Knew This Was Coming
The GroundworkAlthough this is one of the two topics (the other being politics) you are not supposed to discuss, I have overcome my reluctance to talk about faith because of its crucial importance. I am not here to evangelize for a specific faith tradition, even though I have hitched my wagon to one. I am […]
Time is on Our Side
After last week’s post, do you think I have gone soft? No, I expect everyone in our country to abide by our laws. Following customs is a matter of respect and courtesy, not a moral imperative. Although the American1 Way and Christianity are increasingly mispracticed, they have served the country well, and I advocate correcting […]
Real American Values
Maybe I shouldn’t be, but I am shocked that many are abandoning fundamental American principles and seeking to deny Muslims the right to practice and live according to their faith. In a neighboring suburb, 500 people recently showed up at a city council meeting to protest the approval of a mosque’s building permit. The protesters […]
Poor Ally
What holds us back from embracing the highly touted abundant mindset? Scarcity. The scarcity mindset makes you think small, settling for getting by instead of prospering. In contrast, the abundant mindset seeks progress rather than preservation, and sees promise in every circumstance. CauseOur survival instinct, tendency to compare, and fear incline us toward scarcity. While […]
Shifting Sands
President JFK’s words from his inaugural speech, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country,” were repeated often during my childhood. Over the past 60 years, there has been a definite shift from that once famous proposition to the idea that the government is the solution […]
Police the Boundary
Hold Your HorsesWe all have a nemesis: a sister who insists you watch her newborn every Saturday night, a boss who calls you on the weekend, or a friend who is always an hour late for dinner. Too often, we suffer in relative silence and tolerate the behavior because we fear disrupting the relationship. We […]
Let It Go to Your Head
Why No Celebration?All but the most intentional fail to recognize our achievements, no matter how significant. We tend to minimize them or immediately treat them as yesterday’s news. We reach the summit and think we should have done it faster, or we are already planning for the next mountain climb. This tendency may be why […]
The Residue
What do you do with your superfluous stuff? Do something with it, or you may leave it as my uncle left it to me. If you are many years away from dumping on your descendants, use these messages to develop habits you will not need to correct later. Your Descendants?Divest yourself of the notion that […]
Better Them Than You
Now that you have become a faithful sentinel, guarding your homestead against an invasion by anything you will not use, you can turn your attention to the unused objects trespassing in your home. Necessary?Even if unused items do not obstruct the use of your house, they still create an unavoidable mental preoccupation. What is your […]
Stop the Insanity
No Judgment ZoneYou do not need to be a television-show-worthy hoarder to have far more than you use. A cursory look at our closets, kitchen drawers, and garages would provide ample evidence for all but the most fastidious. We have well beyond our needs and are incapable of satisfying our wants. I am not here […]