Simple, Yet Profound

Driving home yesterday I began to really ponder some of the questions and concerns of the day.  One of the comments yesterday that was a common thread throughout the day was “I don’t know what else to do.”  I hear it come out of my mouth more than I care to admit.  But through a series of conversations and some quiet time I wanted to share a simple but profound truth with you.  I didn't come up with this truth, though I would love to take credit. This truth is universal.  It doesn't matter what situation or circumstance in life or business you come up against, this truth will apply.   It is a simple truth to hear and understand, but it is a truth that has to be exercised daily.  Are you ready for it? 

Nothing in, Nothing out.

That’s it.  I told you it was simple.

Nothing in, nothing out.  Basically if you are always relying on what you already know, you never cross over into new ways of thinking or new ways of doing those things where you “don’t know what else to do.”   Yes, here comes the shameless plug for reading more books, because books do give you an opportunity to learn something new.  Sometimes it isn't even something new as much as it is a reinforcement to something that you already knew but had let slide.  It isn't just books though, it can be videos or webinars or mentors.  Sometimes it is talking to people in a completely different industry to pick up a different perspective.

Nothing in, nothing out.  If you don’t put gas in the car continually you will eventually run out and get stuck.  The same is true with leading.  If you don’t take time to fill that leadership tank, you will eventually run out of gas and get stuck.  What happens when you get stuck?   Usually you end up frustrated.  If you are stuck on the side of the road out of gas, you probably curse the car and the last person that should have filled the tank.  But reality is that person responsible for filling the tank is you. 

Are you frustrated?  Sounds like it is time to fill up again.  Nothing in, nothing out. 

Why Write?

Write, not for anyone else, but because if you don't you might explode.

I wish I could remember who said those words, but like so many things I see on Facebook I just brushed over it without really giving it much thought at the time.

But I read those words over a month ago and they have stuck with me.  I don't consider myself to be a writer.  I am definitely not the best speller and to be honest with you it still stumps me at times when to use a comma or when I should just start another sentence.  I am still not sure the proper time to use a semicolon and whether a period comes before or after a quotation mark at the end of a sentence.  And to be totally honest with you, I really don't care.  Those are the types of details that I will leave to someone else should I ever decide to publish a book.  For my purpose I am about conveying a message, not getting a literary award for the best use of punctuation.

But that isn't what I want to talk about today.  I want to talk to you and myself (actually mainly myself) about following through on the things you know you should do.  For example, I have known for weeks now that I needed to write.  However it took getting to the verge of exploding to force me to do it.  I wasn't about to literally explode, but mentally and emotionally there was about to be big a mess to clean up.  Why, you ask.  No reason in particular, just life.

You see, I am a fairly reserved, introverted person.  I don't tend to share my feelings.  Feelings to me are  just something else you manage.  Managing, that is something that I am pretty good at doing. Sharing my feelings - not so much.  I am more of a get over it kind of guy.  Feelings come, feelings go. At the end of the day, its not how you felt that matters, but what you did that counts.  At least it is for me.  If you are in touch with your feelings and you enjoy that then I say Congratulations.

For me, and I suspect there are others out there like me, I have no desire to sit around and hold hands while sharing my deepest, darkest feelings.  I have found however that writing gives me the opportunity to share without sharing.  I know that may not make sense to some of you, but in essence when I write I am talking without having to talk to anyone. For an introvert, that is what you call a win-win.

The strange thing is that generally when I take the time to write, it is in a blog that I turn around and publish and let everyone read.  I know, really doesn't make much sense now that I write it out.  But then again it does.

I figure there are others like me that keep things bottled up and are looking or that opportunity to release.  There are all kinds of destructive ways that the world uses to release pressure.  Most involve unhealthy, addictive habits that I would prefer not to participate in.  But writing, it gives you the opportunity to get your thoughts out from between you ears and organize them on paper.  It allows to you to say what needs to be said without actually having to say it.  For me personally, I can hash out my thoughts and separate the valid thoughts from the whining thoughts, and can more easily get over myself.

While I do blog from time to time, I don't share everything I write.  There are far more posts on this site that are unpublished and will never see the light of day than there are posts that I allow others to read. But one thing I have learned, you never know what may be worth reading if you don't take the time to write it down.

Write, not for anyone else, but because if you don't you might explode.

Memories of Grandma

I don't know why, but I have struggled to get this post from inside of my head down onto paper.  I have started this post so many times only to end up stuck in my thoughts again.

My grandmother crossed over from this world into eternity two weeks ago.  Everyone knew she was sick, but no one really expected things to happen as quickly as they did. She went to heaven, of that I have no doubt, and for that I am grateful.

My grandmother was an interesting woman.  Growing up, I remember she had a sophistication that not many other people had.  She was the epitome of a proper southern woman.  She knew what she wanted and you had better either help her or get out of her way, because one way or the other she was going to get it.  She wasn't what I would consider pushy, but she had a strong determination. Granddaddy probably would have called it stubborn, but then again she would have said the same about him.

