Travel light!

  Open your suitcase or unzip your backpack - what do you see? What's in your baggage that you truly need and want and what is excess? Do you see lack of forgiveness? Even toward yourself? What about unthinking 'disorganization'? Is there yesterday's pain? Maybe you have un-success (which is different from 'failure')? What are those unresolved problems, issues that you continue to pack?

  Personally, I believe that the lack of forgiveness - especially of self - is the biggest consumer of space. If you've repented, sought forgiveness, then move on. Get over yourself! Lighten your load and make space for those things that are self affirming. Are you fearful of making the same mistake again? Shouldn't be if you learn from previous experience. Maybe you're concerned of simply making mistakes... will you? Probably. We all do since it is part and parcel of living and growing. But what advantage is there to standing still? Living is a growing process and mistakes can be the building blocks of that growth.

  When you consider the other items in your luggage that really have no value, why are you continuing to carry them? Because if you are then you are also assessing a value to these items. What do you learn from carrying pain? Or from carrying yesterday's mistakes? Or in continuing to hold onto those things that no longer are an aid in your journey? Familiarity? A kind of... knowing the enemy you know rather than allowing something new to emerge if you let those things go. Absolutely... you will discover new things that might trip you up, but you don't add to those 'familiar' things in your luggage. 

  I realize that I do tend to ask those uncomfortable questions and even restate them in a different way but that's only to help to make certain that your journey is all that it can be - for you. In this case... perhaps if you rid yourself of those 'items' you really don't need you will have room for those things that can't be packed because of them... such as: adventure, joy, discovery, happiness, learning, etc. Those items are well worth packing because they all enhance who you are and allow you to continue on your path to becoming!

The Ripple Effect

  Everyone knows that when you toss a pebble into a pond of water that there are ripples that emanate outward from the spot the pebble entered the water. Regardless of the size of the pebble or the pond, there is always a ripple caused by the action. To expect the ripples to not occur or continue to it's end is like suddenly doubting the sun won't rise in the morning - not gonna happen. Ripples always occur... always. This is another 'is'. I'm not talking about the size of the pebble/pond/ripple, I'm talking about the existence of a ripple.

  In the same context, as much as we may desire to deny it, everything, e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g we say or do sparks an effect, will cause a ripple...  What you say and what you do doesn't exist in a vacuum, and it never effects only you (and your 'target'). Words and actions cause a ripple effect though sometimes we don't see the extent to which the ramifications (ripples) from our behavior impact. This reality, though serious, should never occasion a paralysis of action on our part because even no action is and can become an action that creates an effect. A 'better' use of our time would be to become aware of how what we do and say affects others.

  Knowing that unintended as well as predictable reactions will occur from our words and actions should never become more than our internal 'check'. By this I mean that we need to think before we speak or act and not let emotions dictate. After having said that... I know we are all susceptible to problems because we all speak and act unthinkingly. But we also have within us the ability to control this 'spontaneity'. And when we 'check' ourselves this does not mean subjugating our thinking and beliefs. Actually this speaks to intentionality and what our goals are for what we say or do. 'Check' is merely an internal alarm causing us to know and be aware of how we do what we do. For example: if we are attempting to communicate then yelling will probably not achieve acceptance or understanding of what we are saying.

  Actually ripples aren't necessarily bad or should cause fear because there are positive outcomes as well. Once we grasp that ripples always happen then we can also see how we can use this given to do and say those things that cause positive outcomes.Ripples can give us our internal standard to prejudge a potential impact. Again the example: if our goal is to communicate something then we need to be alert and aware of reception so that any questions about what is said is understood. This approach provides a preemptive awareness to issues that can arise.
 

Guides

  We all have guides. And these guides go under a variety of names. Sometimes these guides are people - but sometimes the problem is that we don't look deeply into their personal philosophies to know if they are people we should follow. But there are other guides, for example the principles that come from experience or our reading. For me, words are often those guides. But words have to become more than... words, they have to have operational definitions as well, otherwise why bothering to think that they are guides? My guiding words are fruitful, meaning, purpose. These underscore all the other words. But, what about you - what (who) are your guides?

