Lifelong Learning

"The day you stop learning is the day you stop living."

Learning takes energy, humility and time. Quite frankly, at times it can seem more appealing to coast into comfort or settle back on old laurels. 

But definitely not more satisfying. There's something innate about living our lives well that involves learning and personal growth.

Here are a few simple ways you can pursue lifelong learning:

1) Stay Curious. Nothing is more motivating, then finding something that piques your interest. Go beyond 'scratching the surface' and dive into finding out more. Ask a lot of good questions with words like, "Why?" and "How?" and "What next?"

2) Find a Mentor or Teacher. Take a class or read books. Go beyond that and find someone you can learn directly from. Maybe there's a supervisor at work or a friend you really admire - talk with them and pursue learning conversations. 

3) Practice. Whenever you are learning something new, there's that awkward fumbling season. Remember your first's, ie. riding a bike, interviewing for a job, buying a house? There were definitely a few stumbles and practice needed to gain skills. Give yourself the grace to make mistakes and maybe even enjoy some good laughs in the process.

What's one new thing you want to learn yet in 2014?

What Kids Teach Us

There's no better time than the present.

How often does a child hesitate when there's a plate of cookies, a rain puddle, or a scraped knee in need of a kiss? 

Never.

Kids don't need permission and rarely stop to get it. They instinctively respond to life and embrace it fully. In growing up, we often lose the spontaneity & creativity that we had as kids. 

What's right in front of you? A nudge, an open door, a new friend? Let's take a lesson from kids and simply go for it.

Divinely Small

 

 "When I am humanly big, I am insecure. When I am puffed up about my own bigness, then I must always fear someone who will knock me down.  

When I am small in God’s divineness, I feel totally secure. When I am divinely small, I am utterly secure.”  Fred Smith Sr.
 
There's something special about running home to Papa and being absorbed in His grandness. All is well in His presence.
  

No Parking

"Sometimes our lives have to be completely shaken up, changed, and rearranged to relocate us to the place we're meant to be."

Deep within us, we want more. We desire, dream and hope for it. We set goals and strive to reach them. We read books and hire personal trainers. 

Simultaneously, we want to be comfortable, and long for a secure and stable life. Once we reach certain goals, we tend to become complacent with accomplishments and plateau. The Law of Inertia starts to take over...

An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.

What has recently rearranged your life? Rather than something to be resisted or escaped, is it possible that it is a gift to get you where you are meant to be? 

Defining Moments

valor :  strength of mind or spirit that enables a person to encounter danger with firmness :  personal bravery

There are times in all of our lives when we are faced with challenges that exceed our natural ability to cope. Whether it be a sickness, accident, job loss, relationship failure or whatever... each of us is bound to encounter things that test the fortitude of our mind and spirit. 

It is here, "at the end of our rope" so to speak, that our beliefs & actions will weigh in tremendously on the persons we are and choose to be. 

Anyone can be good and kind in the best of situations. It is who we are in the worst of situations that may be the most defining of all. 

Lucky to be Loved

This week I have stumbled upon three pennies on the ground. I'm not superstitious; but hey - by the third one this morning, I did have to recognize it as a message trying to get through to me. What could that message be? 

Lucky to be Loved. 

 

That's right. My life is not happenstance or dependent on good luck. But it is filled with a great love.

 

As it says in Psalm 23:6, "Surely His goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life..." And as a good friend prayed this verse earlier in the week, I love his interpretation: 'That means it is chasing & hounding us down'.

 

I believe those three pennies were a simple reminder from Jesus. He is chasing me down, surprising me with his great love over and over again. 

 

Aren't we lucky to be loved?

 

 

The Path & the Process

How often do we want to be somewhere, but rebel against the process in getting there? 

It takes focus, diligence, patience, and planning to get anywhere significant. And oftentimes it's the process that makes us into the person that can handle what's ahead. 

Almost seems like the more I want something, the more emotional resistance arises to challenge me. I feel insecure. I am afraid it won't work and then what? Who do I think I am? I am immobilized by timidity. 

Truth is, where I want to go takes courage. It takes the process of getting there if I am going to be worth anything to those I lead and mentor. It takes everything working together to make me the kind of person I need to be to do the job well. A new level of understanding. What it means to engage in the process. To be afraid. To diminish the fears with careful planning. To take a step and let the next one rise up to meet me.