It has been a full year since the Coronavirus pandemic manifested in full and a couple months into a dramatic political transfer of power. Oh, and three months into the new year, 2021. In thinking back on the year of Covid and especially how crazy it was this time of year twelve months ago, it is hard to remember with accuracy exactly what it was like. Just like it is hard to process all that has happened since. All that... Read more
Back in Old Testament times, the ancient Israelites set up cities to protect those who had committed crimes from an avenger. They were called sanctuary cities. And the idea that the loved ones of the victims would come after the accused fast and hard. It would lead to cycles of violence and people habitually taking laws into their own hands. An avenger is one who acts out revenge. The practical application to the concept of vengeance. It is the one... Read more
It is no real secret that the world is going bonkers. Not exactly a hot take to say that we are a people divided, confused, and angry. Ultimately, what is happening in this world is a fight for truth. Which should be a beautiful process of collaboration. The trouble is that we carry with us an ever-growing set of double standards. Reinforced with poor logic, hypocrisy, and unchecked bias. The real shame is that we all carry a certain valuable... Read more
I am currently working on a commentary of The Book of Proverbs for thebiblesays.com and have been really fascinated by a tiny verse in Chapter 3: “then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine” (Proverbs 3:10). In essence, the verse is talking about the path to abundance and contentment. Now, I know, like you, as soon as something claims to be this, the skeptic within us is awakened to full alert.... Read more
My friend recently introduced me to The Twilight Zone. The original ones from the early Sixties. There is a remake out now and I did some research and discovered there were two other reboots – one in the Eighties and one in the early 2000s. Seems like we have an appetite for new iterations every twenty years. Not to mention shows like Black Mirror and American Horror Story that, in part, owe a bit of recognition to what The Twilight... Read more
We often talk about gratitude as a choice, but is it really? A few days ago, I was working from home. You know, the new normal. I was pacing around and feeling pretty down. I found myself frustrated by the weather, the work in front of me, even the kind hearted jokes of my wife. I recognized this as a ME problem. My own voice rang in my head, the things we say often in our training with The Crossroad:... Read more
There are two kinds of people in the world – those who give up too easily and those who give up too infrequently. No matter which one of these is you, it can become a problem. There is a time and a place for everything. A time to give up and a time to endure. A time to fight and a time to forfeit. Growing in our ability to discern when to do each can dramatically transform our lives. It... Read more
In our work with The Crossroad, we have discovered that people have very diverse ideas of what it means to be a leader. Like so many things, definitions are important. What are we thinking of when we talk about leading? What mental images and expectations are cloaking the concept of influencing others? We have encountered a lot of poor conceptions of leadership and a few great ones. Here are the three ways we have observed people think about what it means to... Read more
There is a great tension in every human soul between what happens to us and how we respond. The truth is this: I am not the things that happen to my (stimulus), nor I am the reaction that happens on the other end of the stimulus (my emotions, what I do, etc.). The real heart of a human being, the real essence of who I am is in between the two. I am The Chooser. Standing between what happens to me... Read more
Every single day, I wake up with a set of metaphorical goggles over my eyes. It affects the way I see things. It is a filter for my experiences and relationships. These goggles are a vital part of determining my perspective. Like those sunglasses with particularly yellow lenses, it shades the way I see the world. And that shading affects what I think, how I feel, and what I do. Here is the real dangerous thing about waking up with... Read more
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