My Riffs

More doesn’t equal better. Many times we think more is good and more is better than less. But that’s not always the case.  If you jam pack something, there’s no room left. No room left for something better. No room left for change or margin of error.  So often, less is more.  Less removes complexity. Less pairs down to what’s necessary and valuable. 

It's only impossible until someone does it. It takes a determined courageous person to defy impossibilities. They can see a way when nobody else can. Such people have invented things like airplanes, light bulbs, phones. They have broken records of running, speed and endurance. Don't let impossibilities deter you from achieving great things.

If you can be faithful over a few things you will be made ruler over many.

There's four seasons in the year as far as weather goes. You have to recognize the season or else you work will be futile. You don't plant during harvest season. You don't reap during planting season. You can't work against the season. Your work will be futile. In life, there's plenty of different seasons. You need to recognize when season your in, or those in your care are in. Doing something in the wrong season may make a good intentioned action not work at all. Just  like the sower who sowed just before winter. Recognize what season you're in and take the appropriate action for that season. The author of the bible book of Ecclesiastes said (paraphrased): there's a time to plant and a time to reap, a time to break down and a time to build up, a time to gather a time to cast away, a time to rend and a time to sew...  Recognize the season. 

Quick decisions are good for low impact situations. But slow decisions are best for high impact situations.  Being slow probably pays more often than being fast. But there’s times to be both. 

One sure thing is that things will change. You can always be certain that things will change. How do you handle change? We seem wired to not love change, but it's part of life. Those better at adapting with change have a less tumultuous life. Those who can learn to take advantage of change are successful.

Back in time things changed slow. Long before you and I were born. If your parents farmed, than you farmed and usually lived the same life as your parents. Little changed generation to generation. Farming equipment was the same generation to generation. There wasn't such thing as new technology as we know it today. It looks hundreds and sometimes thousands of years for major advances in civilization. Fast forward to today. We’re in an age of rapid change. The life I grew up like 30 years ago is vastly different from the life my kids are growing up in. I venture my grandchildren will yet again grow up in a vastly different world.  Change is accelerating, thanks to technology. It's hard to stay on top of the latest. What are some lessons to learn in this? Here's a few. - Try to be understanding of people younger than you. They live in a different world from the one you grew up in. - You don't have to jump on every single new thing that comes along. - Learn to value qualit...

It’s one of the most valuable skills to work on. When we work on self, we make the world a better place. People without self control are dangerous to themselves and people in contact with them.

Sometimes the people who succeed are the ones who simply show up. By this I mean, the person who learns how to be faithful has a huge advantage over one who doesn’t. 

I struggled writing a blog tonight. Ideas come in bunches and sometimes they don’t come at all. I’m learning to write down my ideas as they come so they aren’t lost. Had I written down more ideas though, I wouldn’t have struggled tonight. Reminder to self: do better at writing down ideas when they decide to come. 

The greatest hang up is usually the same for everyone, that being, the past. We get so hung up by what has already happened that we are slowed to a standstill. Letting go of the past is one of the most rewarding things you can give yourself. It's just much harder to do than just say. Letting go of the past opens up the future though. You have to let go in order to move forward.  (this is referring to letting go of the bad, you want to always hold dear to the good)

My son is 10 months old and he’s teaching me some things that I’ve maybe forgotten as an adult.  - Get over things fast. He can be upset in one moment and immediately gets over it when Momma holds him or he forgets what’s bothered him. I don’t get over things so quickly and easily.  - Keep exploring and pay attention. An airplane catches his attention. A ceiling fan mesmerizes him. He’s curious about what every little sound and action is. And he’s learning super fast because of it. I tune out so much and don’t pay attention to all that’s going on. I wonder what lessons I’m missing by not paying attention? - He’s very grateful. He gets excited when he tried something new. He’s smiles widely at strangers. He laughs so purely. He sleeps peacefully. He isn’t ashamed to make happy sounds anytime or anywhere. He relies on other people with no pride. He trusts others. What great qualities for me to keep working on!

