“Do your work, then step back. The only path to serenity.”
– Lao Tzu
There’s no need to expand on this simple yet profound message from Lao Tzu.
Do your work, then step back.
Enjoy the view.
Author: Ken Thompson
Ask Impossible Questions
“Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”
-Alice in Wonderland
You’ve heard the phrase “think outside the box”, but what does it really mean to think outside the box?
Part of what this phrase means is to ask impossible questions.
& just as history shows, sometimes, often accidentally, that impossibilities are possible.
The 4 minute mile.
The Earth isn’t the center of the Universe.
A black president.
And the list goes on…
The ceiling is waiting to be broken, & it’s waiting to be broken by you.
Imagination Exercise
Imagine you are walking through knee-deep snow in the woods.
It’s Winter & the snow is still falling.
You are dressed in warm winter clothes; protected from the cold.
To grandmothers house you go. Alone.
You brought your favorite camera with you to take pictures of the gorgeous scenery surrounding you.
The sun is shining. It’s midday.
No one else is around.
Silence.
You breathe & enjoy this moment.
Compare Less. Do more
Sometimes I scroll through social media and find myself comparing myself to famous people who seem to have “made it.”
Yes they have made it to where they are, and that’s perfect, but that’s not where our focus should be.
My focus, your focus, our focus, should remain upon our own lives, our own goals, our own dreams.
When you stop comparing and start focusing and working on improving your own life, life improves.
It takes time, but it’s worth it.
“Stay in your lane. Comparison kills creativity and joy.”
-Brene Brown
Jesus’s Sword
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.”
-Matthew 10:34
__________
What does Jesus mean when he says he came to bring a “sword”?
What Jesus is referring to is words. He is referring to the Word of God.
__________
“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.“
-Ephesians 6:17
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
-Hebrews 4:12
Begin Today
Do The Work
“Amateurs let adversity defeat them. The pro thinks differently. He shows up, he does his work, he keeps on truckin’, no matter what.”
—Steven Pressfield
Think & figure out your dream.
& take action toward it.
Now is the time to Do The Work.
Fall Seven Times & Rise Again
“For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.”
—Proverbs 24:16
You’ve stumbled. You’ve fallen. But you won’t let this keep you down. Not again. Not this time.
You’ve been created on this planet with a purpose. Some people find their purpose & live it out, while others contribute to purpose without knowing.
To find and live your true purpose requires a righteous pursuit. On this path you will fall much more than 7 times, but you will continue to rise and be stronger with each comeback.
You can go through your entire life with your eyes “closed”, or you can open your heart, mind, and soul and find the treasure that it waiting for you.
It’s your choice.
& Rise again.
Comparison is the thief of joy
Theodore Roosevelt is given credit for the quote: “Comparison is the thief of joy.”
But that really doesn’t matter.
What’s important is what you do with this information.
Because how much time do you spend comparing your life to others? Or others’ lives against others’?
What’s better than comparison?
Inward reflection & gratitude.
Change Happens Now
Everything is happening right Now.
Transformation is happening in this Moment.
Now is where everything happens.
For example, reflect on yesterday. Everything you did yesterday was happening in the moment. The same is true for today.
Everything is literally happening right Now.
What are you doing Now?
With Ken Thompson 