John Harrell's Blog, page 61

Less is More

I like to talk. Anyone who knows me will verify this. I’m a storyteller and I love to make people laugh through my stories. My life is what I call a “walking sitcom!”

There are times when words aren’t necessary. If your friends, family or colleagues are hurting, they need your presence, not your advice. Just showing up speaks louder than words.

Remember this when those moments present themselves. In those times, less is more…

WTF?

We have, as a society, gotten accustomed to curse words. Admittedly, I use them occasionally. It’s not something I’m proud of, though.

It takes no special talent to cuss. It does require skill to write and speak effectively. These can be accomplished without cursing for added emphasis.

Lift others with your words and actions. And when you keep it clean, people notice…

Desperation

We have people in this world who don’t know where their next meal will come from. They experience struggles I know very little about. I have been hungry and broke before, but I’ve always had a roof over my head.

We find ourselves in the dark times. Hope comes in those moments. And sometimes hope is all we have. If you are feeling desperate, please remember that better days are coming. This period was not last.

Hold onto hope, no matter what you are going through. Hope is eternal…

Look Away

Many people enjoy the limelight. But don’t get too close because you might expose something.

Superficiality, whether in conversation or in closeness, prevents people from seeing the true person inside. But it’s what’s inside of us that defines who we are. And when we let our guard down it encourages others to let theirs down, too.

Believe in yourself, and accept yourself. God does. And He sees everything…

Breaking Out

Breaking out sounds like a plan a prisoner might have. And in some ways we are all prisoners. We are also able to grant ourselves parole.

Life is full of routine. We go through the same thing every day. But I encourage you to free yourself of routine. Take some time away from your phone. Instead of watching and posting on social media, call someone and have a conversation. Attend a seminar on something you know nothing about. Start a blog!

It’s time to stop fitting in and start standing out. Conformity is the breeding ground of mediocrity…

Trust

The foundation of every relationship is trust. Trust must be earned, and that takes time. Trusting someone else, as well as being trustworthy yourself is a high honor.

How do you know you can trust someone? We trust that the airline pilot knows how to fly the plane. We trust other drivers to obey the law. We give those types of trust without question.

So why don’t we trust God fully? I believe it’s partially because we humanize God. Not everyone we encounter has honest intentions. We can’t see God and that makes it even harder.

Here’s where faith intersects logic. We trust the promises of God, and we trust that He only wants good for our lives. Believe in Him, and when you are in doubt, talk to God. He’s always listening, and that’s a promise…

Just Be Yourself

People worry too much about fitting in. You were created to stand out, not to be part of the crowd.

Fear of judgment keeps people stifled. People are judging anyway, so be fearless. Show the world who you are, not who you are pretending to be.

Believe in yourself. Confidence is attractive…

Biology

Biology is the study of life. In a way we are all biologists.

Spending time watching others and how they live is what many people do. We see the lives of celebrities and want to live the way they do. People observe their scripted, filtered, perfect-looking photo shoots and believe they must not have any problems in life. This is simply untrue.

Everyone faces challenges. Everyone. No one escapes difficulty on this side of eternity. This world is imperfect and always will be.

Find hope in your life. Don’t wish for the life of someone else. You were given this one opportunity to make a difference. You can make history. You might not get your name in lights, but you will be remembered by the One who matters. God is a biologist, too…

Happiness

Everyone enjoys happy moments, but that’s what they are, just moments. People pursue happiness, but, and I’m not being negative here, pursuing happiness is futile. Find fulfillment. What fulfills us will keep us going, even during those times we aren’t happy…

The Heart of Mankind

We see posts on Facebook and instagram encouraging us to “follow our hearts,” but that’s bad advice. The heart is deceptive. Therein lies the issue.

Our emotions are reflected by our hearts. Emotions can be tricky, wouldn’t you agree? Perhaps instead of following our feelings we pay attention to our instincts. Our instincts are there for a purpose. They give us pause when danger is near. Our instincts work for good, too.

I encourage you to work on your heart. Are you reacting or responding?

When you get your heart right, worthwhile actions follow…