Monday; September 23

I know absolutely nothing about a book called, “You Can’t Hide” that was supposedly written by someone named J. D. Bradford.  (I have to be honest with you, I did some research and can’t find the title or the author listed together – but, I digress.)  Anyway, the reason I bring up this obscure book is a quote that I came across the other day.  According to the book review the writer makes the observation, “The greatest prison people live in is the fear of what other people think.”.  Wow, when I read this, it stopped me right in my tracks because I think about how many years I have personally lived with this type of incarceration.  Yes, what people think of me is important to me – often too important to me.  As I have thought about this through the years a couple of realities have become clear.  First, I don’t mind failing as much as I fear letting other people down.  I realize I am not perfect, but I worry people will find out about it and will feel disappointed because somehow they felt I would do better than I did.  The second realization is that I make too many assumptions about what other people are thinking.  Going back to my original fear, few people have expressed their disappointment, I have just projected my assumption upon them. 

Interestingly, this emotional and mental prison is one we can (and should) escape; however, it takes a few things.  First, we must be willing to forgive ourselves for our mistakes.  We may think others are critical of us, but the criticism may be coming from inside us.  Second, we must live in the present and accept things at face value.  Sure, if people express their disappointment, we can deal with it; but until then, let’s not over-think our impact on others.

Are we willing to breakout of our imaginary prison?  There is a great big wonderful world of emotional freedom waiting for us out there! 

Think About It! 

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday; November 29

The biblical story of the Good Samaritan has changed our world. Notice I didn’t say that it had change religion or even Christianity, it has influenced the world. There are very few people who don’t know the moral of Jesus’ parable about the Good Samaritan. In fact, the phrase has become a common description of everyday people doing good to their neighbors. While Jesus’ parable from Luke 10 shares several spiritual lessons, one of the most practical is that good can be done by anyone. You don’t have to be a church official to do good, it is not only possible for each one of us to help, it is required of all of us. If a Samaritan can be good, so can we! After presenting the parable, Jesus asked the man who had originally asked the question about being a good neighbor which character in the story was a good neighbor, “… he said, ‘The one who showed mercy toward him.’” at which point, the discussion from theoretical to personal, “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do the same.’” (Luke
Read more

Thursday; January 12

The other day I was watching a television show that used a rather common term applied to overcoming challenges. When organizations experience unexpected setbacks – especially when they lose key people – they rely upon the concept of “Next Man Up”. In essence, when our starters (or stars) go down, effective organizations rely upon their next levels to step into the vacancy. While this is an effective response, have we given much thought as to how we prepare to be the “next people up”? First, we must know our job. Even when we aren’t the primary players, we need to be preparing ourselves to be ready when we get the opportunity to shine. Second, we must do our best when we get the chance. Knowledge is important but what turns potential into talent is effort. Yet, maybe the most underappreciated aspect of this concept is a willingness avoid excuse-making and whining about the unfairness of our situation. When we complain about the circumstances that caused the need for replacements
Read more

Monday; September 25

When I was a youngster, I remember hearing about this thing called the Generation Gap. I was a little bit too young to be active in the social movements of the 1960s, but I do remember listening to the challenges the generations were experiencing way back then. Interestingly, now that I have been on both sides of the aging process, I have to admit that the Gap of the 1960s was nothing new. With the development of each generation comes conflict. The young people don’t feel like the older people understand them and the older folks tend to believe their input is being underappreciated. Too often trust is the casualty when two generations collide. The sad thing is that it doesn’t have to be this way. When we can capture the innovation and energy of the younger folks and harness the wisdom of those who have been around for a while we can develop a winning combination. No, we won’t always see things eye-to-eye nor will we necessarily speak the same emotional language, but when we app
Read more