Pause

abstract pause buttonAbout 3 months ago, Connie Plummer (a fellow staffer) sent me something to remind me of the importance of pausing occasionally in life.  It was so relevant, I asked her for permission to use it as a guest post.  So pause for a moment and enjoy these wise words about pausing from Connie Plummer.

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Difficult People – Engage Them Without Being Absorbed by Them.

Frustrated Casual young man closing his ears with his handsThere are people in this world who are just difficult people.  Maybe they…

  • Love to stir up gossip.
  • Get others to do their work.
  • Are argumentative or negative.
  • Repeat the same careless mistakes.
  • Make the same old excuses.
  • Demand their own way.

Whatever the reason, difficult people make life difficult.  So what can you do about them…without getting thrown in jail?

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A Before the Foxhole Prayer

The reconstruction of the battle of the Second World WarA “foxhole prayer” is a prayer you pray when things are difficult and pressing.  A test you’ve not studied for.  The fear of an unwanted pregnancy.  A sudden job loss.  A terminal diagnosis.  Such things can cause even non-religious people to pray a foxhole prayer that sounds something like this:  “God, if you’ll just fix this then I’ll do that.”

But what about a “before the foxhole prayer?”

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Why Am I Here?

Depositphotos_3353833_xs“Why am I here?”  I find myself asking this question a lot.  Sometimes, it’s just because I’ve walked into a room and have forgotten what I was there for.  But the older I get, the more I’m asking that question on a deeper level.  It’s a question that ranks right up there with, “What is the meaning of life?”  It’s a question that begs to be answered.

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How to Have Power and Influence

concept of leadership & authority - big fish leading small fisheWho doesn’t want to have power and influence?  That’s why people rise through the ranks, store up wealth, connect with the right people, and change things around them.  It’s a desire to attain some sort of power and influence.  That’s not necessarily bad.

But people often overlook the two things that would make them most powerful and influential.

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Why Did This Have To Happen?

Statue Of Women On TombHow can someone be here one minute and gone the next?  How can life be going so well and then come undone?  How can I feel fine one day and get this diagnosis the next?  How can I buy a home and then find out later they’re doing away with my job?  Why did this have to happen?

If you’ve ever experienced life threatening news, you know these questions.   You’ve asked these questions.  You’ve looked for answers to these questions.  Maybe you’re still looking for answers.

All you want to know is, “Why did this have to happen?”

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Why Can’t I Get What I Want?

EV001104Why can’t I get what I want?  Maybe you’ve asked that question in marriage.  Maybe it was when your spouse was not helping around the house.  Maybe it was when you wanted to relax and your spouse wanted you to run an errand.  Maybe it was when your spouse wasn’t interested in sex, or was too interested in sex.  Whatever it was, you found yourself asking, “Why can’t I get what I want?”

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Wisdom

Human brain work metaphor made of rusty metal gearsWisdom.  Who doesn’t want to be wise?  Everyone wants wisdom, especially when there’s an important decision to be made.

So why is it wisdom sometimes eludes us?  We can all look back at decisions we made or paths we took and say, “That wasn’t very wise.”

Maybe it’s because we tend to think of wisdom as a natural, innate ability that you either haver or you don’t.

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Good Funeral Stories

Depositphotos_1761627_xsNext time you attend a funeral, listen to the conversations about the deceased.  I’m not talking about the carefully crafted, flowery words of the eulogy.  I’m talking about the side conversations in the hall ways and outside the building.  These are the conversations that reveal who the person was and the impact they had on others.

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