Beth K. Vogt's Blog, page 32

In Others’ Words: Don’t Overlook Enthusiasm

 

My husband and I have become the de facto sports photographers for our youngest daughter’s volleyball teams. 

CJ plays volleyball year-round, which means I have thousands of volleyball photos of her and all of her teammates. On average, if her club plays three matches and a cross-over match during a tournament, I come home with a minimum of two thousand photos. I then cull the good photos from the bad. Delete. Delete. Delete. Delete. Save. Delete. Delete. Delete. Save. And repeat. Her high school varsity team plays 5 sets in a match, so during the high school season, my photo count from a tournament can be higher.

Yes, I love the action shots, where I’ve captured a good serve or block or hit. But even more? I love to continue photographing after those moments and capture the team celebrating.

Enthusiasm is the heartbeat of a team. Celebration — open expression of excitement for another’s success — creates a stronger bond among teammates. Letting a teammate know you’re excited when they triumph builds unity and fuels energy that keeps a team going when up against a tough opponent.

The next time you’re at a sporting event, go ahead and cheer when the team scores. But watch how the team celebrates one another.Those times of group elation are some of the best moments on the court.

In Your Words: When have you experienced enthusiastic moments of group celebration?

In Others\’ Words: Don\’t Overlook Enthusiasm http://wp.me/p63waO-2ku #InOthersWords #quotes #beenthusiastic

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\”Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.\” http://wp.me/p63waO-2ku #quotes #ralphwaldoemerson #beenthusiastic

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In Others’ Words: Keep Holding On

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At one time, I believed courage meant the complete absence of fear.

Of course, that kind of thinking disqualified me from ever being brave.

Now I know that courage and fear often — if not always — go hand in hand. Being afraid doesn’t disqualify me or you from also being courageous. We can face a personal Goliath and hang on, all the while hiding our fear … or admitting it … and come out on the other side victorious.

Maybe there are some people who are courageous through and through. Bravo for them. But fearlessness can be imperfect and be enough. Endurance can mean you remember holding on minute by excruciating minute … and win the day. 

Today, if you are facing something that seems bigger than you, I encourage you to keep holding on. One minute at a time. Be brave. You are in my prayers.

In Others’ Words: How do you define courage?

In Others\’ Words: Keep Holding On http://wp.me/p63waO-2kn #InOthersWords #quotes #bebrave

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\”Courage is fear holding on a minute longer.\” http://wp.me/p63waO-2kn #quotes #GeorgeSPatton #courage

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In Others’ Words: Live and Learn

So often we think about all the things children need to learn — the things we need to teach children.

We teach children to:

do basic life functions: sleep through the night, feed themselves, dress themselves
 talk (Use your nice words!)
 read
 interact with other children (Play nice, right?)

 

But children teach adults a lot too, don’t you think? 

Things like:

It’s fun to build a block tower — and just as much fun to knock it down.
The best books should be read over and over and over again.
Sometimes the best part of a birthday present is the box.
Kissing a boo-boo may not make it all better, but it does help.

 

And yes, I’ve learned how much patience I did, and didn’t have, from my children. And I learned about forgiveness from my children too — because my children are the most forgiving people I’ve ever met.

In Your Words: What have you learned from children?

In Others\’ Words: Live and Learn http://wp.me/p63waO-2kg #InOthersWords #quotes #childhood

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\”You can learn a lot from a child. How much patience you have, for instance.\” http://wp.me/p63waO-2kg #quotes #childhood

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In Others’ Words: No guarantees

Sometimes in life, we want guarantees.

If we invest in a friendship, we hope that friendship lasts.

If we say to someone else, “Yes, I believe in you,” then we hope the other person will have our back, too — and stand by us, through thick and through thin.

If we trust someone — with our hearts, with our dreams, with parts of our lives that others don’t see — than above all else, we want that person to be trustworthy. We expect that what they promised us — loyalty, maybe? Or faithfulness? — will be fulfilled in their words and actions toward us. We hope they’ve been honest with us. That they aren’t one person to our face — and someone else entirely when our back is turned.

But, as Hemingway points out, the only way to find out if someone is trustworthy is to choose to trust them … and then see what happens.

Some people we trust will fail us. Then the choice becomes: do we trust no one … or do we risk and choose to trust again?