  Undoubtedly we all can define each of those words but my definitions may differ. Fruitful. This means that there is fruit that can be 'seen' from my words and actions. Obviously the goal is that the fruit be good and able to last. This, in my estimation, is not something we can do of and by ourselves. Scripture (Matthew 15:19, Proverbs 11:30, etc.) tells us that fruitfulness is a direct result of whatever controls our lives. Thus we need the Lord and His attributes which He promises to those who have faith in Him (Galatians 5:19-20, Colossians 1:10, etc.). When I look at my fruit I do see spoiled fruit or bruised fruit but I can also see when and how the Lord worked through me to produce good fruit. What do you see when you view your fruit? And is it pleasing?

  Meaning. This is a big word for me and is partnered with Purpose. If what I say and do has no meaning and little to no purpose... then why do/say it? I truly dislike irrelevancy and especially as it pertains to me and my behavior, never enjoy wasting my time and energy. If meaning and purpose have no value then it's time to change. The definition of those two words are highly related. Webster defines 'meaning' as: the end, purpose, or significance (of something). Purpose is defined: the reason for which something exists or is done, made, used... an intended or desired result; end; goal. My caveat on this is that the word can't be esoteric only... it has to have operational and practical visibility.

  Guides in my world of definitions are what the word implies... they are the standards by which I can judge what I'm doing and saying. They are the pillars on which I build my personal mindset, my philosophy of life and living. More important though is what the word says to you. How do you define the word - guides? And how do you 'use' them... do they fulfill the role you have designed for them? 
 

DESTINY!!!

  The word does deserve a !!! What do you believe about destiny? Is it by chance? by choice? How do you know if you are on your path to your destiny? Are there signs you are following? H-O-W do you KNOW??? And the answers to those questions lead you on your path to your destiny... or away from reaching your fulfillment. 

  What does it mean to you when you consider 'destiny'? Just a word with little or no relevance to your day-to-day living? Your impetus each day to direct your energies toward walking toward accomplishing this? Then again - what is 'destiny'? I'm not certain that I agree totally with Webster's definition: future destined for a person...; fate; fortune; lot; the predetermined or inevitable course of events; the ultimate power or agency that predetermines the course. Not! Where is individual choice, individual involvement in this? Nowhere! This places us in the position of recipients and robots with no responsibility or association. This is a definition for fatalists.

  My belief is that we are far more involved and engaged in attaining our destiny than mere 'beneficiaries'. Besides... what if the 'fates' determine a sad or substandard destiny - would you meekly accept this? I certainly hope not. Destiny is far too important to be trusted to unknown forces. And even if the destiny is a positive one, it's still up to you. You have to contend for your Destiny. It will always, always be your choice to pursue it or to let it pass you by. Simply because you or others believe you have a destiny (fill in the blank), it will never come to fruition if you do nothing. YOU have to walk in your destiny, no one can do it for you or make you.

  In my world of definitions, destiny is far more exciting, far more demanding, far more self-determined, far more of an adventure. And, it is a act that you decide on each day, each path, each step you take. It's intentional, it's open to change, it evolves, and it is proactive. The single variable is really you. Destiny isn't outside of you but it is your determination to follow your path, to make it yours. And if this doesn't excite you and fill you with joy... then you are not following your path to your destiny. 

Derailed in the midst of...

everyday living? In the midst of your journey? I can't think of anything more frustrating, though there are issues that are equally compelling (spelled: irritating). This is another one of those times that call for 'now what' questions. They nearly demand an answer and it will impact on how long the derailment will last. Unfortunately, many times we discover that derailments take longer to 'fix' than other problems we may face. And coupled that with the reality, that many times we aren't the ones who can fix the derailment, we need others - which leaves us subject to them and their expertise and efficiency.

