Excellence in the ordinary
I listened to a great story and lesson today from an experienced speaker. He was about to share the stage with a pastor he admired tremendously. The pastor asked him, “Do you know why most young pastors fail at speaking, at being great orators?” He didn’t know the answer. “Because it becomes humdrum to them [the young pastors]. They don’t spend the time that they would spend as if they were speaking to a stadium, as if they were speaking to 10 million people on the radio and they don’t have that excellence in the ordinary.” The experienced speaker further shared about what he learned from that. “Now I’m not sure…
Created On:
For some reason, I’ve dated my writings ever since I was taught to in grade school. A few years ago, I started including a timestamp as well. When I read my older work, my typical reaction is as follows: a flinch at a typo, a slight head shake if I sound like a novice or a neophyte, and then appreciation at significant improvement. Recognizing progress in one’s skill set can be a boost in confidence, but also a signal that we are capable of more today. The methods below can capture your current state and help show progress of your skills: Save audio recordings (or memos on a phone recorder)…
More Than Books: Why Libraries Are Essential for Lifelong Learning
In a world dominated by endless digital streams, libraries often get overlooked as relics of the past. Yet, far from fading away, they’ve evolved into vibrant hubs of knowledge, creativity, and community—far beyond their shelves of books. As someone passionate about lifelong learning, I’ve seen how libraries empower people to explore, grow, and connect in ways that free online resources can’t match. They’re not just quiet spaces for reading; they’re gateways to self-improvement, entertainment, and even career advancement. If you haven’t visited one in years (or ever), now’s the perfect time to rediscover them. This guide breaks down what modern libraries offer, why they matter for building a fulfilling life,…
Other Distances Created
Whether we like it or not, social distancing creates more than one type of distancing. Here’s three more: Distance from us and our normal routines. Distance from our to-do list and our bucket list. Distance from yesterday’s priorities and what’s important in our hearts every day. These unintended distances created (size varies) force us to take notice. To notice between who we are and what we do daily. Between what we want to do and what we should do. What we think is important and is important. Once we notice the growing distances in those areas, it’s up to us. We can be sad or regretful. We can do nothing.…
Be Calm in the Storm
In this season, while many things have yet to be determined, we can keep a level-head because today is a gift. And no matter what the future holds, panicked is not a way to live, today or tomorrow. What we can do is learn from what we feel right now, understand why we feel that way, and then make the rational adjustments needed so we can be in a calmer state now, and when the next storm arrives. Because the only constant is change — and that we can choose our reaction. We will not always be valiant during every storm; we’re human. But we can set things in place…
