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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.

Categories
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!

Categories
motivation

War and Peace

“Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.”

Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin Quotes. BrainyQuote.com, BrainyMedia Inc, 2021. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/benjamin_franklin_141046, accessed December 30, 2021.

Frequently, our culture encourages us to confront others. If they don’t believe what our group believes, they are heathens that we should deal with. Media and advertisements tell us we’re okay and if there is any problem, it’s because of “those” people.

This philosophy is enticing because it takes the responsibility off of us. We’re off the hook if everyone else is the problem. We don’t have to change and our kids are all right!

However, the problem with this outlook is nothing ever changes. We discover the other group thinks they are in the right as well. So we have a choice between trying to coerce someone else to change or changing ourselves. And who do we have more control over?

And of course, if the other group is the problem, we must confront them. We should tell them that they’re wrong, ridicule them, shame them and if necessary, fight them. When we do this, we join a proud tradition of going to war.

In this quote, Benjamin Franklin reminds us it is only ourselves that we can change. We have plenty of vices to work on. Let’s start where we are and make this next year a better one.