My Riffs

Make peace with all men and peace will follow you. Peacemakers are blessed, war makers are not. Don’t go to war with others, be someone who makes peace. There’s a shortage of peacemakers. Be one and fill in the gap. 

Tomorrow is Easter. It’s a reminder that even if it’s not a good day or season, a better one is coming. Don’t ever give up hope, no matter how bad the day or the season. Something better will be coming!

How clear do you see yourself? That’s a tough question to answer. We can’t know for certain the answer, but we can have some ideas. If you’re surrounded by loving people, you’re likely getting feedback about yourself. How do people respond to you, how do you make them feel, how do people leave when they’ve been with you? There’s plenty of clues as to who you are when you examine these things. If you can see yourself, both the good and bad, then you may be seeing yourself clearly. When you see yourself clearly you can work on the bad and use the good for your advantage. 

We’re afraid of weak. It’s so counter human. We want to be strong. But if we have to be honest we’re not always strong. And that’s okay. Weakness is when friends can help us and we can dig deeper to improve ourselves. 

Selfish people think of themselves more often and think of themselves as more important. People with humility think of others as equal or more than themselves and find themselves no more important than anyone else. Selfless people give and selfish people take. Selfish people are satisfied easy, selfless people find contentment much faster. The art of living selfless takes maturity and it the better way to aim. Selfless people are the ones who truly make the world a better place.

Failure is giving up. It's not making a mistake or even knowing when to quit. Failure is giving up when you still should be going. 

Masters simplify things. Dabblers complicate it. Novices complicate it. When you've mastered something, you've simplified it in some way. Masters aren't intimidated by novices or doubters. Don't try and complicate things,  try and break them down into the most simple way possible.

Being called a dreamer is often an attempt at an insult. But that couldn’t be more wrong. Dreamers are necessary. It’s the dreamers that have done the unimaginable, created the extraordinary and invented the impossible. 

One way to tell true friends is when things aren’t going well. True friends are there when the times are tough. They dig in when you’re down. Friends come easy when things are going well, but stand by the ones who are there for you when you’re down. 

To be blessed you have to bless. Blessed people are givers, not takers. Want to be and feel blessed, then give and bless others.  

The things that we think impress people are really some of the least impressive things. Society seems to demand we impress people with the superficial and temporal. But what is really impressive are the things of character and love. Good character is impressive. Showing love is impressive. Generosity is impressive. Flashy things aren't actually as impressive. Getting character and giving from a generous heart is so much more impressive.

With so much noise in everyday life, many find it uncomfortable to be in the quiet or still. Quiet and still isn’t a bad thing but many are afraid to be in it. They may be afraid to be alone with their thoughts. The quiet is where we can think and be creative. The still is where we can learn to find peace.  

Building bridges is a good thing. It doesn't mean you have to cross every one, but if you can build many bridges, you will have more opportunities and strengths.Be careful when you burn a bridge, you may need it again some day. Avoid bridge burning whenever you possibly can.

Don't lie, but tell the truth. There's a difference between just not lying and telling the truth. You can withhold the truth and not lie. Speaking the truth is more important than just not lying. Being accurate and forthright is a taller order than "don't lie". The more truth spoken, the more powerful it is. 

Being present is getting more difficult. The distractions are too many. Life comes at us faster than we can handle or process. Technology is constantly calling us away from the present. Being present though is what makes us who we are. Being present is where we grow, connect and change. being present is where we can find things like real joy. Disconnecting from technology and distractions is how we can connect with the important things.

To help someone we often want to know what can we say to help them. But I think the better question is what can we be. Who we are is infinitely more important than what we can say. So to help someone, be something they need. Be there for them. Your presence and character is much more powerful than anything you can say. Words are powerful, but being an example is even more effective. 

The small things are the big things. The small things we take for granted are really the big things. It's easy to overlook the small things we've grown accustomed to. But it's those things that are really what are important. The moments of being with family and friends. The sunshine. The relaxing moments with a book or whatever your favourite thing is. We look for the big things, but they often let us down. The small things never let us down when we appreciate them.

You can be generous with more than just your finances. Generous people give to whatever needs there are. Be generous with you skills. Be generous with your knowledge. Be generous with your time. Be generous with your love!

Data only matters if you do something with it. The data (or knowledge) we gather only matters if we use it. We gather knowledge naturally as we age and mature. But we get varying degrees of the application of knowledge. Some people use it and some don’t use it as much. It’s available for everyone to take advantage of, but not everyone does. 

 The most blessed people are the ones who give the most, not the ones who take the most.

What a deadly duo. Be kind and be courageous, you can do much with these two strengths. Kindness builds bridges and courage crosses them. 

We often sell ourselves short in thinking we can't make a difference. Everyone can make a difference! Every time we are kind, considerate and love people we are making a difference. It doesn't always take big, loud acts. Kindness can be done quietly and can even be "small". But in doing these small things we make a big difference.

Many irritants show weaknesses in ourselves. We like to blame the irritant, but many times it's actually our weakness or our vulnerability showing. Paying attention to these spots can allow us to work on them and become stronger. 

Stop worrying about the past so much. It is unchangeable, so why invest anything in it. The past can haunt us, and past decisions do effect today. But you can't change it, you have only today. Time spent ruminating over yesterday is time lost.

Good people make you better. If you can find good people, connect with them deeply and often. You will be a better person. Good people make those around them better.

How can you tell if someone cares? It’s really simple, they pay attention. People don’t invest attention to things they don’t care about, at least not for long.