 

  Derailments can be viewed as a (fill in the blank), or that time when everything seems wrong and all seemed relatively meaningless or hopeless... or at least halted for the moment. That's what derailments do - they stop you. Minimally, it is always a distraction, an interruption. And now... you need to resolve your derailment recognizing that it may not be in your hands. Back to the initial question - what do YOU do now?

  The answer to that question may be... nothing. There's nothing you can do because you aren't the one who can fix the derailment. So, in this case, let's assume that this is your condition. What will you do in your midst of waiting? Many people simply grumble about being in this predicament. Others will attempt to simply do the 'waiting game' and ... wait. There are those who will look at the situation and try and learn from it so that it won't be repeated in the future. That stance, to me, is far more proactive.

  The last group are those who fill their waiting time but not simply with games or idle conversation but who, like the proactive types, will spend their waiting time learning, discovering other 'things'. These really are ideal times to ponder and consider who you are on this particular road you're on. To make decisions relevant to who you are and what you do. Perhaps it's a time for 'what if' thinking (the area of consideration can be personal or job related).

  If you find yourself in a derailment... use the time wisely (your definition) to consider: is this the right road for you, and if not, what is? Are you continuing to learn, to grow, to become the best you possible? Ask yourself your questions. Once the derailment is fixed, regardless of how long it takes, will you want to continue on the road you're on?

It's always in the details...

  I can't think of a single thing we do that the 'details' don't impact, one could argue that they control. What do you think? Every time that an action appears to be appropriate and something goes amiss, I've learned to backtrack the details to discover if that's where I missed a step, or added a conflicting step, etc. And you know... it IS the details that caused the problem. I also have realized that in most cases, if I return to the point where I went astray, I can resolve and redeem the forward movement.

  Soooo... the question always comes to: is there something in your life that is requiring you to look into the details to discover what your problem is? You're not in the blame game, are you? Blaming (fill in the blank) never gets us to resolution, actually it delays it. The point isn't who is to blame, the point is how to resolve whatever will restart the forward motion to accomplishing the goal. After resolution you can always indicate what caused the problem and discover, develop, share what would have been a better action.

 Tough question - are you the problem because you don't give 'details' their due? And if so, do you know why? Are you following based in the direction or do you try to take the 'easy' way out or follow your own desires. I'm trying hard not to place blame or dictate what you should be doing, but if you don't consider the details of whatever you are undertaking have you met with success? If so, ignore me. If not, then start paying heed to the details to make certain they belong, are adhered to, and be open to change.

  To say that it's always in the details is to underestimate how much they influence the eventual outcome. Why am I harping on this? Because, it's very frustrating to be part of an enterprise and discover, typically too late, that others who are also involved have not thought out the potential ramifications from the details they are in charge of. Remember the old adage that the war was lost for want of a nail. It can be that catastrophic or as 'simple' as a waste of time, resources, energy, and the goal.

Look where you're going!!!

  Look out! Look where you’re headed! How often have we heard this warning? And how often have we heeded it? And when we haven’t, how often have we stubbed our toe or fallen? Warnings should do exactly what they’re intended to accomplish – to alert us to what lies ahead and help us to concentrate on the road we’re on at the moment. And a warning, while sounding very demanding, has only the power to make us follow it to the extent that we allow. 

  Perhaps you don’t realize or appreciate the degree of control (power) you have over your own life, over the direction you are headed. While you may feel ‘controlled’ rather than controlling ultimately you still have the decision and control over your attitude and over your willingness to accept the control. But is your analysis accurate over the amount of control you can exercise… especially over you and your actions? It always is up to us to heed, or not, the warning to look where you’re going.  

  Perhaps the problem causing the warning isn’t as dire as it sounds, maybe it is more so. Question is – if you don’t look, what are you allowing to happen – do you want to reap from not even taking the time to see the relevance of the warning? Heeding becomes an entirely different decision? Ignoring kinda smacks of pride. And everyone knows what comes next.  

