Seeking truth is a complicated struggle. Trying to discover what is real and what is false is much harder than it seems. Our ability at self-deception is incredible. The blinders we have concerning the weakness of our own bias is another deeply troubling challenge. The world is plagued by one particular tendency. We’ve stopped searching for the truth. Instead, we have assumed the truths are clear (it’s what we’ve thought all along!) and we spend every waking moment trying to... Read more
The holidays are full of merriment and cheer. Mostly. One thing that can get in the way is the difficulty of spending time with relatives we don’t see very often. Emotions can run high as old wounds resurface and familiar patterns reset. Communication is the key to every relationship. And this is as true during holiday visits as in any other time. Whether it is in a marriage, with siblings, parents, or children, communication is both the fuel and barometer... Read more
As 2019 is getting underway, we thought it would be fun to post a list of 2018’s ten most viewed blogs here on Victorious Living. It is always fascinating, revealing, and surprising to see which of our blogs rise to the top of the list. Relationships are hard. Character is a challenge. Here are the ten blogs that you viewed most in 2018. 1) How Forgiveness Sets Relationships Free It’s not always rainbows and sunshine. Relationships are hard work. If... Read more
Life can certainly feel like we are stuck on the tumble cycle. Round and round we go, never quite getting our bearings, never truly making progress. We migrate from one circumstance to the next. But we are stuck with our selves. Circumstance and situation fold over us. Scenery changes, emotions manifest in a different order. But life feels the same. Our perceptions, our attitudes, and our choices are what need to be changed. The external staleness of the world mirrors... Read more
We live in New York City and almost every day, there is a news story about someone completely loosing it on the subway. They scream, they yell. They rant, they rave. Just yesterday, we were on a train where a guy got annoyed with another passenger and started mumbling racist condemnations in anger. Why is it so hard for us to control ourselves? There is nothing wrong with emotions. But when we use them improperly, they get the best of... Read more
If you are anything like me, as soon as things go badly, you look around for someone or something to blame it on. We are all trying so hard for perfection. We try to look perfect, act perfect, and feel perfect. Any cracks in the system could split the dam into pieces. And heaven help me if the floodgates were to open, spilling the raw contents of myself into the world. It Doesn’t Work But my obsession with... Read more
One of the best parts of being a New Yorker is walking around the city. There is nothing like bopping through the city that never sleeps with a pair of headphones on and not a care in the world. It’s not always that romantic. But it is pretty incredible. There is so much to see here. Neighborhoods, people, and architecture are constantly changing. It is like a kaleidoscope. But one thing I’ve noticed lately is that there are some things... Read more
I have to admit; we had a totally different plan for the blog today. But my wife and I were walking back from lunch and saw a miracle. A genuine Christmas miracle. The college we work at is on Broadway, right across from the famous statue of the Wall Street Charging Bull. Although we walk by it almost every day, I don’t think I’ve ever seen the statue in full. There are ALWAYS throngs of tourists crowded around,... Read more
With the holidays in full swing and the end of the year fast approaching, it is a natural time to be thinking about the life we are living. Christmas traditions with family and the turn of the calendar are special invitations to look at the choices we’ve made and dream about how to make better ones. Don’t let New Years sneak up on you. Resolutions don’t happen in a vacuum (at least not successful ones). If we want the kind... Read more
New Yorkers have a lot of strange habits. We live in a unique city, and unique behaviors develop. One of the most interesting of these behaviors is the way we act on a subway platform while waiting for the train. If you find yourself in this setting, you will notice a few sporadic individuals engaged in this activity. They will take a couple trepidatious steps to the edge of the platform and look as far down the track as they... Read more
Victorious Living
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In