Think About It

         “Stop being argumentative!”   I can’t tell you the number of times I heard my mother tell me this.   When I was younger I thought her objection was to me disagreeing with her, but that wasn’t the issue.   Her admonition was for me to stop harping on a point.   I think she loved me enough to allow me to have a point of view, but I wasn’t wise enough to speak my peace and move on.           Argumentativeness isn’t a disagreement, it is continually rehashing what has already been stated.   It isn’t providing new evidence, it is merely replowing old ground – often with more emotion and less restraint than the time(s) before.             I still haven’t learned this lesson as well as I should, but I am beginning to see the futility of harping on a point.   If I haven’t convinced someone in the first couple of attempts, saying it ...

          Do we celebrate success?   It is easy to answer the question in the affirmative and, maybe from a national or community perspective we might, but I am not so sure that we do this in some of our most intimate relationships.   Whether it is in our marriages, families, churches – or even on an individual level – I don’t know that we do a good job of enjoying the good times.   Often, after finishing a successful program we move on to the next experience without taking the time to acknowledge what we have done.   When we reach our 13 th or 22 nd or 37 th wedding anniversary, do we savor the moment and celebrate the fact that we have done something many couples never get to experience?   When we finish a successful event at church, do we spotlight the occasion or do we move ahead with the next event on the calendar?   When we accomplish a milestone in our lives do we take a moment to relish what we have ...

          In the late 1970s songwriters Jackson Browne and Bryan Garofalo wrote a tribute to life on the road as a major pop star.   The song, “The Load Out” became a hit (especially when combined with the remake of the Maurice Williams song, “Stay”) and came to define a generation of concert-goers and the behind-the-scenes people who made it all possible.   As I listened the song recently I was struck by the words, “People you’ve got the power over what we do – You can sit there and wait or you can pull us through – Come along, sing the song – You know you can’t go wrong.”.    As I thought about these words I realize just how much performers depend upon the crowd to generate an energy that allows them to do their best.   When the audience is engaged, the show is bound to be better than if the crowd just sits there like a bump on a log.           Many of us are familiar...

          How many of us are at peace?   We live in a time of constant chaos – both internally and externally.   The violence of the world and an anxiety of the spirit can cause us to lose sleep and, maybe more damaging, lose hope.             When the Apostle Paul was finishing his letter to the church in Philippi he encouraged them to find peace in their lives.   As he began his summary he explained, “ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!   Let your gentle  spirit  be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.   And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4-7).     While the payoff in this ...

Have you noticed how easy it is to attach our contentment to the world around us?   Sometimes our happiness is influenced by how people treat us, but other times our joy is influenced by how people treat those we respect.   Yes, this can be tied to those we know personally, but we can also be influenced by people’s opinions of those we know merely by reputation.   Maybe it is a government leader, a Hollywood personality, a social activist or even a sports hero.   There are times we might be emboldened by the positive press they receive while others times we might be embittered because we feel they are being vilified.   It is natural to react to the fairness we see in the world, but the truth of the matter is that we tend to overreact when our favorite personality gets too much or too little respect. As I was looking through the Bible the other day I came to realize that this phenomenon is not unique to our life and times.   Centuries ago King David obser...

One of the things that is required as a leader is open-mindedness.   Sure, a manager (someone focused on an outcome), can be single-minded in their approach, but if we are going to define leadership as assisting others in developing their own potential being open-minded is a must.   I will be the first to tell you that I like tradition and the way things used to be done, but when it comes to helping others grow and develop, I have to be open to the fact that things are a’changing and not all change is bad.           While I readily admit that I need to work on allowing others to mature and develop in their own ways (and sometimes at their own pace), I also realize that what is needed from those we lead is the willingness to grow and develop.   Just as we will be ineffective if we narrow-minded in our approach to leadership (“You have do to it the way we have always done it”) leaders will also be disappointed when people tell...

          When we read (or hear) of someone’s good fortune, how do we respond?   There are various reactions we can have to other people being successful, but it basically boils down to two choices:   we can either be happy for them or we can begrudge their good fortune.   When we discount their accomplishments, question their tactics, or feel that we are more deserving we show an ungracious spirit that comes from selfishness.   However, when we applaud their successes we demonstrate a love and goodwill that allows for mutual support.           The next time we hear of another person’s accomplishments and the praises that go with it, let’s ask ourselves how we would like for others to respond if we were the ones in the limelight.   Would we want them to be critical or joyful?   Would we hope that they would celebrate with us or do whatever they could to “release th...