In Your Words: How do you decide to choose trust someone or to not trust someone? 

In Others\’ Words: No Guarantees http://wp.me/p63waO-2ka #InOthersWords #quotes #choosingtotrust

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\”The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.\” http://wp.me/p63waO-2ka #quotes #ErnestHemingway #trust

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In Others’ Words: Once Upon a Time …

Once upon a time … there was a writer on deadline.

Me.

My deadline is five days away. And so, certain things are getting ignored. Like laundry. And cleaning the house. And yes, this blog.

Thank you for understanding. I’ll see you all next week, after I push SEND on my latest novel.

 

In Other\’s Words: Once Upon a Time http://wp.me/p63waO-2k5 #InOthers #amwriting #deadline

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In Others’ Word: So You Think You Can

“I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.”

Thinking “I can” gets you nowhere — no matter how many times you mentally repeat those words.

At some point, thinking has to become plowing … I mean, doing. 

I’m stating the obvious today, aren’t I? But how many “I think I cans” have we walked away from? Our thoughts never become actions. The field of possibility remains unplowed. No dreams are planted. Nothing grows.

Granted, moving from mulling to just doing it is hard. It’s risky business. We could fail. Or we could succeed, which brings its own set of demands.

But here’s the question: Do we want to look back and see unplowed fields in our lives? Is life lived out loud by thinking we can … or by getting our hands and clothes dirty by doing what needs to be done to prove we can?

In Your Words: What moves you from thinking to “plowing”?

In Others\’ Words: So You Think You Can http://wp.me/p63waO-2jY #InOthersWords #quotes #justdoit

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\”You cannot plow a field by turning it over in your mind.\” http://wp.me/p63waO-2jY #quote #perspective #justdoit

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In Others’ Words: The Reward of Listening

I enjoy a good conversation, don’t you?

The give and take. The exchange of ideas. The back and forth of opinions. I don’t even mind if things get a bit heated, so long as people are respectful of one another. I especially enjoy talking and laughing with people. That is the best of times.

But sometimes when I’m with a group of friends or even if I’m in a large group of people, like at a writers conference, I sit back and just listen. And those times, when I don’t say anything at all, are some of my most memorable conversations. I learn something new about a friend. I glean a bit of truth I hadn’t realized before. I realize something about myself reflected in someone else’s words or actions — something I need to change, or something I need to do more often.

Oh sure, I could have added my proverbial two cents to any of those conversations, but I often realize what I wanted to say wouldn’t have enriched the exchange of ideas all that much. 

And somehow I’m encouraged by not talking . I know someone else better … or I know myself better. Wiser for listening.

In Your Words: What wisdom have you earned from listening?

In Others\’ Words: The Reward of Listening http://wp.me/p63waO-2jR #InOthersWords #quotes #areyoulistening

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\”Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening…\” http://wp.me/p63waO-2jR #quotes #areyoulistening #bewise

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In Others’ Words: Are You Positive?

Did you know that you can google the words “positive thoughts” and find thousands upon thousands of encouraging, uplifting positive sayings?

Try it. I did. And I found things like:

Live well, Laugh often, Love much (A very familiar saying, yes? I see it on photo frames all the time.)
Train your mind to see the good in every situation.
Don’t worry. Be happy. (Okay, now I’m humming that song. You, too?)
Think about what could go right.
Enjoy the simple things. (I gotta agree this is better than focusing on the complicated things.)
Make it happen. Shock every single one of them.
Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.

 

Positive thinking. It’s a good thing, right? It’s powerful, right? But is it enough? Is positive “you can do it” thinking enough when we’re facing tough times … the kind of struggles that stop us in our tracks … bring us to our knees … make us wonder what happened to the life we planned.

I’m wrestling with this question as I write my newest book. One of my characters is facing something unexpected. Something that turns their world upside down and inside out … and the way they tackle the problem is with positive thoughts. Lots and lots of positive thoughts.

Positive thinking is certainly better than giving into the undertow of negative thoughts, the pull of “I can’t” and “I hate my life” and “I’ll never be happy because I didn’t get what — or who — I wanted.” But is it enough to get us through the “all” of life?

In Your Words: What positive thoughts do you think when times are hard? And do you think positive thinking is enough to get through tough times — why or why not? 

