Category: motivation

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motivation

Teach us to Number Our Dog Days.

I had to put my dog to sleep last week. We found out she had a mass on her spleen and it was about to rupture. She was thirteen. That’s 91 in dog years. So she had a pretty good life. Today’s featured cartoon was based on our little, sassy dog. I miss that pooch!

Last Tuesday morning, things appeared fine. We took our walk and she got her treat just like any other day. When I came home that evening, I could tell something was wrong. She acted like she couldn’t move. She appeared alarmed and in discomfort. Within twenty-four hours, she was gone.

We like to make our plans. Many times, we procrastinate with those plans and put things off to another day. But we aren’t guaranteed any days. I think of that whenever I hear of the passing of someone my age, or even younger than me.

Make the most of today, my friends. Because we just don’t know how many dog days we have left. After all, the dog days of summer are gone and it is already autumn.

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motivation

How to Be Authentic Without Whining

Cartoon of a runner shouting, "Just keep running!"
Copyright ©2017 Kevin Spear

We all go through stuff. We all struggle once in a while. When we do, the temptation is to put on the facade and smile. We say we’re fine when we feel like we’re dying inside. We don’t want to burden people with our problems.

As a result, we may project this image of being a super person when we struggle just like everyone else. Then when someone else has a problem, they feel they can’t come to us because we appear too perfect.

Yet no one wants to stay in the struggle, right? No one wants to announce to the world they are a hot mess. What is the right balance?

Be authentic with your weaknesses and diligent in your training.

Be Authentic

It’s okay to admit you struggle with something. Every one of us has a weakness. Each one of us is in the process of improving. It’s okay to admit you don’t have it all together. We are all human. It’s okay to admit that is the case.

Train Diligently

Keep training. Just because you’ve had a setback doesn’t mean it’s hopeless. Press on! Give yourself some grace and get back into the training. When you admit you struggle, you give yourself the grace to strive forward.

After all, if you’ve already arrived and are already perfect, what’s left? Be honest with others, and diligent with training. You’ll get there!

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Attitude motivation

The Easiest Way to Be a Blessing

Actually, it’s simple. It may not be easy at first. There have been times when I knew better and didn’t follow this simple way to bless others. Just yesterday, my wife had to call it to my attention that I wasn’t following this simple verse.

When I have followed it, things ran much smoother. When I haven’t it has made bad problems worse. It’s this:

Do everything without grumbling or arguing

Philippians 2:14 NIV

It’s counter-cultural no matter what culture you are a part of. We are wired, after all, to find problems. We are inclined to find issues to complain about. And it doesn’t take much to find someone who is willing to argue with you.

However, if you follow this verse, you can bless yourself as well as everyone you come in contact with today. Some days it may be hard. But it is always worth it.

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creativity motivation

Why it is so Important to Shake Things up

Illustration of a happy girl with a tea cup, sunflower hat, bathing suit and swim flippers

We get complacent too easily. At a certain point, and at a certain age, it can be tempting to just go with the flow. You wouldn’t want to rock the boat anyway, would you? No need to draw attention to yourself. Why let things lie? After all, you’ve been successful. Sure! You can always improve, but why not just coast along life?

About four years ago, my wife and I were faced with a decision. We could stay in a town we love with a church that supported and appreciated her and a workplace I valued. I had just received a promotion. Our youngest child was about to graduate from high school. Why not just kick back and coast?

Instead, we felt called to a church out west. We sold our house. I resigned from my job. We left everything cherished and familiar to try something new. Why shake things up like that? Why make such a change?

  • Because faith without taking a risk with works is dead
  • Because creativity isn’t doing the same old thing
  • Because to stay young, you need to act young once in a while
  • Because it’s better to try and fail than wonder if you ever would have made it

Creativity comes from shaking things up a bit and trying something new. It has a lot in common with walking by faith.

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motivation

Don’t Just listen, But Do What it Says!

Listening and learning are very important. However, if we do nothing with our newfound knowledge, do we deceive ourselves?

What if my trash company lets me know they will be picking up my garbage early due to a holiday? Now I have some knowledge. Does it do me any good if I just do what I’ve always done and not get my trash to the curb early? No, I’ll just have an overflowing, smelly trash can I’ll need to put up for an additional week.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

James 1:22 NIV

Learning is great. But knowledge without application becomes trivia. I can learn how to start a business, write a blog post or be kind to my neighbor, and do nothing with that knowledge, I’m just deceiving myself.

Let’s learn something new today… and do something with it. You never know. It may change your situation or even the world.