Not every day is equal, but every day you can put in an equal effort. 

Your biggest problem is exactly that, the biggest problem you are facing. And in that we forget there are people facing bigger problems than we are.  That doesn’t diminish our problem, but it does provide perspective. 

If I didn’t learn anything today I wasn’t looking hard enough. Or listening hard enough.  If I’m not learning I’m not growing. I don’t want to waste a day without growing.  Paying attention is the way to grow. 

My hero's aren't people you would read about in the news. They won't likely be mentioned in history books. They aren't even well knows. But they're people who have good character, who are faithful and positive. They're people who have endured and shows strength when it was hard to be strong. They're full of love and kindness. They're people to look up to because they make the world a better place and are true examples of what to be.

The heart is the steering wheel of a human being. What the heart wants, it will eventually get. That's good reason to constantly check yourself and make sure what's in your heart is good. Because it's eventually going to manifest itself. You can't hide what's in your heart forever. Best to uproot anything bad the moment you notice it.

Often the hardest person to see clearly is ourselves. It's easy to see other people and see faults. But are we so good at seeing our faults? It's not so easy to spot our faults because we've grown into them maybe. If you see a fault in someone else, it's a good opportunity to check yourself honestly for that fault in yourself. Spouses, parents and close friends are also good sources for honest feedback to help you see the hardest to see person, yourself.

You can reduce people into two categories but here goes :) There’s solutionists and problemists.  Solutionists find a solution to every problem. Problemists find a problem for every solution.

Today is September 11th and I’ve been seeing tributes go out all day for the events of 9/11.  I can still feel all the feelings of that day. That day changed the world. It just takes one day and drastic lasting changes can be made. Use tomorrow for good. 

Sticks and stone may hurt my bones but words can never hurt me. That's what we used to say as children to name callers. But it wasn't true. Sticks and stones can't do the depth of damage words can. Your words are powerful tools of creation. You can create realities more real than actual physical reality with words. Words can calm violence or it can set off violence. Words can build and they can destroy. Your words are extremely important. Be extremely careful what you say as you are building your reality as you speak. It starts as a thought, but the thought takes on reality when it's spoken. 

You’re the only person you spend every second with. That’s a lot of time. So if you don’t like something about yourself, change it. Life is too long to live with something you don’t like and can change. Make yourself into someone you enjoy living with.

How do you learn? If you're unsure, it's best to learn how you learn. Are you an audio learner or someone who needs demonstration? Or do you prefer to read to learn. Or maybe a mix. If you can identify how you learn, you can fast track your learning by skipping the learning methods that don't help you.

There's two ways to live: - Intentional - Unintentional You can liken intentional living to having a rudder on your ship. Unintentional living is like sailing rudderless and just following the current. Unintentional living doesn't lead to good places and it a waste. Intentional living is difficult but rewarding.

You can let the rain keep you from living or you can dance in the rain. You will get wet, but you'll be living.

One's attitude is one of the better indicators of how they will do. Your attitude is something always within your control. It constantly takes adjustment, but it's still fully within your control. Your attitude you either be your best ally or its can be your worst enemy. How do you get a good attitude? Constant adjustments. It's not an overnight process, but it's an every day process.

I’ve found that more often than not, that less is better than more. When more adds complexity them it’s too much   Where this isn’t true though is in giving free things like love. 

I've seen a trend in people who know more. They're less certain, or at a minimum they're much slower to judgement. Know it alls jump to conclusions and judgements and they actually don't know more. They just think they know more.

Nobody can force you to change inside. No circumstance can either. That's the one thing that you have complete control over. So what does that mean? It means to keep your heart right. You will eventually follow your heart, so make sure it's right. Nobody can change your heart inside of you.

There's a difference between looking back and seeing how far you've come. Looking back doesn't really have any benefit. It often leaves us dwelling on things we can't change. But it's good to know how far you've come.