  Granted that a warning to you may not be significant to me but you can’t dismiss the fact that someone sounded the alarm. That someone was concerned enough to want to spare you the problem of a fall or something worse. If you were in the position, would you sound an alarm? This is another layer to the warning issue. Would you be willing to call out the ‘look out’ realizing that it may not be a danger to someone or that it may not be favorably accepted?  

  In my experience, whether the alarm is critical or merely an alert to potential problems, I will take the time to stop my progress and look. Looking costs me nothing and may save me from future problems. It does seem a bit of cutting off the nose to spite the face to not look.

 

Making the world a better place…

  Actually that’s what it’s all about. We all have the potentiality to make the world a better place. It is up to us to walk in this. But first you have to believe you can make the world a better place and then you have to seize your moment to act on your part when it presents itself.

  We all have a part, a place but we have to believe this. Without a belief that we can make a difference, we will never act on our possibility. It always is our acceptance or rejection that will determine the possibility of making a difference. Then again… maybe all this begins with a definition of ‘making the world a better place’.

  The obvious place to start with a definition is to consider and analyze the world we live in. What are the issues your world is facing, or are they ignoring? What is available to resolve them? What kind of difference could you make in this? Remember that not every issue is one you should place your time and energy on – but what one(s) are yours?

  Next we need to be aware of our style of making… better place. If we have an altruistic approach to making...better place then our definition will tend to exemplify this. The problem comes when our style of behavior isn’t appreciated or even wanted. Now we have to contend with a new set of dynamics. The problem is that either a like or dislike reaction can spark a despotic behavior which is totally counter-productive. What we need to do is look at our motives – why are we doing what we do.

  And these are only some of the obvious issues we deal with in determining HOW we can go about making the world a better place. Desire is important as is ability but entry into being able to impact is probably the most important issue to resolve. You can have all the desire… do you have the entry? You can have enormous ability… do you have the entry? And if you don’t have entry – what can, or will, you do?

  However, in the midst of all this is the knowing that in small ways and more obvious ones, each of us has the option to make a difference in our world. We choose to make our world better or we walk away in an attempt at isolation because we can't plead ignorance.
 

Grudges and Forgiveness ...

  Do you hold grudges? I thought that I didn't until an incident occurred and I had to reexamine exactly what I did, not just believe, but did. I think I always believed in forgiveness because I tended to find myself in need of it quite often. But what about you? Are you needing to seek forgiveness for something you did or didn't do but you don't know how to go about it? Actually it's quite simple - you go to the person you injured and you say - I apologize, please forgive me. At that point 'the ball is in their court' but you have done what you need to do. Yes? But if your behavior doesn't demonstrate a change then have you really repented or simply gone through the motions?

  But what about when you need to forgive someone? Whether or not they ask for your forgiveness, are you quick to grant it and then offer the grace not to hold it against them? No retribution? No quid pro quo? No grudge? And there my friend is the rub. My question is - if you have forgiven someone can you hold a grudge? Yes I know we do but do we have 'the right' to? I'm afraid we don't. We need to be able to walk in forgiveness toward those we believe have wronged us. While we may not move quickly into trust toward them, we do need to display behavior that doesn't punish. And as much as we may not want to admit it.... a grudge is punishment. Question: who is punished?

  Let me ask you a different question... if you are a grudge-holder, what are the benefits? What do you get from holding a grudge? And is the grudge recipient even aware that you hold a grudge? Listen to the words commonly associated with 'grudge' - carry, hold. Both of those words imply that you end up using energy in order to accomplish this. Thus, you hostage yourself to your grudge(s). So..... why hold a grudge? Isn't that just extra baggage you have to carry? And if the other person really was sorry, by holding the grudge do you cut off your nose to spite your face by not associating with them?

