Never give up; you never know until you try.
I was talking with a friend about how sometimes it seems as if we'll never see improvement in a situation that has seemingly caused nothing but excruciating headaches for as long as we can remember. We toil; we pray; we gnash our teeth.
The child gets into still more trouble; the profit margin goes from barely-there to nonexistent and keeps dropping; those stubborn pounds won't go away and bring friends into the party. As I've written before, we've all been there, and it can be tempting to think God has forgotten us when we've been there forever and think we'll never get out.
I still believe one of the "tricks" is to never give up. Hold onto God, your friend, your teddy bear. Remember that God sees you and cares. He sees your tears. http://biblehub.com/psalms/56-8.htm
Keep going, and eventually, you'll see progress. http://biblehub.com/galatians/6-9.htm
I believe the other "trick" is to view "progress" on God's terms and not yours.
Sometimes, "just" having peace about a situation is progress.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
What's Up With That?!
Never give up; you never know until you try.
I learned something Tuesday that I'm not sure what to make of. Some people might think it's a good thing, but I'm in analysis mode, trying to digest what it all means and what to do about it. The news was something like when you get one of those "back-handed compliments" like, "You look so good since you lost weight!" (Yes, I have lost weight; and no, that isn't what I'm talking about. I used that "compliment" as an example.)
So, dear readers, I leave you with my question of the day: How long does it usually take you to discern who is really talking to you (God, Satan, or people) when surprising comments, events, or news makes you seriously rethink your opinion of and/or approach to something?
I learned something Tuesday that I'm not sure what to make of. Some people might think it's a good thing, but I'm in analysis mode, trying to digest what it all means and what to do about it. The news was something like when you get one of those "back-handed compliments" like, "You look so good since you lost weight!" (Yes, I have lost weight; and no, that isn't what I'm talking about. I used that "compliment" as an example.)
So, dear readers, I leave you with my question of the day: How long does it usually take you to discern who is really talking to you (God, Satan, or people) when surprising comments, events, or news makes you seriously rethink your opinion of and/or approach to something?
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Success--Again
Never give up; you never know until you try.
A recent post on one of my Linkedin group discussions was about what one piece of advice we'd give people who wanted to "achieve success." In my response, I noted that my first response would be that there is no "one thing," because "success" requires several activities and mindsets. (I didn't even address the fact that different people define "success" differently!) I also stated that my second response is that if I had to choose, maybe the "one thing" I would advise is to be true to yourself, which still requires more than one activity, because you must first know who you are. Convoluted, much?
Ah--another of my favorite topics! Knowing and being true to yourself can be hard in a world where you're told who you are and aren't; who you should be and shouldn't; and who you can be and can't. (As someone in transition, trust me on this; I know from whence I speak!)
My advice is to learn who God says you are and to be that person, regardless of who tries to remold you, because God knows what He's doing. He made you a certain way for a reason. Embrace who you are! That's true success!
A recent post on one of my Linkedin group discussions was about what one piece of advice we'd give people who wanted to "achieve success." In my response, I noted that my first response would be that there is no "one thing," because "success" requires several activities and mindsets. (I didn't even address the fact that different people define "success" differently!) I also stated that my second response is that if I had to choose, maybe the "one thing" I would advise is to be true to yourself, which still requires more than one activity, because you must first know who you are. Convoluted, much?
Ah--another of my favorite topics! Knowing and being true to yourself can be hard in a world where you're told who you are and aren't; who you should be and shouldn't; and who you can be and can't. (As someone in transition, trust me on this; I know from whence I speak!)
My advice is to learn who God says you are and to be that person, regardless of who tries to remold you, because God knows what He's doing. He made you a certain way for a reason. Embrace who you are! That's true success!
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Lumosity
Never give up; you never know until you try.
As you know if you've read or even scanned my blog any time in recent months, I'm looking for a job. It's a disheartening, confusing, demeaning process that can make the strongest of us resort to thumb-sucking, sobbing, tantrum-throwing, and quitting altogether.
I own up to at least one of the above, but I refuse to give up. God didn't put me here and equip me with the abilities that I have for me to crawl in a hole somewhere. I know that someone, somewhere, will appreciate and use my abilities and not just stick me somewhere doing a job that I can do in my sleep, for pay that wouldn't support the average tween. I just have to keep looking.
I was going over my agenda for the week, having spent (wasted) several hours in fruitless job-searching activities, when I checked out "Lumosity," which I'd seen on television. As I figured, it is in part a fee-based program, but there are free games, as well. I don't know about the claims of "train your brain," but it did offer a few-minute respite from my negative-thinking spiral. Check it out!
http://www.lumosity.com/
As you know if you've read or even scanned my blog any time in recent months, I'm looking for a job. It's a disheartening, confusing, demeaning process that can make the strongest of us resort to thumb-sucking, sobbing, tantrum-throwing, and quitting altogether.
I own up to at least one of the above, but I refuse to give up. God didn't put me here and equip me with the abilities that I have for me to crawl in a hole somewhere. I know that someone, somewhere, will appreciate and use my abilities and not just stick me somewhere doing a job that I can do in my sleep, for pay that wouldn't support the average tween. I just have to keep looking.
