We often talk about the proverbial “light at the end of the tunnel”, the hope that our current ordeal will end soon. It is a turn of phrase to help get us through difficult times. I think the idea of the light at the end of the tunnel, although helpful in its way, can also be dangerous. It is like the sentiment, “just around the corner”. The danger is that it is circumstantially-centered. And especially that it is centered on... Read more
We have often talked in this blog about THP (THERE-HERE-PATH) as the framework for life. Essentially, THP puts language to the process by which humans operate. We envision an ending – a goal, a dream, a hope; we assess our current reality, and then we take steps to move from where we are to where we hope to be. Everything we do follows this framework; it is the owner’s manual for how we operate. The key to the whole thing... Read more
When I was a kid, I had no idea what Labor Day was about. It didn’t really matter. A day off of school was a day off of school. Pretty interesting that we have a day to celebrate work (and that we celebrate work by taking a day off). The Value of Work We often talk, in our culture, about a work-home balance. By which we mean, spending an appropriate amount of time in each arena. We talk about... Read more
When I was in school, I dreaded going to class. I didn’t enjoy it and, to be honest, did the minimum I could to get by. Which is interesting because I am a natural learner. I love to explore and question and discover. As students around the country are getting back into the routine of school, I hope they are more into it than I was. I wish, as a kid, I had internalized just how valuable and essential learning... Read more
Today marks the 500th Victorious Living blog and it has me reflecting on all of the things we have said throughout the years. The initial vision for this blog was to talk about ways in which one can steward their life toward meaning, toward purpose. How to “win” at life – defining a win not as getting more money and power and fame, but as living with a sense of fulfillment, joy, and peace. If you follow our blog consistently,... Read more
Sometimes it seems like I am just a house of cards, one stiff breeze away from falling apart. There is so much that can go wrong. Illness, accident, conflict. It is a lot to manage. I am not even talking about the huge things. Just the little jabs that remind me of how fragile I am. The dental work I had last week that sidelined me for a couple days. The heat rash on my shoulder that itches something fierce.... Read more
Recently, I was sharing with some friends of mine about how I often feel “set aside” by the institutional church. Despite growing up in church and spending tons of time there, I don’t really feel like I belong in churches. There is a lot to unpack there, but the point for today is that we were lamenting the reality that I have been set aside too often. We all know that feeling. A bit like rejection and a bit like... Read more
Defining a heretic is a tricky business. A heretic is not just someone you disagree with. It is the representative of evil itself, someone who is posturing against good, threatening its very way of life. As a student of history, it is sometimes frightening and frequently appalling the ways in which we define a heretic. Who is burned at the stake? Who do we go to war against? Again, a heretic is not just someone you disagree with and shake... Read more
It is a hard truth to wrap our heads around: that somewhere between 70 and 90 percent of our communication is nonverbal. Ninety Percent! The reality of this, even if we do wrap our hands around the truth of it, is hard to fully process. Yet, the truth remains. What we say is about much more than what we are saying. I recently listened to a podcast about the history of Wall Street. It explained that the sculpture on the... Read more
One of the most popular sayings in modern culture is “time is money”. We use it to talk about how much we value being busy, being productive, getting things done. We are gluttons for efficiency. Like most colloquialisms, this saying is communicating something significant about who we are. It is saying a lot about how we operate and how we think. This particular phrase is a way we communicate our perspective on treasure. Value. What is important. We are saying,... Read more
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