In Atomic Habits, author James Clear writes: “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity. This is one reason why meaningful change does not require radical change. Small habits can make a meaningful difference by providing evidence of a new identity. And if a change is meaningful, it actually is big. That’s the paradox of making small improvements.” (p.38) This feels true. And if this IS true, consider the implications in…

Perfectionism is a problem. And part of the problem is that saying “I am a perfectionist” feels a bit like a brag. We would like to think it’s like saying “I won’t settle for anything less than giving my best”.  But in reality … perfectionism isn’t about high standards. It’s about fear – specifically, the fear that our performance will be judged by someone else as “not good enough”.  There’s a part of us that wants to believe we can achieve perfection if we just try hard enough. But that part of us is in battle with the much larger…

In the 15th chapter of John, Jesus ponders the reaction of so many of the Jews towards his habits of speaking the truth and performing miracles: “They hated me without reason.” (John 15:25) So many people seemed incapable of simply dismissing Him and His ideas and walking away. Instead, they actively hated Him.  (Why do we get so agitated toward someone with an opposing viewpoint? Sometimes we feel ourselves moved even to the point of violence or hatred.) Jesus says this hatred is why they are “guilty of sin” –  “If I had not come and spoken to them, they…

Your priorities are what you do each day, the small tasks that move forward the second and minute hands on the clock: these circadian endeavors are your musts. Everything else is simply a should. You have the same amount of time as everyone else who has ever created a masterpiece. We all have the same twenty-four hours in a day. So “I don’t have time to write” really means “writing isn’t a priority.”                                             – Joshua Fields Millburn A few years back, Joshua Millburn, along with his friend, Ryan Nicodemus,…

My students used to get so mad when I would call them “ignorant”. They thought of “ignorant” as an insult.  A synonym for “stupid”. (The irony was delicious.) But, no, ignorance is not at all the same thing as stupidity. Sure, both involve not knowing something.  But unlike stupidity, ignorance holds out the hope that whatever the unknown is – it could in time become known.  Not because of intelligence, though.  I suppose the deciding factor is the presence – or lack – of humility.  “As our island of knowledge grows, so does the shore of our ignorance.” — John…

As I get older and the hearing starts to go and the eyes grow weak, I take great comfort in Paul’s words to the Corinthians: “Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day.” (2 Cor. 4:16b) This makes physical aging more bearable.  It is possible to have both physical strength and spiritual strength throughout most of your life, but the physical strength has an expiration date. If I had to choose, I would much rather be strong spiritually than physically anyway. 

I have a recurring dream. But unlike most, this one is a pleasant repetition. I am outside – either on a path or in an open grassy field – and I am running.  As I move, my strides become longer and stronger – even as I grow aware that I am putting in less and less effort. Now I am gliding through the air, a few feet above the earth. I am flying, but I don’t question how. I just enjoy the sensation. I am weightless – both physically and mentally. It’s natural to wonder what in the world is…

I have a suggestion for anyone who is asked these days for his or her pronouns: Just respond with “I/me” and “you/your”. First and second person pronouns work great for all of us. No need to change a thing.  Acceptable: “Hi. How are you doing?” “I am fine. Thank you.” “Would you like a donut?” “Heck, yes I would!” On the other hand, third person pronouns are only used when you are talking about me. Why would I attempt to dictate that you use “he/him” when I am not around?  For instance, if you say to your friend something like, “Did…