Wednesday, November 29, 2017

I Need You To Know You're Not Alone



My heart breaks for you. For the “you” who passes by in the grocery aisle and thinks no one sees you. No one cares.

My heart tenders to the child who goes to school thinking they are unloveable. Stupid.

My arms want to pull in the person who can’t seem to break free from the hurts and pains that they have suffered in their life. The one who gets sucked in by their depression and anxiety.

Oh, how I wish I could love on the sweet soul that feels like they have to be bold, brazen, and tough in order to never be hurt by someone again!

We all have moments where we are swept into these roles and feelings. But for some of us, they aren’t just moments. They are lifetimes.

If you are one of them, I need you to know you aren’t alone.  I need you to know that the lies you have believe about yourself can be overturned, undone, chased away.

I want you to know that there are others out there, JUST LIKE YOU. They feel the same way that you do. And they are wanting someone to touch them with a hug, with a squeeze of the hand, or with a pat on the back.

I understand what it feels like to want to know that someone will care if you don’t show up to church, school, or work. I “get it,” that your soul just wants a friend. A smile. A kind gesture.

So many feel as you do.

If I knew you personally, I would try to do these things for you. But I know there are many, many good souls out there who also feel the same as I do. So, please hang in there.

Wait.

Look.

Be patient.


That kind soul will cross your path. I pray it’s soon. But if not, be patient. Wait for them.

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Learn How To Enjoy Your "Wins"



We all have goals, wishes, and dreams.  There are those “personal” goals and wishes, and there are those goals that are more ambitious and aligned with our work or our passions for some kind of work.

I think for most of us, we achieve “wins” along the way. They may seem minor, but they are rungs on a ladder that we are climbing. If we’re real “go-getters,” it can be so easy to overlook those “wins” and just look ahead to the next rung we want to climb.

Focusing on our end goal is important. It keeps us on an intentional and diligent path.  But it also can rob us of enjoying the process. It can steal those moments of joy that come our way. So, then, it ‘s easier to get discouraged and frustrated about our progress.

ENJOY the “wins” you get along the way. Take the time to sit back and relish them. You worked hard for them!  Even if they seem little, they aren’t. They are big. For they are another step in the right direction. They bring you another moment closer to what you dream for yourself (or for someone else, if it happens to be a prayer request.)

There is absolutely nothing wrong with celebrating achievements. We are not “vain” or “selfish” to do so! You can celebrate with humility, thankfulness, and great joy. But allow those times to fuel you onward. Allow them to bring you continued clarity, and allow them to take a little bit of weight off of your shoulders and replace it, instead, with peace.

Whether it’s a work-related goal, or a personal one, don’t let it get lost in the whole process. Don’t be in such a hurry to reach the end, that you forget what has been done along the way.


It takes many jewels to form a diamond necklace. And it takes many “wins” to achieve a huge goal or dream. Allow them to form, delight in seeing each one granted, and you will love and appreciate the huge WIN all-the-more.

Thursday, November 16, 2017

Giving Your "All"




Excellence. I strive to do excellence in all I do. 

It stands out when I see someone else working with the goal of excellence.

It shouldn’t stand out. But it does. Excellence seems to be a rare trait.

How many times have you had to go back to the car service center because someone didn’t fix something right the first time? The same goes for “fix-it” guys. 

How many times is your day messed up because you had to “re-do” something that someone else didn’t do right?

Excellence.

People just don’t seem to be invested in what they are doing. They don’t seem to be invested in OTHERS.

That grieves me.

It doesn’t matter to me, if I don’t live with the results of a job I do…. Because someone else does. And what I do is a reflection of me. So, I want to go the extra mile. I want to do things with integrity, honor, and excellence.

Reputation. 

Honor. 

Empathy.

Compassion.


These are traits we should take with us as we do our jobs. As we walk in relationship with others. And, as we train up our children. They are all part of having and working with excellence in mind.

Doing the least we can do never benefits anyone. It doesn’t make anyone feel better or grow stronger. It’s simply a patch – never a permanent fix.

It feels good to invest yourself in all you do. In all you are. It feels good to know you did the right thing – spent the extra time – and put in the extra effort. EVEN if you don’t get paid extra. EVEN if you don’t get acknowledged.

It WILL pay off for you. In your reputation. In your feelings about yourself. And in the way you live your life.

Excellence. Try it. Achieve it. 

Give it.


We all hunger for it.

Friday, November 10, 2017

When Someone Sees Something In Us



Not too long ago, a woman told me that I had a ‘great vibe’ about me. She told me that I could do anything I set my mind to.

Then, someone else saw a picture I posted on facebook, and they told me that I was beautiful. When I politely told them ‘thank you, but that I didn’t see myself that way,” they replied again with a “own it. You are! “

Why is it so easy to believe the bad stuff about ourselves? And why is it so much harder to believe the awesome?

I think I’m nice. But, to think I can do anything I set my mind to? Hmmm……

And I think I’m cute. But beautiful? C’mon. 

What if we claimed the good things that others said about us? What if we truly started “owning” them? Not just for a “hot second,” but for a whole month? A year? A lifetime? Maybe then, we’d start fulfilling our true potential!

When someone compliments us, in whatever way, shape or form that comes in, I think that is an “I love you” message from God. A way that He comes down into the details of our lives to let us know that we have MORE to give. MORE to be. 

We limit ourselves more than anyone else can limit us. We deny ourselves things because we don’t believe we deserve them. We don’t believe we are worthy.

But we are. We are every bit as worthy and deserving as that “beautiful” person you see walk into the coffee shop, or that successful business guy that struts into the office.

If someone SEES something in us, isn’t that to be celebrated? Isn’t that worth something?


I think it is.