John Harrell's Blog, page 24

This Must Change

Recently I read about people who were doing “Dry January,” putting their drinking on hold for 31 days. From the struggles people seemed to be experiencing by giving up alcohol, they should have chosen a shorter month, like February!

Our country has become obese, and it’s not getting better. Obesity is as harmful as alcoholism. We can rationalize eating because food isn’t going to hurt us. Or does it?

Healthy bodies begin in the mind. How we think will determine what we do. Good health is available to everyone. Taking the steps to improve isn’t a sacrifice.

What we gain must remain in the forefront of our minds. Read articles about health. Get any junk food out of your house. You can regain your health if you refuse to give up. And I encourage you to use your extra energy for something good!

Good health is within your reach. Reach for it…

God Moments

There are times in our lives where we are keenly aware of God working. Albert Einstein famously said, “Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous.” Things happen, but the only explanation is supernatural.

One thing worth remembering is, God is always working. He doesn’t take time off or sleep. The more quiet we get, the more we can hear God’s voice. That voice, perhaps it’s a whisper, is guiding us to our greater purpose. There is nothing random about us being here during this time in history.

Take some time and quieten your mind. Listen for the voice of encouragement and calling to appear. It may not happen every day, but it does happen. Write down your thoughts in those moments.

Remember, God didn’t create us and then forget about us…

Tone

When I was raising my children, I told them they could say anything they wanted to me. I was listening to how they said it. I wanted them to feel free to express themselves. Their tone of voice revealed more than their words.

This holds true in life. An angry tone is usually easy to pick up on. So is a happy tone. When we combine the tone of someone’s voice with the look in their eyes, it gives us an opportunity to connect at a deeper level.

Take the time to listen to others, really listen. Then watch how your communication with others improves…

Weighed Down

Is your past holding you back, weighing you down? It’s time to release yourself from the dead weight of the past and start living again.

The mistakes we made are good for one thing: we learn from them. There are a lot of things we do the right way. We rarely give those much thought, but we should. Turn your thoughts toward your daily victories, whether big or small.

The voice inside your head that constantly tries to dissuade you from trying anything new is a liar. Stop listening to it and listen to the other voice, the one that encourages you, prompts you, the voice that is on your side. This voice will lead you to your purpose.

Both voices will always be there. They are inside everyone’s heads. It’s your choice to decide which voice to listen to. It’s always been your choice.

Choose wisely…

But It’s My Idea!

Have you ever worked on something that turned out great, but someone else took credit for it? Some people are so determined to make a name for themselves that they cut corners or take shortcuts.

Accomplishments are one of the reasons we work at things. You will get results only through placing time and concentrated effort into something. Do you want your children to grow up to have solid character and a strong work ethic? You must put in the effort with your children and it’s not easy. But you will get results if you stay with it.

People have been taking credit for other people’s work forever. It doesn’t matter. You will always know, but so will God. And the collective good is the outcome.

Harry Truman once said, “it’s amazing what you can accomplish if you don’t care who gets the credit.” It was true when he said it, and it is true today…

One Small Voice

Everyone has a voice. Some people use theirs to impose their opinions and beliefs on us, whether we want to hear them or not. Sometimes they yell.

Social media has given people a platform. How we use this opportunity is up to us. Do we spread optimism and encouragement, or rage and anger? Right now more than ever, people need hope. Mental health is fragile for many, suicidal ideations are the highest they have ever been, and the world is divided. A breaking point is in our future unless we right the ship.

We can turn things around. We can use our voices to encourage others, lift them when they are despondent, and our words can bring hope to the hopeless. One small voice, speaking collectively with other likeminded people becomes a force. And the momentum builds into a storm. A storm for good.

Remember to ask yourself before you speak, am I helping or hurting others with my words? You know what to do from there.

And one final thought, I encourage you to be a voice for the voiceless until they find their own…

Rush to Judgment

For as long as I can remember, some parts of society believe you are guilty until proven innocent. Our laws believe it is the other way around, thankfully. If we are accused of wrongdoing, we are still assured of our due process under the Constitution.

My favorite book (and movie) is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The book is fiction, and it is enriched by a great plot and subplots. In the main theme, a man, Tom Robinson, is accused of raping a woman. The story is set in Alabama in 1933. Tom is black. The woman is white. You see where the story is going. Tom was automatically guilty because he couldn’t be trusted around white women. This was untrue then and it is untrue now. Yet, because of this work of fiction as well as many real life stories, the south has forever been deemed to be racist. It isn’t.

Rushing to judgment clouds the thinking. It’s difficult to see truth when you are looking through the lens of guilt. Facts matter.

I encourage you to steer clear of judgment, all judgment. Put yourself in the same situation and treat others as you would like to be treated.

Freeing yourself from judgment opens you up to seeing people for who they are. And isn’t that what we all want?

Salt of the Earth

In Matthew 5:13, Jesus told the crowd they were the salt of the earth. How many times have we read that and skipped right through it without any further consideration? Let’s examine it.

Salt is used millions, probably billions of times daily. It’s the most widely used seasoning on earth. Salt enhances flavor. It’s used as a preservative, a cleanser, a weed killer, and it can be used to remove stains from your teeth. During Jesus’ day, it was a rare commodity that was used as currency.

All the ways I just listed can be applied to us! We can enhance the lives of others and lift others through our words and actions. We can remove negative thinking (weeds) and, through changing our thoughts we can cleanse our minds. And when we consider the scientific marvel the human body is, we are worth more than any nation’s gold.

Yet, we have something salt doesn’t have. When salt loses its flavor, it is worthless. We can rise and reclaim our lives after setbacks and hardships. We never lose our value.

Be the one who encourages the hurting, the lost, and the ones who feel forgotten. Be like salt…

Dignity

What do you think of when you hear or read the word dignity? It’s defined as, “the state or quality of being worthy of honor or respect.” Dignity is something that must be earned.

In society today, we see the “look at me” impostors everywhere we turn. You might catch our attention for a moment, but if you don’t have substance you won’t keep it.

And we have the mediocre to contend with in the world. Those who are unwilling to go the extra mile because “that’s not their job” will never rise with that attitude.

The truth is, you can bring dignity to anything you do. This applies whether you are a CEO or a janitor. Consistently doing a good job will be noticed.

Dignity lies within the person. Be willing to give more than you receive…

The Next Ten Years

Do you think about what your life will look like in ten years? You should. Making long-term goals is a wise decision.

I meet many people who aren’t looking too far into their future. Many of their goals are about retirement. But it’s vital to remember, there’s a lot of life to be lived after retiring.

Your first step is to write down your long-term plans on paper. Read it often. If it involves learning a new skill, focus your reading on the skill. Do you want to write a book, a novel per se? I encourage you to take a class on writing. A physical class where you can meet and interact with other future writers. You will learn a lot, and your creative juices will begin to flow like a river.

Take the steps necessary to create the life you want. Start today. In fact, start now…