John Harrell's Blog, page 111

Work

Companies and countries are experimenting with a four-day work week. Early results show increased productivity by as much as 40%. Perhaps it’s a good idea, but let’s see if these results are sustainable.

Hard work is gratifying. You feel good after putting in a full day of work, knowing you have accomplished something. Weekends are nice for recharging and getting errands done, but I believe we are hardwired to achieve. This is why it feels fulfilling.

Our worldly work should sustain us, allow us to pay our bills, but it isn’t all there is. Do your work honestly, but keep your eye on your true purpose. Your calling might not involve your job…

God’s Will

God gets blamed for a lot of bad stuff. When tragedy happens, a child dies or a natural disaster occurs, you hear people say, “well, it’s just God’s will.” This is not true.

In His nature, God cannot do evil. He allows it so we become more reliant on Him and less on ourselves. Even then, we have a choice. People get angry with God, and that’s okay. He can take a punch. Or people lean on God, and He shows up. Always.

We sometimes forget to give God credit for all the good in our lives. Even atheists get clean water and fresh air, all the while thinking it was just some Big Bang that brought us here.

There will always be evil in our broken world. Evil doesn’t fit into God’s plan for our lives, and never will…

Empty Words

Politicians are overachievers when it comes to empty promises. We the people sometimes have short memories, and don’t hold them to their campaign drivel.

We as individuals are responsible for what we say and do. What we say is important, but what we do is even more important. Let’s make sure our words have substance, otherwise let’s not say anything…

Rushing to Judgment

The court of public opinion is open 24/7. Social media has given everyone a voice.

But this has been going on for much longer than Facebook has been around. Do you remember when Schwarzenegger was elected Governor of California? People were immediately calling for an amendment to the Constitution to allow him to run for president. Perhaps we should see how he does as Governor before anointing him with oil.

It’s best to let things play out before rushing to judgment. Change takes time. Patience and grace are needed, too…

Entertainment

Each one of us has the same 168 hours every week. Why is it that some people get so much more accomplished than others?

From my observation, the people who do the most are focused on building their lives and the lives of others. Many people have their heads buried in their phones, playing games or simply wasting time. Facebook is a great tool for me to share my blog and my podcast, but if I’m not careful I can allow myself to get sucked in there for a long time.

Take inventory of how you use your time. Eliminate wasteful periods. Focus on what you want to do. Your productivity, and your fulfillment will rise…

Numbers

Churches like to count how many people attend. People want their Facebook post to be liked by many. Television programs get renewed if they have enough viewers.

I’m appreciative for every single person who reads my blog or listens to my podcast. Fortunately, my podcast and my blog reach people in over 100 countries around the world. I can’t control it, yet I know God gets the messages to those who need it when they need it. That’s good enough for me…

Satisfaction

Satisfaction comes when you have completed a task and have done your best.

The satiety center in the brain is real. It gets triggered when you have eaten the right amount of protein, carbohydrates etc. to fuel your body. Food additives have perverted our satiety center to make us crave certain things, but that’s another blog.

If you played sports, your coach told you to “leave it all on the field,” and he or she was right. Giving our best every day is required if we want to achieve greatness. Give it your all, even when you don’t feel like it…

Innovation

People oftentimes say they don’t like change. I interpret this to mean they want their daily lives to be predictable, to not have deviations.

The people who go down in history are the innovators, the visionaries. We know names like Franklin, Ford and Einstein. One hundred years from now the people will be talking about Musk, Bezos and Zuckerberg. These people, and others have reshaped the way we live our lives.

The only constant in life is change. Be fearless in your approach to life, and embrace change when it comes…

Offensive

Political correctness has escalated into everything we “can’t say because we might offend someone.” This has caused people to be overly cautious when engaged in conversations or perhaps giving a public speech.

On the other side of the equation, mankind craves deep, authentic talk. People want to feel free to be themselves.

When we connect with someone, we speak from the heart. When you get your heart right, worthwhile words and actions follow…

By Chance

There are no coincidences in life. Every interaction has a purpose behind it. This period you are in is part of your purpose for God’s greater plan. Accept it and be grateful for it. Live your why…