I remember spending a lot of time at my grandparents' house.  Simple things like coming over every Sunday afternoon to visit.  Sometimes those visits would be full of talking, but most times it was just being in the same room as each other.  Granddaddy would be checking his eyelids for holes while the rest of us watched Nascar racing on the television, not that we necessarily enjoyed racing but if you changed the channel it would wake granddad up.

I remember the meals.  We would get together at grandma's house for most every holiday, but especially Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.  She loved Christmas Eve.  Gifts would be under the tree for everyone and you always had to go in order of youngest to oldest. No matter how much we protested, you did not deviate from that order.  Those nights were also filled with country ham biscuits, cheese balls with crackers, and grandma's punch.  I think it was the only occasion we used the punch bowl, but that was fine by grandma. 

This last Christmas Eve was the last time that I saw my grandmother alive.  Living in Tulsa makes it difficult to see everyone as frequently.  She was home, pretty much confined to a hospital bed at the time.  The bed was set up in the front room where we always gathered as a family to open gifts.  The room much too small for the number people, but we all managed to cram in anyway.  I remember watching her.  She looked great in her Christmas sweater, still just as proper as she always was.  But what I remember the most was the look on her face as everyone exchanged and opened gifts.  It was a look of contentment.  It was obvious she was taking everything in.  Every sight, every sound, every laugh and joke that was made.  I remember telling Glory after watching her for a while, this may very well be the last Christmas Eve where we are all together.  Sadly that turned out to be the case.

Of all the many memories that I have of my grandmother, one of the best ones is knowing that she loved me and was proud of me.  That wasn't something I ever had to wonder about with her.  She didn't keep it a secret from me or anyone else.  I certainly wasn't the only one she loved, but I was one of the ones she loved.

In life, leave no doubt.  Tell the ones you love how much you love them.  Show them every chance you get.

From Rainy Key West

In life you will have the opportunity to do many things, go many places and share a lot of experiences. I encourage you to look for the big opportunities as well as the ordinary opportunities and share them with the ones you love.  As they say, no one looks up from their deathbed wishing they had worked more, but untold millions wish they had more time to spend with their family.  As for me, I am headed to Kermit's Key Lime Shoppe for the best Key Lime pie on the planet with the love of my life, as soon as it stops raining that is!  

Adversity

Adversity.  It comes in all shapes and sizes.  Some big, some small.  Some mildly annoying and some life threatening. But if you are part of the human race here on planet Earth, at some point in time you will face adversity.

Psalms 34:19 says "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all." NKJV

There is this misnomer in the church that afflictions, or adversity, only come when either you are not a Christian or as Christian you must have done something wrong to get out from under God's protection. That's a great thought.  It makes it easy to justify in our minds why bad things happen to good people.  But it just isn't the case.

Psalms 34:19 very plainly states that many are the afflictions of the RIGHTEOUS.  That would be Christians.  It doesn't say that many are the afflictions of those righteous ones that got out of the will of God.  It doesn't say that many are the afflictions of those with deep dark unrepented sin in their life.  Nope it says many are the afflictions of the righteous.

But thank God that verse doesn't end there.  How depressing would it be if affliction was the end of the conversation.

"But the Lord delivers him out of them all."  Aren't you glad that's part of the verse.  I know I am.

I may face sickness from time to time, but the Lord delivers me out of them all.
I may face lack from time to time, but the Lord delivers me out of them all.
I may face weakness from time to time, but the Lord delivers me out of them all.
I may have people talking badly about me, but the Lord delivers me out of them all.
Things may not go the way I intended, but the Lord delivers me out of them all.

The next time you wonder "why, why is this happening to me?"  Remember, God never promised a life that was free from adversity.  He did however promise to deliver you out them all.

Let's Go Sailing

"Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm." 
—Publilius Syrus

I saw this post last Friday on my Facebook timeline.  I could definitely relate to how Mr. Publilius Syrus feels. This past week the sea wasn't so calm for a variety of reasons. Some of those reasons are in my control while others...not so much.

That's okay.  

As the old proverb says, "Smooth seas don't make skillful sailors."

I plan on being a skillful sailor this week.

Ahoy Mates!

Enjoy Today

Life... it happens to all of us.  Some days are easy and fun while some, not so much.

Matthew 5:45 (paraphrased) says that the sun rises on the evil and the good, and the rain falls on the just and unjust.

Bad things happen regardless of how good you are.

Good things happen regardless of how bad you are.

That's life ladies and gentlemen.

In Genesis 8:22 the Bible says, "While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."

It's comforting to know that even though there will be night, the day always comes. Even though it may be cold, the sun will eventually come out and warm things up.

If today is a tough day for you, realize that tomorrow is coming and things will get better.

If today has been great for you, celebrate, but also beware that night falls soon.

I know as you read this post you probably think, whoa, he must be having a rough day.  I would tell you that it's not been my best day, but not my worst day either.  What it is, is a normal day.

My encouragement for you today is to see the day for what it is.  You can't undo what's been done, but you can look forward to what's ahead.