John Harrell's Blog, page 75

Anger

What triggers your anger? Liars and injustices make me mad. Those are examples of righteous anger. We should get angry when people lie to us and we should be outraged when a child is harmed.

If little things stir your anger, you might consider why. Small stuff is just that: small. Let it go.

All of us get angry sometimes. Make sure your reasoning is clear…

Charlatans

Our society is full of charlatans. They are everywhere, promising everything from timeless aging to quick wealth. They are liars who play on people’s insecurities.

Do you want to age beautifully? Exercise. Hard. Do you want to build wealth? Live within your resources and save money. These methods work while the charlatans fraudulently steal your time and money.

Remember: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is…

Cause and Effect

We make choices in life. Some are routine choices like the way we drive to work. Other choices we are faced with might be new and different. These are the ones that make the brain come alive.

It’s important to take time to think about the choices we make, especially the ones that are out of the ordinary. Every action has consequences. We don’t have the ability to fully predict the outcome, but we can possibly get kinda close. We know that if we eat junk food and never exercise, we are going to gain weight. Simple, right?

We can direct our lives in the right direction if we consider the consequences of our decisions. We have choices…

By Definition

If someone asked you to define yourself, what would you say?

We have a tendency to describe ourselves in terms of our careers, our position in life, or maybe our accomplishments. While I believe those things have value, they don’t define who we are. We are way more than that.

The lasting impressions we leave have real meaning. We are here to reach and impact others. People are important. All people. Let’s strive to make a difference in the lives of our fellow man…

Humble

Humble people don’t walk around with their heads down feeling unworthy. Humility means thinking about yourself less while thinking about others more…

Jesus

Jesus was a rebel. He stood up to the hypocrites in the synagogue which no one dared to do. Jesus redeemed and restored people who felt isolated, alone and cast out from society. Jesus performed countless miracles, yet never did a miracle that benefited himself.

Jesus is the most unique person who ever lived. He was 100% man while being 100% God at the same time. He got tired in the same way humans do, and he controlled the stormy sea. He restored eyesight to the blind, raised the dead and willingly died on the cross to save the world.

It’s interesting to note that his own half-brother, James, did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah until after the resurrection. Jesus’ disciples were persecuted and most of them died horrible deaths. You don’t die for a lie…

Daily Life

Why do we look forward to vacations? It’s because they are a diversion from our daily routine. We get to do something different, even if that means we are doing nothing.

Life can be tedious and boring. As routine sets in we aren’t as stimulated as we are when we are presented with new stimuli.

It’s a good idea to take a break from your routine. Read a book. Call a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while. Just do something…

Fame

People will compromise themselves for fame. Not everyone, but I’m surprised at the lengths people will go to for notoriety’s sake.

There’s an “influencer” who licked a toilet bowl and posted it on TikTok. He doesn’t influence me. In today’s culture it’s all about the views and the likes.

There are many famous people who have used their influence for good. The late Paul Newman comes to mind. He was the kind of person who could influence me.

How about you? Make a list of the people you admire. Set the example for others, and aim high…

Books

When I was a child, I fell in love with books. I loved reading, a habit that has stuck with me all my life.

Books stimulated my imagination. We didn’t have the internet so reading got my creative juices flowing. It still does.

Typically I have four or five books going at one time across a wide genre. I’m grateful for what books did for me.

When was the last time you read a book? I encourage you to start one today…

Inflexible

There are three types of intelligence: intellect, personality and adaptability. Psychologists have studied these for decades and have come to the conclusion that one of these types of intelligence has the highest correlation to success. Which type do you believe it is?

If you had said intellect, you would be wrong. And while a pleasant personality is necessary to get along with others, that answer would be incorrect, too. The correct answer is adaptability.

Being flexible in your approach to problem solving means you see things from a variety of angles. You aren’t hyper focused on just one. Your ability to adapt will take you far.

If you are fortunate enough to have a high amount of all three, there’s no stopping you…