Going From “Have to” to “Get to”
There are quite a few things we feel we have to do in life—various responsibilities, commitments, and goals we set for ourselves. You might say “I have to” do this or that, or at least think it consciously or subconsciously. “I have to exercise”, “I have to eat healthy”, “I have to go to work”, “I have to volunteer”, “I have to do chores”, “I have to run errands”. The list goes on. But what if we replace the words “have to” with “get to” for all these things? What if we reimagine them with all the opportunities and possibilities they possess? What if we’re grateful to even have the…
How to Begin Each Day With Purpose
Waking up and getting out of bed in the morning can be a drag without a sense of purpose to your day. This is not to be mistaken with waking up with a list of things you hope to get done. Rather, it’s waking up with a general intention for the day. Below is a short and simple fill-in-the-blank prompt to help find that general purpose to each day. First, you start with an honest reflection (#1 & #2) on your current situation, and then follow it up with a plan (#3). The plan doesn’t have to be anything elaborate. It can be a simple act or a simple change…
A Look Back on a Decade
Without fail, the end of any year brings about a lot of different lists of the top highlights or memorable moments that year. It’s the time we look back, momentarily. And then we begin anew, focusing our sights ahead on the new year. As I reflect on not only the past year but the past decade, there are a few memorable events that happened that I want to give recognition to before we move on into 2020. While we’ve pedaled backward in some areas, we’ve made some progress in others; and that gives me hope. Here is my very short (I don’t want to bore you) PositLive list of highlights…
Your Purpose
Back in the early 2000s, a book was published that seemed to be on everyone’s lips. You or someone you know may have had a copy. It was prominently stationed at most major bookstores, and people often carried it around or cited it in conversations. It was The Purpose Driven Life, by Rick Warren. The book is about understanding and living toward God’s purpose, or purposes to be exact. The author lays out up to five purposes for which God places us on this earth. It’s an overall message that is well-intended, clear, and legit. Surely, no one would have anything bad to say about this well-renowned book. Right? Well,…
A New Outlook on the New Year
As the days draw nearer to 2020, I recognize a familiar feeling. It’s actually a heavy sense of disappointment crowned with a hint of sadness. But why? A New Year is supposed to be a time of joy and celebration. This discrepancy between how I usually feel and how I should feel made me realize something for the first time… Wow, I have a terrible outlook on the New Year. I should probably work on that. I just find myself thinking about the things I had planned to do during the year, all the goals I had set, and the “new and improved” version of myself that should have already…
Necessity: The Mother of Invention AND Introspection
They say necessity is the mother of invention. It’s true. Sometimes a situation sucks. But in the midst of the struggle, we’re forced to look at things differently. We have to break away from old ways of thinking that we’ve gotten used to, and we suddenly consider solutions and ideas that either never occurred to us, or we never gave much consideration. This happened to me recently. Lately, I’ve been doing more to prioritize another writing project. So, I’ve found it more and more difficult to balance my time. It occurred to me that I simply can’t afford to be going to work with just four hours of sleep almost…
The Problem of Perfectionism and “Product” Goals
Recently, I was talking to a friend about goals. We all have them. And if you don’t, get yourself some. But I digress…As we were sharing our goals, she asked me a simple question about one of mine. She asked me when the book I’m working on will be published. I had no response. Even worse, I hadn’t given enough thought or planning on it to know the answer. The truth is, I feel like it’ll never be done. The finish line seems so far in the distance that I sometimes forget it’s there. I actually stop moving toward it. The truth is, I often go months at a time…
Why We All Need to Have Things to Look Forward to
What are you looking forward to, besides your next day off work? I asked myself this question and realized the sad truth. Lately, I’ve been so busy that the weekend is all I ever look forward to. It’s my days off, time to get more sleep, do errands, hang out with friends and family, and occasionally get more work done. But there has to be more to life than anticipating the next weekend filled with the same old activities. After a while, the same pattern starts to get old. But sometimes, when you don’t have anything really exciting to look forward to, you have to create it. One thing I…
Just Take a Chance: The Importance of Facing Your Fears
“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” Eleanor Roosevelt This week I did something outside my comfort zone: getting behind a video camera. Every part of me wanted to call it off, but a little voice in my head kept saying “face your fear.” Taking a chance and facing your fears doesn’t necessarily mean living on the edge, making reckless decisions, or doing things that…
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“Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward.”
“If you can’t do anything about it then let it go. Don’t be a prisoner to things you can’t change.”
“If the plan doesn’t work, change the plan, but never the goal.”
Why It’s Necessary to Make Time for Hobbies
“I like to (insert hobby) but I just don’t have the time.” You’ve probably heard someone say this. Or maybe, you’ve said something along these lines. “I like to–paint, write, bake, go biking, go hiking, read, sing, play an instrument, play a sport, etc.–but I just don’t have the time. Whatever the hobby is, it seems time is its worst enemy. There never seems to be enough of it to fit in a hobby. But in the hustle and bustle of our busy schedules, we can end up stripping our lives of the very things we’re most passionate about–our hobbies. Consequently, our lives might begin to feel more empty–lacking the…
