Just Start Already!
Failure to Launch If it only requires one step to begin the journey of 1,000 miles, why do we fail to take it, and how do we overcome our resistance? It is not the lack of or inadequate planning. In fact, planning may cause paralysis by analysis. You are still in the profession you wanted […]
Hypocrite!
Enough of the congenial tone of the past two weeks; as fair-minded as we think we are and aspire to be, we are often hypocrites. Good for the Goose, Good for the Gander? We particularly delight in criticizing things we have not and will not do. Many believe homosexuality is a sin, and some heterosexuals […]
Progress Over Personal Condemnation
Casting the First Stone. Even our most exalted heroes have done something reprehensible. Peaceful changemaker Ghandi was racist and slept naked with his teenage grandniece. Humanitarian Mother Teresa allegedly provided inadequate, unhygienic care. Anti-imperialist revolutionary Che Guevara was a racist, homophobe, and mass murderer. If we performed an honest self-examination, we would uncover actions (save […]
Faster Than a Speeding Bullet…
Oh, how we love to find fault and use it to criticize others. And how fortunate we are to live in a time when almost nothing is private. Our quivers have a never-ending supply of arrows. However, our rush to judgment fails to consider things are rarely as simple as they appear. A few considerations… […]
Instant Karma
“Instant Karma’s Gonna Get You.” We interrupt this week’s scheduled post due to an untimely event. John Lennon was right about that instant karma. The last two week’s messages on supporting others in times of grief and dealing with your grief provoked more than usual reader responses expressing how much they needed and appreciated the […]
Dealing With Loss
What about our grief over the loss of a loved one? Today, we explore different perspectives while acknowledging that a solitary blog post is particularly insufficient for those suffering the loss of a spouse or descendant. Cathy and I witnessed our parents grieve the death their oldest child’s death (our only siblings) and dear friends […]
There for Them
The dreaded phone call brings news of death that triggers grief, even when it comes as expected after a long illness. While we cannot and should not avoid our grieving process, today’s message addresses our response to others. The closest family members possess the most immediate and highest needs. Even if you are one of […]
A Random Act of Kindness Reveals…
Everything Wrong with Me Today’s message is not merely a confession but also a cautionary tale. Usually, I would not drag someone else down with me, but “Sam” was my able accomplice and indicates I am not alone in my compulsions. Sam and I were bike riding when we noticed a car stranded on the […]
Warning: Sensitive Subject Matter
The Groundwork I hope you trust me enough to hear (read) me out. It is the other subject besides politics you are not supposed to talk about. Defensive reactions and fear of intruding upon or offending others make it an uncomfortable topic. However, I would be almost disingenuous if I omitted a subject significant to […]
Love, Hate, Both?
Examples Abound It is the White guy who truthfully has Black friends but jokes about Blacks being unable to swim. It is my bible study classmate who announced that he hates White people. While I have doubts about his honesty, there must be some truth to his words. It was the Nazi party leaders who […]