with a bad attitude or an outrageous politician that said something offensive.

We all have choices. None of us need to be led along by sensational headlines that only give us mental junk food. The Internet can give us just as much good material as the bad. We just have to be more intentional and look for it. Let’s look for the lofty today.

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motivation

Good is Worth Fighting For

J.R.R. Tolkien was born 130 years ago today. It has me thinking about a quote from The Two Towers.

“There’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it’s worth fighting for.”
― J. R. R. Tolkien

Tolkien, J.R.R. “A Quote by J.R.R. Tolkien.” Goodreads. Goodreads. Accessed January 3, 2022. https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/7601379-there-s-some-good-in-this-world-mr-frodo-and-it-s. 

It is a special quote for me because it has inspired my son and daughter to help others through counseling. The quote comes at a point The the Lord of the Rings trilogy when all seems lost. And there are days when that seems the case today. But there is still good in the world. We must be the good and show good to others.

Fight the good fight. Fight with love, peace, and mercy. Do not succumb to evil or the tactics it employs. Fight with wisdom and discernment. There is still good in this world and it is worth fighting for.

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motivation

Small Victories

As we begin a new year, we can be tempted to make big, lofty resolutions. But an article from the Good News Network asserts that small victories count.

Too often we like to think that a goal or resolution doesn’t count unless it has some big risk or reward. After all, a big risk can bring a big reward, right? But it can overwhelm us if we think every goal has to be a big, fat hairy one. So find some small victories today.

  • Call a loved one
  • Say something encouraging to someone who needs it
  • Read one encouraging Bible verse
  • Count your blessings
  • Stop to notice something beautiful, like a flower or the sky

Depending on where we are in life, getting up in the morning, and making the bed can be a vital, small victory. We can be so focused on the big goals, that we miss the blessings and small victories that are right in front of us. And small victories accumulate into big victories over time.

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motivation

Happy New Year!

This morning, I woke up to I Hope You Dance running through my head. It is the perfect song for the start of a new year.

May you have a blessed 2022!

I Hope You Dance, by Lee Ann Womack
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motivation

New Years’ Eve 2021

“An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.”

Bill Vaughan

Bill Vaughan Quotes. BrainyQuote.com, BrainyMedia Inc, 2021. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/bill_vaughan_105780, accessed December 31, 2021.

We finally made it to the end of 2021! It’s been a roller coaster ride of emotions this past year. Frankly, I may have to flip a coin to decide whether I’ll be an optimist or a pessimist this New Years’ Eve.

Either way, I am glad we have a new year coming and relieved this one is over. it’s too bad we can’t have a total reset and start this year as if the previous two ever happened. But we can look forward to possibilities. The next day, month, and year is always an opportunity to move forward.

We can’t change the past, nor can we know the future. But we can take practical steps today in the present that will improve tomorrow. Keep hoping, believing, and working towards a better future. We made it this far. Happy New Years’ Eve 2021. Let’s make 2022 count!