As I reflected on the year in 2014 and 2015, the two things I said I wanted to improve the most was my focus. I still have a long way to go, but I’m convinced in an increasingly distracting world, focus is what separates those who make an impact and those who get lost in the shuffle. I want to focus on not being distracted by social media and giving my full attention to the people around me. ...
Writing an Internet post about how posting things on the Internet can strip away your joy is like writing a book about why people shouldn’t write books or singing a song about why we need to stop singing songs. I’m aware of the irony. Bear with me, please. I’ve shared that notifications can’t satisfy us. Unfortunately, that truth hasn’t sunk in yet. Nevertheless, I continue to internally yell “Validate me!” with each post to the Internet. ...
Some people simply aren’t interested in discussing spiritual things. At least, that’s what it seems. Last week I was chatting with a student who, from the outside, appeared completely apathetic about spiritual matters. I’d asked him a number of questions and it didn’t seem the conversation was going anywhere, but instead of trying to force something that wasn’t there, I kept asking questions to try to find an opportunity to genuinely connect with him about faith. ...
Don’t read the comments. It’s the first rule of using the Internet. Nothing good happens there, and there’s a 99.9% chance you’ll be wishing you could get those precious few moments back that the comment section ripped from your fingers. Now you’re fuming because KoolGuy2596 said all (gender, faith, race, and / or nationality that describes you) are idiots. It’s not the Internet alone that makes people say terrible things, but it sure helps. And why is that? Because it’s anonymous. [footnote]Ok, not really 100% anonymous, but anonymous enough to be the righthand man of foolishness.[/footnote] It’s the same reason that we wish the most horrible kinds of evil on that person who cut us off in traffic. We lose sight of reality. The reality that crazy commentators and wild drivers are humans. We have no personal connection with them–only an emotional reaction to something they said or did. ...
Of the things we do each day, the majority are things we’ve done before–hundreds or thousands of times before. Our subconscious is constantly processing things for us so we don’t have to think about how to brush our teeth or shower or the way to drive to work. Or how to be impatient with people who frustrate us or how to sit on the couch and watch Netflix instead of exercising or how to waste money on frivolous purchases. For the last year and a half, I’ve been thinking a lot about habits. I’ve written about developing new ones and recorded a podcast on habits, and I’ve encountered a number of books focusing on these tiny building blocks that dictate so much of what we do. I’m convinced that habits are one of the most important things we can focus on if we want to live a life of purpose, because they are a powerful force that are constantly moving us further and further in a direction and becoming more deeply ingrained with each passing day. Just think about the things you do each day. How many of them are truly new things? You likely eat similar foods for breakfast, take a shower at a similar time, hang out with some of the same people, ask the same questions, do repetitive tasks at work. And we don’t seek out novel ways to do things when we already have a way. I’m not trying to find a unique route to commute to work–I’m going the way I always go because it’s the easiest. The classic quote, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it” emphasizes our habit for habits. Good or bad, the more we do something the easier it is to do it again. So how do we start making changes? ...
Occasionally, someone asks me for a bit of advice on starting a blog. I’m always happy to share how to get started. Choosing how and where you’ll host your blog online seems like the most important thing when you’re starting out. The reality is, actually writing and consistently posting, no matter where you do it, is far and away the most critical aspect. Nevertheless, you have to put your blog somewhere, so here are your best options for where to call home on the Internet. ...
This list is more for me than it is for you. I’m a chronic checker of email and social media, and though these things can be beneficial, they can also be an absolutely ridiculous waste of time. So I came up with a list of things I can do instead of checking my email or Twitter or Facebook. I hope it’ll be helpful. It’s hard to flat out stop something, so let that checky urge be a cue for you to do something different. Also, it can’t be too hard of a thing or you won’t do it instead. ...
Time is the great equalizer. Rich or poor, man or woman, black or white–24 hours is exactly what we get each day. We all have the same amount of hours in the day, but we will all have a different number of days. In the end, however, all of our clocks will eventually strike midnight. The carriage becomes a pumpkin, the spirit leaves the body, and that’s that. For now. [footnote]Because one day, for Christians, our empty, decaying body on earth will become a glorified body–a better, fuller, more beautiful carriage than ever before.[/footnote] Day to day we are all equal, but how we spend our days is where the difference lies. A woman who dies at 60, who spent her days wisely, surely had a fuller life than a man who lives to 100 and squandered the majority of his days. In The Focus Course, Shawn Blanc reminds us of the reality that everyone is using their time somehow. Next time you go to the store, look around at everyone you see. Each one of those people has been spending all 168 hours of their week ever since they were born. I’ve been spending all 168 hours of my week, every week, since I was born. And so have you. You don’t get to not spend your time doing anything while you wait to decide what it is you want to spend your time on. Those moments will be spent, one way or another. Everyone spends all of their time–every day. That’s a simple observation, but it struck me. No human is exempt from using their time. ...
I’m always looking for faster and easier ways to do things. One of those things is searching the web for a person or term I come across but I’m not familiar with on iOS. If you want to look something up without using Siri[footnote]That is, not telling Siri, “Search the web for …”[/footnote] , which, is handy but in general quite shameful in public place, you have a couple of options. Let’s say you’re reading an article in an app that isn’t Safari–Reeder, Pocket, Instapaper, any news app–and you want to look up a person the article mentions. There are three options. And one that you’re probably not using takes the cake for fastest, but it’s a bit hidden. ...
I’ve never been a faithful journaler. For a season, I did a good job of writing down prayer requests, what I was learning, and the occasional event. That season was short lived. But for nearly the last month, I’ve written down something in the form of a journal every single day. Not bad for an unfaithful journaler. Here’s why and how I picked journaing back up. Why Should We Journal? The benefits abound, and it’s amazing how journaling can benefit us in relation to the past, present, and future. ...