John Harrell's Blog, page 25

Merit

Being able to work is a privilege. Working in a career you love and find fulfilling is a gift. I say this because I have read multiple articles that cite the high number of people (80%+) who are simply going through the motions of a job they don’t really love.

Hard work requires dedication and commitment. You can only provide these when you are fully engaged as well as stimulated in your work. Going to a job just to receive a paycheck will turn you into a “clock watcher,” doing the bare minimum.

Do you want to advance in your career? If your answer is yes, then you must be willing to go the extra mile. When you give more of yourself than you are being paid for, it will be returned to you by a great multiple. This is true even if you are working for an ingrate.

It’s important to remember not to allow the pursuit of making money into your mindset. Money will come, but it shouldn’t be your focus. Your goal is to find fulfillment in your career and your life.

Everything else will fall into place…

Are You Lonely?

Loneliness is on the rise in the United States. According to the most recent Gallup Poll, over 20% of adults are feeling alone. At the beginning of 2024, the number was 17%. The percentage of young people ages 15-18 is 25%. Something is wrong and getting worse quickly.

Everyone has experienced periods of loneliness during their lives. Feeling alone is typically a seasonal thing, but some people are having a difficult time moving through it.

Death and divorce are part of life’s process. The loneliness will pass, as will the grief. We were never promised that life would always be full of happiness. We must accept the bad with the good.

My encouragement to the lonely is to take inventory of your assets. You can see, think, feel and love. Your heart will still beat 36 million times this year. You have so much, but you are only finding your value in material possessions. You are so much more valuable than that.

Loneliness will pass. It’s okay to get down. Just don’t stay there…

Daily Prayer

Here is my daily prayer. True story: it popped into my mind when I was sitting in church, checking out girls! When the thought grabbed me, I immediately wrote it down. If you like it, feel free to use it as your own.

“Use me. Work through me. Through my writings and through my words. Through my actions and through my deeds. Let me be a light to others in this dark world.”

Our world is dark. Be the one who brings light…

No, Not Everything Happens For a Reason

You have heard people say, “everything happens for a reason.” Perhaps you have said it yourself. It just isn’t true if the person saying it is implying Spiritual influence.

God has given us the power to choose. In this way, we are given the choice to love God, hate Him, or be indifferent towards Him. He doesn’t force us to love Him. So, what happens in life is a direct consequence of our decision making. And our attitude controls everything. But let’s consider the things that happen when we have no choice in the matter.

God doesn’t make abuse happen, nor rape or sexual assault, and He doesn’t make bad things happen to good people. God does make a promise, though. He can bring good from evil. I refer you to Romans 8:28 if you want to read His promise.

Bad things happen, no doubt. We aren’t going to understand everything on this side of eternity. But we can trust God. His purpose is good.

Always…

The Power to Change

Change is a funny thing. In one way it is self-contradictory. For example, many people say they don’t like change. Yet, the only constant in life is change. Those people are screwed!

Most everyone I meet is trying to grow. Growth requires change. Getting rid of bad habits, better decision-making or beginning an exercise program requires change and commitment. And it is difficult. But you can do it if you want to.

You don’t have to do it alone. Ask God to help you. He will show up. You might have to ask Him multiple times per day. God didn’t forget what you asked for. He’s wanting to see how badly you want it. And only God can change impure hearts. Let Him do His thing.

The road of life we are on will end one day. Make your life count…

Angels Among Us

Did you know that Angels might be in your midst? It’s true! Hebrews 13:2 says, “ Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.“ So, there you have it.

It is my belief that we should try to show kindness to friends and strangers alike. Do it because that’s what is in your heart, not because you want something. God knows our motives because He sees everything. I’m not just talking about our actions. He sees beneath the surface.

When you are working on yourself, remember to ask God to remove any impure thoughts and actions from your life. He will.

God is the original heart surgeon. He can heal us and purify us…

Desperation

There are innumerable people living with unfulfilled dreams for their lives. Trading one’s identity for security is nothing new. In the 1850’s, Thoreau wrote, “ the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation, and die with their song still in them.”

We see the effects of this inner turmoil in our world. It is manifested by alcoholism, drug abuse and other destructive behaviors. Damaged people leave a trail of carnage in their wake. It doesn’t have to end like this.

Take control of your thoughts. Work on yourself. Break it down into manageable increments. If you get too far ahead in your thinking, it can be destructive. Stick with one day at a time. We can do anything for just one day.

When you drive by a cemetery, take a moment to consider all of the unfulfilled promise each of those lives offered. You won’t end up like them.

Don’t die with your song still in you. It’s time to start singing…

Getting Lucky

Elon Musk famously said, “For years I worked 20 hours a day, seven days a week. But there are still people who say I got lucky.”

The truth is, we create our own luck. Our results come from ingenuity and effort, not some magical genie. Sweat equity brings fruit, but there’s a lot of failures, frustrations and setbacks along the way. The people who refuse to quit are sometimes called lucky. The people who say that are afraid to step out in faith and try something new, or perhaps they are just lazy.

Take the brave first step. Then take another. Fear is not an option for you.

Make your move. It’s time…

Imagine That!

Our creative imagination is a powerful gift from the Creator. Everything starts with an idea.

Consider the two bicycle repairmen who dreamed of flying. You know them as Orville and Wilbur Wright.

What about the man who only had two months of formal education? When he died, he had over 1,000 patents credited to him. No one would call Thomas Edison dumb.

The first biography I read as a child was about an incredible woman who dreamed of freedom. Not only did she take enormous risks to escape to a free life for herself, this gun-toting, barely five feet tall woman went back and brought hundreds of slaves to the north where they could be free. Harriet Tubman was her name.

If you can dream it, you can do it. Get on the creative side of your mind and let your imagination run wild. As Albert Einstein said, “imagination is more important than knowledge.”

Believe it, and believe in yourself…

A Fresh Start

Every day is an opportunity to begin again. If your resolutions have gone bye-bye, today is the day to welcome them back.

Change is difficult, and permanent change requires effort and commitment. We need time to renew our thinking, creating and strengthening new neural pathways in the process. Change happens when we want it to happen.

Be kind to yourself and be patient with your progress. The world will beat you up enough, so don’t pile on yourself. Give yourself a wide margin.

You can do it. And offer encouragement to others who are trying to change. They need it, too…