I was going over my agenda for the week, having spent (wasted) several hours in fruitless job-searching activities, when I checked out "Lumosity," which I'd seen on television. As I figured, it is in part a fee-based program, but there are free games, as well. I don't know about the claims of "train your brain," but it did offer a few-minute respite from my negative-thinking spiral. Check it out!
http://www.lumosity.com/
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Confusion
Never give up; you never know until you try.
We've all been there--so confused that if someone were to ask our name, we would have to think a minute before giving it. I've seen it in my students, and I've felt it myself when faced with a multi-faceted problem that seemed to defy all attempts to solve it. We all hate that feeling. We like being in control or at least having the illusion of control.
What I frequently tell my students and remind myself is that eventually the confusion clears and understanding comes if we stay with something long enough. I think it often means leaving the "problem" alone for a while and focusing on something else. It's hard to "get" the answer when we're churning like a boiling pot. Focusing on something else allows our previous lessons learned to come to the surface and help us with the situation at hand. Then, while we're cleaning the house, or working on vocabulary lessons, or just sitting quietly, resting our minds, we "suddenly" understand the steps to solving the math problem, or what to do about our unruly child, or where to search for a job.
As a friend in human resources development said to me recently, the key is persistence.
We've all been there--so confused that if someone were to ask our name, we would have to think a minute before giving it. I've seen it in my students, and I've felt it myself when faced with a multi-faceted problem that seemed to defy all attempts to solve it. We all hate that feeling. We like being in control or at least having the illusion of control.
What I frequently tell my students and remind myself is that eventually the confusion clears and understanding comes if we stay with something long enough. I think it often means leaving the "problem" alone for a while and focusing on something else. It's hard to "get" the answer when we're churning like a boiling pot. Focusing on something else allows our previous lessons learned to come to the surface and help us with the situation at hand. Then, while we're cleaning the house, or working on vocabulary lessons, or just sitting quietly, resting our minds, we "suddenly" understand the steps to solving the math problem, or what to do about our unruly child, or where to search for a job.
As a friend in human resources development said to me recently, the key is persistence.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
You Gotta Love Words!
Never give up; you never know until you try.
I've said it before, and I'm saying it again: I love words! Words are my "thing!" One obscure or under-used word leads me to another, as well as to double-checking the definitions, which leads me to another word, and another . . . Please; somebody stop me!
I sent someone an e-mail recently that was so long that I self-deprecatingly noted that it was like reading "War & Peace." Then I observed that commenting on the length and thoroughness could be construed as an example of my sardonic wit. You can guess what I did next. Yep--I checked the dictionary for the definition of "sardonic," discovering that it has a decidedly more negative connotation than I meant, but I went with it, anyway.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sardonic?s=t
I noticed the word origin notation, which said that the word is an alteration of one that refers to a plant that, when eaten, causes convulsive laughter and death. My juices were really going by this point, so I googled "kill with laughter," and I ran across some interesting results. Try it! You might have as much fun as I did! Or not. You might have a less twisted, dark sense of humor than I do.
I've said it before, and I'm saying it again: I love words! Words are my "thing!" One obscure or under-used word leads me to another, as well as to double-checking the definitions, which leads me to another word, and another . . . Please; somebody stop me!
I sent someone an e-mail recently that was so long that I self-deprecatingly noted that it was like reading "War & Peace." Then I observed that commenting on the length and thoroughness could be construed as an example of my sardonic wit. You can guess what I did next. Yep--I checked the dictionary for the definition of "sardonic," discovering that it has a decidedly more negative connotation than I meant, but I went with it, anyway.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sardonic?s=t
I noticed the word origin notation, which said that the word is an alteration of one that refers to a plant that, when eaten, causes convulsive laughter and death. My juices were really going by this point, so I googled "kill with laughter," and I ran across some interesting results. Try it! You might have as much fun as I did! Or not. You might have a less twisted, dark sense of humor than I do.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Fame At Any Cost
Never give up; you never know until you try.
I recently caught part of an episode of the game show "Family Feud" that started me to thinking about fame & fortune. The question called for the contestants to name a celebrity they were completely tired of hearing about and who they wish would just go away. The answers included people famous for being famous and those whose most recent activities have made them infamous for being in legal trouble due to substance abuse.
I've observed before that it seems all a person has to do to be rich, famous, or both in today's world is to have a complete lack of self-respect--to consistently do outlandish (illegal, immoral, or both) things & be sure that it's reported to as many people as possible.
I hope I'm never so starved for attention that I resort to getting it in such a negative, self-destructive way. I hope I'm never referred to as someone who people wish would just go away. . . unless they wish I'd go away because God is using me to try to turn their attention toward Him, but that's another post for another day.
I recently caught part of an episode of the game show "Family Feud" that started me to thinking about fame & fortune. The question called for the contestants to name a celebrity they were completely tired of hearing about and who they wish would just go away. The answers included people famous for being famous and those whose most recent activities have made them infamous for being in legal trouble due to substance abuse.
I've observed before that it seems all a person has to do to be rich, famous, or both in today's world is to have a complete lack of self-respect--to consistently do outlandish (illegal, immoral, or both) things & be sure that it's reported to as many people as possible.
I hope I'm never so starved for attention that I resort to getting it in such a negative, self-destructive way. I hope I'm never referred to as someone who people wish would just go away. . . unless they wish I'd go away because God is using me to try to turn their attention toward Him, but that's another post for another day.
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