  A grudge does impact your journey... it will affect your thinking and thus your behavior. It can be quite insidious. BUT, you can choose to reject grudges and yes I know that's far more difficult to achieve. I think my behavior was to simply not place myself in a position to be in contact with the grudgee. But in this I may also have denied myself a blessing. Yet, I did not perceive myself as holding a grudge but ignoring is not walking in forgiveness and that is the goal. As Christians we have no alternative except to forgive, whether or not the person requests it, but it is our decision to walk with grudge(s). I found myself amazed at the freedom I felt when I did release the grudge. Freedom is worth the price... bondage - I don't think so.

Born to grow...

  I admit that I talk a great deal about finding yourself, discovering who you are and where you're going and why but this is never an instantaneous discovery and is always never ending. And there is no magic wand to wave that will grant you this information. You have to decide that you are important enough to discover you. Without knowing who and why you will only repeat behavior that is or can be unproductive or even harmful. And one of the most important learnings and what we don't always recognize is that we are born to grow.

  How you define 'born to grow' has a tremendous influence on what you will find; actually whether or not you will even engage in your own growing or your awareness of your growth. Too often we put the eternal, the essential growth to a 'later' category. To be all that you can be is a partnership. And you have to be an active participant in this partnership. The Father is ready and willing to join you in your quest but He won't do it to you. Your questions are: do you want to grow? And if so, what are you willing to do to accomplish this? And if not - are you willing to live with uncertainty?

  I suspect that in nearly every entry I write I am, in some way, attempting to lure you into both a closer walk with the Lord and a deeper understanding of who you are and all of the potentialities that are part and parcel of you. Again, this is not a 'once and done' activity, you will be involved in this process your entire life. Even the word, grow, implies this ongoing reality. To me it is a continual adventure of discovery - of me, of the Lord, of others, of... and by now it should be very apparent that I dearly love adventures and discovering.

 Enjoy the journey because finding yourself will take time. Impatience on your part won't speed the process any and may increase the time it takes to find who you are and where you're going, how you're going to get there and who may be on your journey with you. Besides... if you start this journey with an open and positive mind then you will find all sorts of discoveries and learnings as you travel.

Layers

  It seems that 'everything' has layers. This is neither 'good' or 'bad' it is a given. Example: in school first you learn 2+2=4, and as foundation then you graduate to multiplication and division, and then on to algebra and trig, etc. You can catch my point - that everything really is a building block for the next stage, the next phase of growth. And, I tend to believe that it is sequential. The math example: you certainly wouldn't be expecting someone in the 3rd grade to be able to understand differential calculus because the foundation hasn't been built yet.

  There is a scripture in Isaiah (28) that speaks to this. Beginning in verse 9: "Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make to understand...For precept must be upon precept...Line upon line." Personally I've always been intrigued with those verses but I also recognize their relevance and applicability. It's how we learn. It's how we apply what we learn. As one level, layer or plateau is understood, we test it out and as it stands the test we begin to rely on it. We use the level as a basis to grow and build upon. But everything begins with the foundation... which must be firm and understood.

  From that basis I formed my own belief that we never stop learning - we can stop ourselves from growing and we can attempt to ignore our new learnings and discoveries but that is counter productive. As we apply precept upon precept and line upon line we build our own frame of reference, our philosophical foundation. We too are layered. The problem can be when we begin to believe that the layers no longer seem relevant. Before eliminating them, we really should determine if they still have value and in what context. We all tend to throw the baby out with the bathwater... and then too often we eventually retrace our steps.

  Layers, plateaus, line upon line are all meant for us to experience a consistent and congruous growth. The fact that these exist tells us that we have time to absorb the learnings and apply them - to 'know' them without rushing. It really is important to focus on what's being taught in our now that we can build on and use. My advice has always been to enjoy what you are learning now, regardless of the difficulty, because it is part of your structure. What you choose to build, those learnings you retain and those you choose to disavow are your decision. Do choose wisely.