by Lance Cashion | Dec 31, 2013 | Encouragement, Goal Setting, Lance's Philosophy, Personal Growth, Productivity, Trending Topics, Uncategorized
Is this what each new year boils down to?
A string of big dreams, followed by exhaustive exuberance, promising promises and exciting launches that all fizzle into discontent, failure or frustration?
Stop making New Years Resolutions! I stopped making ‘New Years Resolutions’ several years ago. I’ve found resolutions are a great way to become completely frustrated and discontent by mid-February.
Do you remember the story of the Tortoise and the Hare? Who wins?
Big goals are not achieved overnight. We reach our destination by placing one foot in front of the other, one day at a time in the right direction. It is the determined march every day through the pain and resistance. It is a marathon, not a 5k.
Don’t get distracted
The key is not to get distracted by the mob of over-excited yay-hoos running around in circles. Let them buy gym memberships, vitamins, crash diets, and self-help books as they begin on their frantic run down the road to Fail-ville.
Think Strategically: A successful strategist wins the war in his mind before setting foot on the battlefield.
This means he plans his steps, counts the cost and defines victory.
Don’t Give in to hysteria: Instant gratification plays a huge role in the New Years Resolution mania. We want to get started and get done as quickly as possible. We get a lot of pleasure from beginning new things. Don’t give in to starting something for the sake of starting. A lot of people start a marathon with great intentions. But, they never finish.
Set your Mind: Start thinking and praying about a big goal for yourself and what it will be like when you achieve it. One of the biggest problems with New Years Resolutions is the we unconsciously allow the mob to influence what our real goal should be. We may end up pursuing a goal we don’t own because we got caught up in the hype. Let the hype pass. Remember, you are being intentional and strategic.
Life Has a Time Limit: Whatever your goal, make sure it is significant. Please don’t set a goal like getting the best score on a video game or watching every episode of Downton Abby. You only have so much time in this life. You are a heart-beat away from eternity. Make it count! If you can set a goal that impacts others, go for it. Maybe you want to volunteer once a month for a year. Perhaps you want to run a marathon and thought it would be impossible?
Set a Date: Pick a time in mid-February, go to a quiet place with a pen, paper and calendar. Forget resolutions, its time to settle on the GOAL or building a habit. FYI – I set my goals for the year in the beginning days of March.
- What is the one thing you would do if you couldn’t fail?
- What would you do if you weren’t afraid?
Goals Must: be specific, be measurable, be in writing, have a deadline, and you must OWN them (relevant to your life).
While everyone around you is exhausted and on the verge of giving up, you will be focused and strategically pursuing your goal one step at a time every day.
Enjoy the journey!
“The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” (Prov 16:9)
Edited and Updated: 12-31-2015
by Lance Cashion | Dec 30, 2013 | Culture, Encouragement, Jesus Christ, Lance's Philosophy, Leadership, News, Personal Growth, Philosophy, Trending Topics, Uncategorized, Wisdom
Have you ever met someone who after meeting them, you knew that you would never be the same again? What was it they said or did that changed you?
Everyone we meet has an impact on our lives to a greater or lesser extent. Take a moment and think about a person who had biggest impact on your life.
We have the ability to be one of two kinds of people. We can be a thermometer or we can be a thermostat. The difference it huge. (more…)
by Lance Cashion | Dec 17, 2013 | Culture, Current Affairs, Education, Family, News, Philosophy, Trending Topics, Uncategorized, Video, Wisdom |
(Note: I do not endorse globaldemoracy(dot)com… But, applaud their posting of this video)
I enjoy going to the grocery store with my wife and young children. I appreciate the opportunity of teaching them the value of a dollar.
I hate waiting in the check-out line. Not because I hate waiting. I hate the images on the magazines surrounding my family in the checkout isle. We live in what I call a ‘Photoshop Culture‘ where almost every image we see is airbrushed, manipulated and/or enhanced. When we’re waiting in the checkout line, my little daughter does not realize she is looking at a complete LIE. Neither does my young son.
It begs the question; What kind of impact do these images have on the minds of our children?
(more…)
by Lance Cashion | Oct 2, 2012 | Culture, Lance's Philosophy, Leadership, Trending Topics, Uncategorized, Wisdom, Worldview
I read Seth Godin’s blog often. His insights are usually spot-on. Many times Seth’s insights drive me deeper in my own way of thinking and assessment of reality. Today’s post was no different.
Excerpt from ‘Denying the facts you don’t like’: “The problem with Orwellian talking heads, agitprop, faux news and Ballmer-like posturing is that they take away a foundation for a genuine movement to occur, because once we start denying facts, it’s difficult to know when to stop. Tell us where we are, tell us where we’re going. But if you can’t be clear about one, it’s hard to buy into the other.” –Seth Godin’s Blog 10/2/12 (please continue reading here)
I want to take his idea a little further.
My title would be ‘Denying the truth you don’t like (because it makes you uncomfortable)’. We live in a culture that is dominated by post-modernism. At its core is relativism of truth. Essentially asserting, what is true for me may not be true for you. Some say that there is no ultimate truth. I ask the question, ‘Do you hold this to be true?’ If there is no truth, why should I believe what you are saying is true?
If truth is relative then reality has no ultimate meaning.
When we deny ultimate truth, we tend to break ourselves against it. The truth can be uncomfortable but rejecting truth because it makes us uncomfortable does not change truth. Media has lured us into a fantasy world where the lines between imagination and reality are blurred. The culture reinforces this experience by communicating the narrative that truth is relative. Gravity, birth, death, aging, nourishment, respiration, time, suffering, good and evil are all examples of ultimate human reality. In film and television these realities are reversed, suspended or destroyed as we pursue our desires to be entertained. The problem lies in how this fictional narrative is injected into our reality. We begin to ask the question, ‘What is real?’ We lose our sense of discernment and live our lives in mid-air.
I would rather know the truth and be uncomfortable than allow myself to be sedated by a fictional narrative where there is no gravity, only birth, no death, no aging, no need for nourishment, no need to breath, no sense of time, no suffering, good is mundane and evil is exciting. Fictional sedation clouds our judgment. It also arrests or distorts our ability to plan for the future.
When we allow the uncomfortable truth to be our foundation, we can plan for the future. Thanks to Seth for making me think this morning!
“Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” (Jn 7:24)
by Lance Cashion | Mar 21, 2012 | Culture, Encouragement, Lance's Philosophy, Leadership, Personal Growth, Philosophy, Trending Topics, Uncategorized
Aristotle believed that thunder was caused by the collision of clouds.
Wikipedia defines ‘Thunder as the sound made by lightning. The sudden increase in pressure and temperature from lightning produces rapid expansion of the air surrounding and within a bolt of lightning. In turn, this expansion of air creates a sonic shock wave which produces the sound of thunder, often referred to as a clap, crack, or peal of thunder.’
Earlier this week I was awakened from my slumber by a massive storm rolling through North Texas. A flash of white light flooded the room for a nanosecond. It blinded me for a few moments. Then, I could hear thunder being born in the distance, that crackling sound somewhere in the atmosphere. I could perceive the general direction of its origin but I could not pinpoint the exact place where the sound was created. After its emergence, its echo faded into silence. Then, a distant rumble made its way toward our location. As it approached, it grew louder. The reverberations caused by the low frequency shook the earth. The force compressed the air and my entire home was engulfed by a shock wave which vibrated everything in its path. It was if a giant locomotive was rushing through our home. It was at this moment that I truly appreciate the magnificence and power of thunder. (more…)