In Others\’ Words: Are You Positive? http://wp.me/p63waO-2jK #InOthersWords #quotes #positivethinking

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\”Live life to the fullest, and focus on the positive.\” http://wp.me/p63waO-2jK #quotes #MattCameron #positivethinking

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***

Enter this fun Spring Fling Giveaway from The Grove Story girls (Katie Ganshert, Cara Putman, Melissa Tagg, Courtney Walsh, Katherine Reay, Kristy Cambron, Sarah Ladd, and me) and you could be the winner of 1 of 8 novels! Enter here or click on the image.

 

#Romance is in the air! Enter the #bookgiveaway from @theGROVE_story girls to win 1 of 8 novels!

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In Others’ Words: Be a Wise Guy

Go ahead, be a wise guy.

Sometimes we discredit ourselves. We discount how much we know. Downplay our hard-earned experience. Overlook how we’ve matured. Let’s face it, you can’t go through life without learning a few things, right? And who knows you better than you do?

Have you ever participated in one of those “Write a letter to your younger self” exercises? That’s one way to be a wise guy. Sure, your “younger self” can’t do anything with all that sage advice like listen to people rather than talking at them or remember that the choices you make now will affect you five years from now. But the you of today can listen to your wisdom. And you probably are.

What struggle are you facing today? What problem are you puzzling over? Are you asking other people to help you figure it out? It’s true that asking a lot of advisors gives you wisdom — so long as they are wise advisors. (Proverbs 15:22) But don’t forget to include yourself in that group of advisors. You know who you are. You know your strengths. Your weaknesses. Your abilities.Your goals. Listen to what you have to say.

In Your Words:  What bit of advice would you give yourself today? 

In Others\’ Words: Be a Wise Guy http://wp.me/p63waO-2jE #InOthersWords #quote #takeyourownadvice

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\”Nobody can give you wiser advice than yourself.\” http://wp.me/p63waO-2jE #quote #Cicero #takeyourownadvice

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***

Enter this fun Spring Fling Giveaway from The Grove Story girls (Katie Ganshert, Cara Putman, Melissa Tagg, Courtney Walsh, Katherine Reay, Kristy Cambron, Sarah Ladd, and me) and you could be the winner of 1 of 8 novels! Enter here or click on the image.

 

#Romance is in the air! Enter the #bookgiveaway from @theGROVE_story girls to win 1 of 8 novels!

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In Others’ Words: Creating Hope

I confess that I went looking for a quote about hope because my spirits were sagging a bit. Yes, this quote was selected because I’m encouraging myself, but I also hope you’re encouraged by the words shared. And I know that when you all join the conversation by leaving a comment, you so often encourage and uplift me and others, too.

Scripture tells us to encourage others in the way we’ve been comforted. (2 Corinthians 1:3-5) Hope is a priceless commodity, one that is so needed during times of struggle or doubt … when “circumstantial evidence”, as I like to call it, tells me there’s no way I can win, so why not quit?

In tough times, hope becomes my lifeline. My reason to keep going. Hope for tomorrow, yes, but even longer than that — hope for eternity. Because sometimes we need to remember that we’re made for eternity, not just for today.

Hope allows me to see past whatever I’m facing right this moment and remember there is more to my life than the hard, discouraging, how-do-I-get-through-this stuff. Hope reminds me that:

nothing can separate me from God (Romans 8:31-39)
fear is not of God (2 Timothy 1:7)
God loves me with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3)
God hears me when I pray (Psalm 17:6)

 

Hope reframes life for me. Hope says “more” when I could easily fall into a “less than” mentality. And isn’t God a God of more?

In Your Words: When “circumstantial evidence” piles up and makes you want to quit, how do you find hope again?

In Others\’ Words: Creating Hope http://wp.me/p63waO-2js #InOthersWords #quote #choosinghope

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\”The day the Lord created hope was probably the same day He created Spring.\” http://wp.me/p63waO-2js #quote #BernardWilliams #hope

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***

Enter this fun Spring Fling Giveaway from The Grove Story girls (Katie Ganshert, Cara Putman, Melissa Tagg, Courtney Walsh, Katherine Reay, Kristy Cambron, Sarah Ladd, and me) and you could be the winner of 1 of 8 novels! Enter here or click on the image.

 

#Romance is in the air! Enter the #bookgiveaway from @theGROVE_story girls to win 1 of 8 novels!

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