Category: motivation

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motivation

Clean Slate

The past can feel like a clutter of regrets the wrong choices and burdens. It can be easy to play the what-if game.

  • What if my parents did this instead of that?
  • What if my family was rich?
  • What if I had a different set of friends?
  • What if I made a different decision then?
  • What if I didn’t start that bad habit?

Our life can become a cluttered room of past choices if we hold onto things. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Every new day gives us a clean slate. Instead of holding onto regrets, we can choose to learn from the past, let go of it and move forward.

  • We can choose a better habit today
  • We can be thankful for a lesson learned and make a better choice today
  • We can begin to clean the mental clutter by writing down what happened
  • We can forgive others as well as ourselves

Whatever your story, whatever your past, today is a brand new day. It is a clean slate. Start cleaning and make the best of it.

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books motivation teaching

Reinforce a Lesson by Teaching Someone

Cartoon of a teacher and a circle-shaped character

The other day, a coworker was asking me how I keep my notes organized. I responded that I have got a lot out of a web site and book about the Bullet Journal Method.

It reminded me of how valuable it is to reinforce a lesson by telling or teaching someone the same lesson. I have been using a variation of the method for some time and bought the book in the spring. I was reminded of how effective the method was when I told him how it helped me.

If you are a lifelong learner, I suggest you find a way to teach what you’ve learned to others. You don’t have to be an official, formal teacher. You can just share what you’ve learned to your friends or people at work.

If you have found a piece of knowledge to be useful for you, chances are another person can benefit from it. In turn, that helps you remember the lesson and reinforce it in your own mind.

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motivation

Another Reason Why my Wife Inspires and Motivates me

Yesterday, my wife wrote a post about her journey over the last year.

A Step of Faith by Paula Kay Spear

Over the last several years, I have seen her grow spiritually in major ways. She has chosen to leave what is comfortable, successful and a wonderful environment to pursue what she feels God is calling her to do next.

Whether you are a religious person or not, any potential move from the ordinary requires faith. That is especially true when you aren’t necessarily miserable or otherwise forced to make a change.

I am proud of her beccause she has inspired me and others to listen and move. I know she has done great things where she’s been and will continue to do so because of her faith to step out of the boat.

In case you didn’t know, my wife is my hero and she continues to inspire and motivate me.

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motivation

What About the Next Generation?

This morning, I get to teach kids about treating everyone as  VIP. The bottom line is that we need to honor others by putting them first.

I am so thankful I’ve had the priviledge to teach kids over the decades. Yesterday, my wife and I saw one of our former kids in children’s ministry that is now an adult. It’s so gratifying to see kids you once taught now having kids and teaching them life lessons.

Never forget the next generation. It can be frustrating to teach kids when you wonder if they are listening. It can be easy to write off a hyper seven-year old. But you never know how much they are listening. You never know if the lesson they hear today, could be the one thing they remember twenty years later when they are going through a tough time.

Always invest in the next generation!

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motivation

To Get Your Point Across, Get Silly!

The other day, I was leading a group of elementary kids in a lesson. That day’s game was to do a silly human trick. I demonstrated by doing a seal impression.

No, I wasn’t a Navy Seal. I honked like a sea lion while the elementary coordinator bounced a beach ball off my nose. Then the worship leader sprayed the kids with some water. You know how those seals splash around. How else are you going to show the monthly theme of courage? By doing something silly in front of a room full of kids, of course!

Seriously, too many times kids and adults get set in our ways. We think our current belief is the only option. during those times, it takes a creative presentation to make others think differently. Now I’m not suggesting you imitate a sea lion in the board room. Then again, maybe something absurd and silly like that is just the thing to get a group thinking in a different way.