Tag: courage

Categories
motivation

Just Start, End, Restart

Cartoon of a grandfather and grandson on a roller coaster.

We’re all scared to start something. The fear of starting is often more terrifying than the action we dread. We spend too much time fretting whether we can do it right than actually doing the work.

We’ve all been there. To tell you the truth, I’ve been shell shocked since my wife stepped away from ministry this year. Apparently, he wanted to get her out before COVID-19 hit. Who would have thought this year would be such an upside-down, topsy-turvy roller coaster ride? I hope no one was eating before the middle of March 2020. We’ve all had motion sickness since then.

Cartoon of a grandfather and grandson on a roller coaster.

I took a leap of faith five years ago. We made a journey of two thousand miles when she had a job offer and returned after a year. And then we took a leap of faith when she ended her employment in December 2019. We are still determining what’s next.


It’s been difficult to think about restarting. But the alternative is to find a nice little corner, get in the fetal position and decide which thumb to suck (since I’m left-handed, I prefer that right thumb, so I can draw at the same time). Hey! Who hasn’t done that this year? This was a lousy year to stop the thumb-sucking habit.

So today, we restart again. It is better to say a little something than to keep quiet and never start. It’s time to joke again, laugh again, and to be unashamed of shedding a tear or two. After all, living happens between the star, restart, and finish. It’s a shame to never start, and as a result, never live.

Categories
children cartoons K! Magazine Kidzmatter Magazine Magazine

Do You Have the Courage to Go Out There?

Cartoon of two boys talking. One says, "There's an excessive pollen warning for this area, and they're taking us outdoors. Don't they care about severe weather warnings?"
Previously published in "K! Kidzmatter Magazine"

There are warning signs that are legitimate. As I write this, we are experiencing the beginnings of the Coronavirus/COVID-19 spread in the United States. It would be foolish to ignore the warnings such as those broadcast by the World Health Organization:

  • Wash your hands frequently
  • Cough into your bent elbow
  • Don’t travel to places that are in the midst of the outbreak

At the same time, there can be a lot of misinformation out there. And if you spend enough time on the Internet, you will find warnings that are overly cautious or just plain wrong.

When I drew this cartoon, I thought about how we can get overly cautious. It’s true that pollen can really mess with people. I’ve had hay fever over the years and I am not a fan of the time of year when goldenrod is in full bloom. Still, for most people, it’s not a severe weather event.

There are times when it takes courage to go out there into the world. It remains to be seen if all the conferences that are getting canceled due to COVID-19 are legitimate or overkill. We won’t know the full impact until much later. But in the meantime, we need to keep living and do the activities that make life full.

How are you handling this outbreak and all the warnings? Let us know in the comments.

Cartoon of two boys talking. One says, "There's an excessive pollen warning for this area, and they're taking us outdoors. Don't they care about severe weather warnings?"
Previously published in “K! Kidzmatter Magazine”
Categories
motivation

The Price of Greatness

“The price of greatness is responsibility.”

Winston Churchill from Brainy Quote

This quote would mean less if Winston Churchill didn’t live it. Here was a guy who stood up to Hitler when the rest of Europe fell. He remained defiant and encouraged a nation when it looked like all hope was lost. He held out until America entered the war. Because he was responsible, Nazi Germany was beaten.

No one has ever become great sitting on a couch, watching TV, and waiting for something to happen. No one has ever become great by looking the other way when challenges come. No one has ever attained greatness by seeing a mess and just assuming someone will take care of it.

If you notice something on a job is wrong, and you just assume a supervisor will take care of it, you have forfeited greatness. If a customer complains the job isn’t right and you blame everyone else who had a hand in it, you have forfeited greatness.

Every day, we have opportunities to be great. It takes courage to be responsible and to rise above the average to the great. We may not encounter a dictatorship. But we may be faced with the choice of speaking up when things aren’t right or relinquishing our chance for greatness.

Categories
motivation

Who’s Going to Bring Good News?

Cartoon of a coach and teachers

There is no shortage of good news. Unfortunately, there’s no shortage of bad news either and media seems more and more enthusiastic about the latter. I’ve noticed more headlines that have this format: Such and such happened. Here’s why you should be terrified!

It doesn’t take much courage or imagination to find bad news. People will be more than glad to share theirs. The media loves to share the latest tragedy locally, nationally and internationally. It’s not hard to find. And it is easy to find someone that agrees with how bad things are.

It takes much more courage to share the good news… especially to preschoolers!

Cartoon of a coach and teachers

In the last two days, I’ve heard a lot of moaning, bemoaning, and groaning. I’ve heard that things aren’t the way they used to be, not will they ever be again.

It takes a lot to say, “Maybe things aren’t that great, but there is hope and there is faith.” It takes even more courage to say the obstacles and challenges are actually the way to a brighter, better future.

So who is going to bring good news? Do you have the courage to make a positive difference instead of chiming in with the prophets of doom choir?

The bad news is plentiful. Who needs to search for that? The good news is more precious than gold and sweeter than honey. It reminds me of Psalm 119. I think I’ll read up on that and take some good news!

Categories
motivation

One of the Cures for Anxiety

Cartoon of a boy and a shark. The shark says, "Hey, Buddy! Let me know when you're going to get in the water, okay?"

Anxiety has become endemic in our society. We fear the present, future and the guy in the next car. The news terrifies us, marketing feeds on our insecurities and the workplace can be a challenging mix of deadlines, earning reports and lofty goals. Yes, it can weigh a person down.

Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up.

Proverbs 12:25 NLT

One cure for the common case of anxiety is an encouraging word. If you’re not getting much of it, start to become an encourager. A simple thank you does wonders. Make a point to see positives in every situation and call them out.

It’s too easy to worry. Let’s start to bring encouragement back to those around us. That said, I’d still be suspicious of courteous sharks!