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motivation Quotes

Courage is Contagious

Quote from Billy Graham: "Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened."

Today would have been Billy Graham’s 103rd birthday. There appear to be other people that have made this statement. Looks like my former governor wrote a book with this title. But I think Graham says it best.

“Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened.”

Billy Graham

I see courage as less of an emotion and more of a virtue. You can be afraid, yet courageous. The odds may be stacked against you, and your anxiety is high, yet you can still be courageous. First responders and soldiers show courage every day thanks to their commitment and training.

The average man or woman can show it as well. It may be less because of training, but more of a commitment to virtue or a cause. When we know what we stand for, we are willing to stand up for it. That commitment to courage can inspire others to do the same.

When courage is combined with commitment and kindness, the world is a much better place. Billy Graham showed that kind of courage. May we show commitment, kindness, and courage on his birthday.

Categories
Bible Proverbs

Guard Your Heart

Illustration of two men guarding a heart on display

“Above all else, guard your heart,
    for everything you do flows from it.”

Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

The other day, part of my pastor’s sermon was based on this verse. I thought of all the struggles we face each day to keep our hearts from turning bitter. The news can be discouraging. People say evil things to each other on social media. And we’re getting to the point we will say those things to others face-to-face.

We believe the end justifies the means. But does it? If we are in warrior mode every time someone disagrees with us, are we doing the right thing? If we feel winning is everything, has power corrupted us? If fear dominates, do we do things we would otherwise think are barbaric and unloving?

Guard your heart! Be careful what you put into it. If it is fear and anger—fear-based, abusive, angry actions will spew out. If it is love, joy, and peace, you and everyone around you will be much better for it.

Categories
CHOG News motivation

A Difference Between Talent and Passion

Last month, I had the pleasure of interviewing Todd Braschler for CHOGNews. He is a talented guy with a heart for worship as well as for those seeking to find their calling.

Todd Braschler Interview

Todd grew up in a talented family and he believed his career would be in music. However, he learned along the way he also had a passion for helping others “excavate” their God-given calling and gifts.

He reminded me that talent and passion are different. If you dig deeper into my site, you will see I have loved writing and drawing cartoons over the years. But my passion has changed. While I still love to draw, I love writing even more. I began seeing the written captions as more important than my drawings.

Talent is good. Finding your passion is even better. It is possible for someone to be talented at something they have no passion for. It can aggravate others who wished they had that talent. Yet, we are all different. We can’t all make our living at a talent, especially when we would rather be doing something else!

Sometimes, being a good steward of talent means finding the sweet spot between it and the passion. May you find that right balance!

Categories
Quotes

Happy Birthday, Will Rogers!

Quote from Will Rogers: "Things ain't the way they used to be and never were."

Things ain’t what they used to be and never were.

Will Rogers

On November 4, 1879, a humorist and cowboy philosopher was born in Oklahoma, Indian Territory. He began his show business career as a trick roper, ended up in Vaudeville, movies, the newspapers, and radio. It wasn’t a bad career for a cowboy!

When I was in high school, a graphic artist-teacher introduced me to his humor. He thought I could relate to his wit and the way he could turn a phrase. Though he was right, it didn’t help my social standing much. Nothing stood out like a sore thumb more than an Indiana teen in the nineteen-eighties who was into Will Rogers! Throw in my love for Marx Brothers movies and I was an odd duck!

Photo of Will Rogers from Filmplay Journal. Public Domain.
Will Rogers in Filmplay Journal, January 1922 (Public Domain)

Will Rogers is worth remembering because his humor was not only witty but was for the most part kind. He didn’t have to tear somebody down to make a point. He could laugh at himself and shine a light on the absurdity of culture and politics. And he could make you think before you realized it.

The worst thing that happens to you may be the best thing for you if you don’t let it get the best of you.

Will Rogers

So happy birthday to Will Rogers! He’s a guy worth remembering today.

Categories
motivation Social Media

It Looks Good Onscreen But it Doesn’t Print

My day job is as a Graphics Manager. Occasionally, I will see a job come through that looks fantastic on screen, but it doesn’t print well. If the graphics stayed on the screen, there would be no problem. But when it comes to printing, it defies the physical limits of a printing press.

Bright colors that take advantage of the screen’s vibrance can print dull. An image may have all the needed resolution to look great on-screen. But it can look pixelated and rough when printed. It looks great in the virtual world but put it on paper, and it falls short.

There is a difference between the virtual and physical worlds. The virtual world can look bright and shiny. But when that world meets the physical world, it can be dull and rough.

Beware of comparing the virtual world to the physical one. The highlight reel of social media doesn’t show the troubles someone is going through. A video game may make you look like a fantastic driver… until you get behind a real vehicle! The virtual world can be fun, bright, and shiny. It has yet to replace the real world we live in on a daily basis.