John Harrell's Blog, page 85
June 12, 2023
Lean In
Some of our greatest achievements were born in the darkest of times. If we press on and refuse to give up, we will emerge on the other side of the battle. It will not be easy, and it may feel like this period will never end, but your confidence and resilience will grow exponentially.
Lean into whatever makes you uncomfortable. Face the darkness in your life. Stare the devil down and let him know you serve a greater master. State your victory out loud and declare it in the name above all names- Jesus Christ. His name will make the demons shudder…
June 11, 2023
Time Alone
We are always with ourselves, whether we are in a crowd or home alone. And we spend every moment of every day inside our heads.
Spending some alone time is a good practice. Being alone makes some people uncomfortable. These are the people who must be in a relationship or out on the town. Yet our time we spend by ourselves, without distractions is valuable. We can gather our thoughts while taking into consideration the important areas of our lives we need to work on.
I encourage you to get comfortable being by yourself. The discomfort will pass if you just sit with it and refuse to run from it. Then clarity appears…
June 10, 2023
Relationship v. Religion
What’s the difference between relationship and religion? Relationships are intimate, they are turned on, and they are a safety zone. Religion, even the word turns people away. Let’s examine this just a little further.
Think of your closest relationships. They are built on a foundation of trust. Trust takes time to build. You feel like you can be yourself around your closest friends and family. There’s no need to pretend to be someone you’re not.
Religion evokes guilt, shame and judgment. This is because many religions use these as tools to get your attendance and your money. That’s not what God wants. He wants a personal relationship with us, even when we are at our worst. Yes, you read that correctly. God isn’t looking down on us with His arms crossed condemning us. No. God created us and He hasn’t forgotten about us. We are always on His mind.
I encourage you, and myself, to pursue a deeper relationship with God. Study the life of Jesus. Jesus was a rebel and he was a badass. He took away guilt, shame and judgment while calling out the hypocrisy of some of the religious leaders of the day. He is here for us, even though we don’t see him…
June 9, 2023
Hurried
It seems like I’m always in a hurry. I’m not sure if it’s because I have a tremendous energy level and want to get as much life in as possible. Perhaps it’s due to my short attention span. Maybe it’s a combination of both.
Coach John Wooden famously told his players, “Be quick, but don’t hurry.” Being hurried can create unnecessary mistakes. Those are detrimental in life as well as basketball.
Let’s slow down, even just a little. You can be quick and get a lot accomplished. Leave the hurried behavior behind…
June 8, 2023
Today’s Rant
As private citizens, our actions have consequences. Not so in Washington DC. Let’s take a look…
The scoundrels in DC are addicted to power. How many “crises” have they manufactured that only they, the wise politicians, could solve? Their welfare laws wreaked havoc among black families-no consequences. They endlessly fund Ukrainian defense but we still have 22 veterans taking their own lives every day-no consequences. We were supposed to run out of oil by 1992 they told us in 1979-BS. Now climate change is an “existential crisis.” BS. Teachers teach to the feckless STAAR test rather than teaching proficiency in subject material. What was wrong with Horace Manns method of teaching the head, heart and hands-the intellect, emotion and application?
It’s time to take a stand and hold our elected officials accountable. We the people have the power, not government.
Sorry for the rant!
June 7, 2023
Expectations
What are your expectations when you meet someone new? Honesty, integrity and responsibility come to mind. I believe it is important to give people a chance to show us who they are and what they are like.
By the same token, what are your expectations of yourself? At least the three I mentioned above, along with transparency and accountability. We expect the best so we give our best.
It’s a good personal policy to under promise and overdeliver. You build trust in this way…
June 6, 2023
Catalysts
A catalyst makes things happen. Every chemical reaction in our bodies was started by a catalyst. In the non-scientific world, a catalyst can be a person or an event.
The terrorist attacks of 9/11 were a catalyst for a renewed sense of patriotism in America. Flags were everywhere, and the demand for them was so high you couldn’t get one for months due to them being on back order. People felt unity. They knew we were in this together.
People can inspire action, too. Jesus is the greatest example of a catalyst. He started something that has not only lasted but expanded for over two thousand years.
Find your cause, your purpose for good. Take the lead and be a catalyst, too. Inspire the world…
June 5, 2023
Forced
Acceptance is big to me. Accepting everyone for who they are allows people to know they are seen. Yet our radical culture of today demands we accept people who act like complete jerks. This doesn’t work for me.
Corporate America is increasingly trying to change the landscape and cow tow to political pressure. Anheuser-Busch alienated millions of beer drinkers when someone in their marketing department decided to make a transgender person their spokesperson. Transgenders represent 1% of the United States population. The company continues to pay dearly for this miscue. Anheuser-Busch clearly doesn’t know it’s market.
If you are a man and want to wear dresses, go for it. But stealing luggage from the airport is never acceptable like this guy did.
The point is, to the people trying to force agendas down our throats, I say stop it. Be yourself, and allow others to be themselves, too. You cannot make lasting change by forcing outcomes…
June 4, 2023
Money
I know people who have tremendous resources, and I know people who have very little money. I treat both equally.
Money can change people, and not always in a good way. It’s important to remember that money is no more than an instrument to provide for our needs, and it’s a tool to use for good. We get to choose.
People are what’s important. Let’s focus on who people are, not what they have…
June 3, 2023
Wellness Check
People are struggling nowadays more than I ever remember or imagined. Many feel alone, like they have no one to talk to. Some feel ashamed because they have never experienced the emotional turbulence they are experiencing. If you feel like I’m describing you, I want you to know that you are not alone.
I encourage you to reach out to someone. Anyone. There are crisis hotlines you can call anonymously. Talk to someone. There’s something magical about talking things out. You get some peace, even for a short while.
If you haven’t heard from someone you normally would, give them a call. You might be their last, best hope…
