It’s not often that we get an opportunity to slow down our life. We can’t turn back the clock, but we can do what’s important with the time that we have available to us. We can evaluate how we use that time and make choices that align with our priorities. That means we first have to identify our priorities. That is not easy particularly when life brings great chaos. Most of us probably have a handful of priorities we can articulate immediately. But are we living our lives according to those priorities? Are we spending our time…
Some might take it as a bit delusional, but no matter the circumstances I choose the upside. I understand many people have lived through more pain and suffering than I have, but I have yet to find a time when light was absent. Each hiccup gives us an opportunity to become stronger or stressed. When I tell my kids to look for the light, the positive, the upside, they often reply, “What upside?” Often, it is hard to see the rainbow through the storm, but if one searches for light, I believe one will always find hope. Prayer is my…
My spiritual growth soared as my definition of love was redefined. My faith has been strong most of my life, but it was not until I was introduced to Dr. Issam and Kathy Nemeh that my definition of love changed. The importance and role of love is known to many, but how many of us live with love? Kindness and the golden rule were at the forefront of my life, but I did not live with love. This is not romantic love, but living life with love and compassion for all. I didn’t realize I could love people I…
I often think about how motivated we are when we find something we are able to acquire for free. Some might be motivated by a free logo item, food, beverage, and/or admittance to an event. For me, it’s all about knowing that I can live with inner peace for free. There is no secret to obtaining peace, the answer is through love. One simply has to address all aspects of life with love. This is a selfless love. It means choosing to move through life from a perspective of compassion. Not taking the bait to fight. Knowing there…
I will never know how often I have walked past the opportunity to provide a second chance to someone in need. But I have learned to look beyond what I see, ask questions, and offer a plan for success. I was responsible for a division of a company and had an employee who was not responding well at work. It was not a matter of being unlikeable or rude, but underperformance. When listening to management, it did not seem to be an issue in the past. I was concerned for her and the performance of our team. Before hearing the…
What comes to mind when one hears the word luxury? We all have our perspectives on what we classify as extravagant or difficult to obtain. One might assume that most people think of expensive cars, homes, jewelry, travel, and toys. All of which are things that require substantial funding. Clint Eastwood was quoted as saying, “Don’t look for luxury in shops, don’t look for it in gifts, don’t look for it at parties, don’t look for it at events. Luxury is being loved by people, luxury is being respected, luxury is having parents alive, luxury is…
If I had read the title, “Look For Love” 10 years ago, I would have assumed it was regarding romantic love. Thankfully, my definition of love has broadened immensely. Reading this title now, I know that it means looking at everything from a perspective of kindness, compassion, and love. It means finding the light in every situation. Ninety-nine percent of what happens can be horrible, but I choose to believe in the one percent of hope. Because I believe all things are possible through Jesus, I always have hope. Negativity is not an option. I am uncomfortable the moment…
I want to encourage everyone that hope is here. This world is hitting believers very hard, and I am hearing moments of discouragement from many. I am here to provide hope and to say stay the course—the journey is worth the fight! I am hopeful, living in the moment, knowing that Jesus has my back. Worry and stress are not part of my life because I have given control to Jesus. I live each day with inner peace, striving to love others more than myself. Being thankful and prayerful gives me hope and the right perspective to carry me…
I lived much of my life, putting parameters around love. I only saw love as something for family and close friends. Something very precious that was not handed out abundantly, but was cherished for those close to my heart. My definition of love was very small. Being kind was easy as was living with compassion and having a loving heart. But I did not love equally. Fortunately, I was raised to treat people equally and with respect. It didn’t matter your color, your ethnicity, your occupation, or your religion, I was taught to be kind and have compassion for…
The moment I feel myself hiding or avoiding something I stop and do a quick self-evaluation regarding the issue at hand. As I recognize my weaknesses I can better put together a plan to minimize the issues. I am always striving to eliminate the negative and create something positive. From my experience, people usually can identify several of their strengths. Self-evaluation of those characteristics helps keep our positive attributes in check. Our strengths can become areas of concern if we allow things like power and pride to develop. Normally I reflect on my strengths and weaknesses in three…