Tag: self-control

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motivation

What if I’m not in charge?

a woman standing in front of the group
Photo by Yan Krukau on Pexels.com

Is anybody totally in charge? Bosses have bosses. Even those at the top answer to a board of directors or a balance sheet. Many of us ask, “What if I’m not in Charge?”

A few years ago, I attended a conference where a speaker coached us on how to lead when we aren’t the boss. Clay Scroggins advised that we have more control than we realize, even when we aren’t the leader.

Sketch notes on "How to lead when you're not in charge"

I was delighted to learn he now has a video series by the same name.

Even if we don’t have the official title, each of us has control over ourselves and how we react to different situations. I have found that when I have relinquished that control, I have made it difficult for me to lead myself and have made it harder on my leaders.

We have more control than we realize, but that also means we must take responsibility for our own actions. What if I’m not in charge? I can start leading myself, for starters. And isn’t that the most important person to lead, after all?

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cartoon children cartoons gag cartoon single panel cartoon webcomic

Dignified Birthday Cartoon

Birthdays can bring out the party animal in adults and kids. A particularly exciting celebration in the past inspired this dignified birthday cartoon.

Dignified birthday cartoon. A boy says, He says to a girl, "Every year, I try to live a dignified birthday. But then the cake comes out..."

When a birthday comes, we try to find new and unique ways to express our good wishes. Here are a few, dignified examples if you came here, searching for the right words for a birthday card. After all, birthdays are great ways to put someone in the spotlight who rarely gets recognition.

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Adobe Illustrator cartoon gag cartoon Health Cartoons single panel cartoon webcomic

Assisted Self-Help

The problem with improvement programs is that we really need assisted self-help. We need others to help us see our blind spots and improve. I drew this cartoon when I thought about this quandary. How do we get the help we need while still taking responsibility for our own actions?

Cartoon of a man and psychiatrist. the man says, “I came to you, Doc, so I could learn to take responsibility for my own actions. So far, you haven’t helped a bit.”

It isn’t easy! It takes humility to admit we need help. If we could have solved the problem before, we would have done so by now. Yet, we need determination and commitment from ourselves to improve any situation.

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Bible Book of James motivation

Why it’s so Hard to Control the Tongue

Every time we say or write something, we are in danger of starting a fire. In the book of James, chapter 3, the apostle gives us a big warning on why it’s so hard to control the tongue.

“Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!”

James 3:5 (KJV)

There are times I wished I followed the actions of this kid.

Cartoon of boy with his mouth taped and a girl

As I get ready to teach kids today, I’m thinking about how important it is to choose wise words. I pray I will do okay, or at least avoid damage. A flippant or insensitive comment can cause a lot of damage.

So I’ll keep it short today. Let’s use our words carefully and wisely.

Categories
motivation

Entertaining Thoughts

Entertaining Thoughts

We have scores of entertaining thoughts each day. But do we consider which one we should and should not entertain?

We all have random thoughts. Some of them are good and they motivate us to do better. Others can knock the wind out of our sails and make us wonder what is the point? This quote made me consider the implications of our thoughts today.

“What do you hang on the walls of your mind?”

Eve Arnold

Eve Arnold Quotes. BrainyQuote.com, BrainyMedia Inc, 2022. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/eve_arnold_489359, accessed January 26, 2022.

What thoughts do we keep and allow to affect our day? Most of us don’t consider that not all of our thoughts are useful. One minute, we could be telling ourselves that today will be a great day. The next, a random news story or negative coworker can steer us into dark territory.

Not all our thoughts are good ones. Our self-talk can build us up or tear us down. We have to watch those words and thoughts! I had a few tips in a previous blog. In it, I mentioned a Bible verse that has helped me so many times. Psalm 19:14 reminds me that our words and thoughts matter greatly.

Sketch based on Psalm 19:14-May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable and pleasing unto you.

Refrigerator Doors

What entertaining thoughts do we let hang on the walls of our minds? The quote reminds me of a refrigerator door. On it, we hang artwork our children have created, photos of loved ones, and various notes.

It is a place where we have mementos we like to be reminded about. The sundry scraps of paper give us a smile and remind us of good old days and loved ones that have grown.

Our mind is like a refrigerator door. What entertaining thoughts are we hanging there as a reminder? May it be something that inspires us to lift our heads a little higher, causes us to smile, and put a little extra effort into today.