Tag: motivation

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motivation

Being Intentional

Is it time to get up?

It takes a lot to be intentional and wake up early in the dark, especially on a cold Monday morning. The age-old question, “What gets you up in the morning?” rings through my head. Some mornings, I’d be fine staying in bed, thank you very much!

But the question is useful if you have something intentional to do. What gets me up early in the morning? It’s my desire for a quiet devotional time and to start the day without the rush that will come soon enough. A brewing pot of coffee doesn’t hurt. Thank the Lord for a timer on the coffee maker!

The workday is coming, and I will have plenty to do. But for now, I can be intentional and get up on my terms. I can thank God for another morning and listen. I can read and ponder.

For me, it’s far better than rushing into noise at a high pace. Let the morning come in the quiet dark, and I will ease into it.
Those are some of the intentional reasons I get up early.

What gets you up?

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motivation

The Present and the Past

back view of a child in a yellow coat on bike in an autumn park
Photo by Yan Krukau on Pexels.com

The good news is we don’t have to be defined by our past. Yes, it was important, and it made us who we are today. But each morning gives us a restart.

That’s good news for those of us with regrets (and if we have no regrets, we played it too safe).

The challenge for today is to learn from the past and make it the best possible day. We can be defined by what we do today. There is no resting on laurels here. Sure, we can take our past skills and what we’ve learned from the past. But let the regrets go.

Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today.
Let us begin.—Mother Theresa

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motivation

Nobody Drifts to Success

jellyfish swimming in the sea
Photo by Anastasia Lebedeva on Pexels.com

It doesn’t matter what you want to achieve. Nobody gets there by happenstance. Nobody drifts to success. Sure, we hear stories that may convince us this is the case. Some are born with silver spoons in their mouths, but nobody drifts into doing something meaningful and successful.

Show up and do the hard work. Every Monday, be the one who faithfully puts in the hours and the effort because drifting isn’t a strategy. It’s a recipe for failure. I would rather make the effort and fail, than fail by default because I have never tried.

Let’s face it: it’s too easy to drift. The good news is that you can wake up and correct your course once you realize you are drifting.

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motivation

What is the Strangest Secret?

man wearing black blazer
Photo by Caleb Oquendo on Pexels.com

In 1955, Earl Nightingale recorded a spoken word album that became a bestseller called The Strangest Secret. He asked and answered the question, “What is the strangest secret in the world?”

I heard parts of the recording many years ago. In August 2022, Dan Miller on the 48 Days podcast issued a challenge to listen to the recording for thirty days. I decided to take the challenge. It couldn’t have come at a better time for me!

Here is a link to the original recording:

“The Strangest Secret” by Earl Nightingale

This last month has turned out to be one of change for my wife and me. She has been offered an amazing opportunity. As a result, we will be moving soon and starting a new chapter in our lives.

The challenge also involved writing how the recording affected me. The following is my response to The Strangest Secret Challenge. I took the challenge. My answers are below.

Continue reading “What is the Strangest Secret?”
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motivation

Do You Volunteer For the Right Reasons?

Cartoon of a burglar who says, "I'd love to volunteer, but I only want to count the money."

It was great to see nonprofits and volunteers help ease the pain through the coronavirus pandemic. It’s safe to say most people don’t volunteer for the money like our guy in today’s cartoon. But do you volunteer for the right reasons? And does the motivation matter?

Some volunteer projects can be gross. Others have nice perks like donuts. There are projects that put a spotlight on the volunteers while others faithfully serve in the background. As this article shows, Our motivations to volunteer can be quite varied. Do these factors matter?

As long as something good is coming out of volunteering, motives may take a back seat. However, we know of stories where someone appeared to be doing something for altruistic motives and they ended up embezzling or taking advantage of someone or a group of people.

Cartoon of a burglar who says, "I'd love to volunteer, but I only want to count the money."
Continue reading “Do You Volunteer For the Right Reasons?”