Categories
motivation

Costumes and Goals in the Making

Cartoon of a boy and an older man

Some people go to great lengths in order to find the perfect Halloween costume. They may spend weeks perfecting the look, the character, the effect of their fear-producing ensemble tonight.

Others are more like me. When I was little, it didn’t occur to me to think of a trick-or-treat costume until October 30. I knew I was going to get candy no matter what I looked like. I blame Charlie Brown. Everyone in the Halloween special seemed to gravitate towards cutting holes in a bedsheet and going as a ghost. That seemed a perfectly reasonable costume to me.

Drifting into Halloween seems perfectly acceptable to me. Drifting through life is not. It is far better to plan your life than to drift through it. There may be a nice costume awaiting you in the linen closet, or your Grandpa’s attic. But if you want a fulfilling life, it is far better to plan what that looks like and reach for it.

Cartoon of a boy and an older man
Categories
motivation

No Longer a Slave to Fear

Cartoon of son standing on sleeping dad. The son says, "Wake up, Dad! It's time to fearlessly face the day!"

There was a time I would let fear dictate my actions. If I’m honest, I’d say it was as recently as last night. It’s a constant battle to vanquish all the bad news and doomsayers from my mind. It’s a shame our minds are wired to ignore good news and focus on all the doom and gloom.

But today is a new day. It is full of potential. Nobody really knows what tomorrow will bring. So why not face it with courage? Why not be fearless?

I have to be intentional to do that. If I run by autopilot, If I allow the latest headline to dictate my mood, I can become a slave to fear rather quickly. But that’s not how we would like to live, is it?

Take some time today to find the good. One great resource I recommend is The Good News Network. Read something inspirational, such as The Bible. Be intentional in finding something to be grateful for. We don’t have to be slaves to fear today.

Categories
motivation

Fangs of Fear

Cartoon of a man with vampire fangs

I marvel at people who take pride in instilling fear in others. Some have black pickups trucks with skulls and threatening slogans. Others go out of their way to make it clear they are worthy of fear. They may yell, swear and are more than ready for a fight.

While I have yet to see someone have their teeth surgically altered with vampire fangs, I’ve heard such stories over the years of people altering their appearance in order to look threatening. It can be a power play. They may think, “If you fear me, I gain power and respect.”

If that is their thing, so be it. Halloween will give them plenty of options to do that, if even for one evening this week. Instilling fear in others may work for a while, but it isn’t a good long term solution. Fear wears off. It forces the one instilling fear to raise the stakes (poor choice of words for a vampire!). When people call their bluff, they have to be more scarier to get the same result.

It is much better to attain respect by being encouraging and showing kindness. Fear motivation makes everyone feel worse, including the one dishing it out. Motivation through hope, encouragment and faith goes much further and inspires others to greater heights. 

Cartoon of a man with vampire fangs
Categories
writing

Observations From Blogging Every Day for a Month

Illustration of a guy on a surfboard. He is using a laptop.

Last month, I decided to see what would happen if I committed to posting a blog every day. I have enjoyed reading Seth Godin’s blog over the years and was impressed with how he has kept up a daily blog for years.

Now that I’ve reached one month of daily blogging, this is what I have observed:

  • Once you get started, writing consistently at the same time every day is easier than writing in spurts.
    • I should have known this! It’s the same deal with physical exercise!
  • Creativity fuels more creativity.
  • Using a content calendar really works.
    • It works as an idea generator.
    • It beats a blank page.
    • It empowers you when you have two weeks of ideas laid out.
  • It has given me a way to revisit my old cartoons and illustrations.
  • I find I am writing just as much for myself as opposed to someone else.
  • It is better to write short posts regularly than to post a larger post occasionally.
  • Releasing a minimally viable product applies to blog posts too.
    • It doesn’t have to be perfect.
    • To have an impact, it needs to get out the door.

I am enjoying this project. We’ll see how far it goes. Thank you for participating by reading my posts!

Categories
motivation writing

Don’t Let Your Knowledge Die With You!

Beach sunset on the Gulf of Mexico

My father-in-law passed away three years ago. My favorite times with him were our nonstop drives to Florida. On a few occasions, it was just the two of us in the van. Other times, we would keep each other awake while the crew slept away. He would talk about his adventures as a young man, the challenges of farming and his observations on life, faith, and politics.

One early morning near Dothan, Alabama, he was telling me a story about his first car, a 1957 Chevy Bel Air. He was lamenting how he wished he still had that car. I said, “You should write all this down. Your grandkids would love to hear this!”

He replied, “Nah! Nobody would want to read what I’ve written. It’s just everyday, common sense.”

I disagreed with him then. And today, I wish more than ever he would have heeded my advice. What he thought was just average, boring life in twentieth-century Ohio could have been a fascinating read to his great-grandchildren one day.

It makes me wonder what my great-grandparents were like. What was it like in nineteenth-century Indiana? What was it like for one of them to flee North Carolina because he was a Quaker and was threatened because he was against slavery? What was it like for another of my ancestors to survive the Civil War, The Battle of Stones River, and the Andersonville Prison Camp? Did some of my other ancestors have experiences that would have fascinated me?

I think about it when I write in my journal or type away at a blog entry. Maybe my life doesn’t seem exciting to me. Perhaps my observations look mundane to me. But I’ll keep writing. I’ll let the next generation determine that. I’m going to keep writing for myself, and maybe the generations following me.