Someone has asked the question, and today I’m pondering it.
Why do most people over estimate what they can accomplish in one year and under-estimate what they can accomplish in 10 years?
What do you think?
KK
Why?
Reply
Category Archives: Encouragement
Who’s the victim now?
At some point in everyone’s life something bad happens. The country music industry is proof of that. How many songs are all about heart-ache and double crossing meanness? Maybe you were shorted an opportunity as a child, as a young adult someone lies or breaks your heart, or as a professional someone discredits you to the point of losing your job. Take a look at these three scenarios — what’s the commonality? What could you control? Finding yourself as a victim offers the opportunity for choices.
You have the choice to stay down in the situation and wallow, or you can take charge of your responsibility in the situation, how did it get as bad as it did? What could you have done differently? Answers to these questions allow the freedom to grow as a person, move forward and not remain stuck.
Even if it takes years to grow up and out of the situation, at some point in order to be free of the chains of victimization, you have to own the situation, learn from it and grow into a wiser person.
Hanging on to unfair situations in the past only burdens the future. This process of overcoming injustices can be 
amazing and freeing. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is work on bettering yourself and breaking free when others around you don’t live by the same life-long values.
Consider yourself challenged to do some soul-searching and decide today what stronghold or area of your life needs addressing. Can you see yourself as successfully walking away from being a victim and being free from whatever restricts you from being the best you were created to be? Is it an area that at the end of your days you will be thankful you addressed?
All the best,
KK
It’s Just a Drop in the Bucket
How many times is the question asked, “What does it matter”? It’s just a drop in the bucket; meaningless. Every day we make 
thousands of declarations, I do, I don’t, I will, I can’t, yes, no, maybe. Each of these little words leads to an action or no action, but all of them move us forward. Put these declarations in a string and the results are decisions that pave the journey of life. Meaningless – no decision is completely meaningless and all lead to experiences that make and mold who we are. What impact will my decisions really have, I am one individual?
Recently, I was watching the Discovery Channel with my son. The show talked about water molecules. Water drops tend to reach and adhere to each other. So two drops of water close enough on a plate or counter will join and become a bigger drop. If you fill a cup to the rim the water molecules are clinging to each other and will sit on the very edge of the cup until some other action forces them over the edge.
This bucket was set under a dripping facet – one drip at a time and a few hours later the bucket was full. One drip barely made t
he bucket wet, but in a short time there is enough to wash.
Choices and decisions may seem like nothing, but they all lead to something. Where are you going?
All the best,
KK
Motivated by Fear
Fear gets a bad rap. Fear shouldn’t be a primary emotion or state of being; but it does have value. There is respectable fear of those in authority; or the awareness that comes from the fear of walking down a dark street at night. What about the fear that motivates?
In 2010 when I was unemployed, the fear of letting a depressin
g situation overtake me got me out of bed every morning and kept me from going back to bed when I was home alone. When my jeans get a little tight, the fear of “out-growing” them motivates me to eat a little healthier so as to not gain unwanted weight.
The Bible says that the “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Godly wisdom birthed from fear leads to knowledge and life according to several passages. Something so unwanted as the emotion of fear can lead to a greater understanding of ourselves and our great and powerful God.
Fear has a dark side. Fear can be paralyzing. In those frozen moments it takes character, fortitude and faith to look beyond the fear to what happens when it is overcome.
Think about it.
All the best,
KK
Don’t Fall Over Your Pride…
Rarely is pride spoken of in a positive manner. “Pride goeth before a fall,” a most familiar proverb, is a caution to not let self absorption take over so as to lose sight of the bigger need or picture. But consider the good that is found in taking pride in a job or task well done.
In doing a job, project or task that turns out well what is that surge, the emotion that wells up inside and is evidenced by standing a little taller. Doing well breeds confidence. Confidence in wise hands continues to build success. However, confidence and pride overstated can be blinding.
What is the balance? What legacy is left if there is a trail of half-hearted projects or work? What is taught to the next generation if the appropriate balance of humility and pride is not learned?
Is pride a bad thing? Heavens no! How honoring it is to parents, teachers, mentors to see those in their care try hard and do their very best.
Think about it,
KK
There is Hope
There were several ideas I worked on for this week but nothing that excited me. Today, January 29th, it was a windy, cloudy, humid, balmy 67 degrees and so I strolled the yard to see how th
e garden was wintering.
There among the dead remnants of last summer’s colorful splendor, I found hope for the coming spring. It seems the tulips have peeked out to check out the situation for further growth. The site brought immediate encouragement that in spite of the crazy weather — up and down temperatures — the renewal of spring will come.
So, my friend, take a deep breath and relax, the gray blustery, non-snowy winter will serve it’s purpose and move on at the insistence of spring’s arrival.
All the best,
KK
Let’s Talk About Pet Peeves
After I outlined this post I put it aside, you know to let it ruminate. When I came back to the subject I noticed that half of the pet peeves listed were character traits in other people. One definition of “pet peeve” is a complaining, teasing, or annoying behavior; which begs the question as to whether it’s worth carrying these things as pet peeves if I can’t change these behaviors in other people.
That’s right, there comes a point in our lives when we are old enough and wise enough to realize, we can’t change other people only they can make a personal decision to change. And what bugs us about other people may not bother them at all. So really these pet peeves may or may not be seen as right in the eyes of another individual and in such a case, I look judgmental and not like a person who just wants to make a difference in this world.
That leaves me with two pet peeves I will share with you and then open the floor for you to share. First of all, receipts. I can go in a store and purchase a pack of gum with cash and end up with a receipt the length of my arm. Wasn’t all of this electronic scanning and debit cards created to reduce the amount of paper it takes to make a transaction? Do retailers really care about my opinions on the survey that the bottom of the mile-long receipt invites me to participate? Because I am one of those who balance my checkbook, I do keep receipts for a period of time, but the bulging envelop turns out to be half the transactions and half a bunch of information I never read, or coupons I never use. And as long as we are talking about making retail transactions, is it necessary (Sears) to have my phone number to make a purchase? Would they know if I gave them a fake or old disconnected number? I may try that next time.
The other peeve I will share is wasting time. In the course of my day, I’m pretty much in perpetual motion or work type activity from the time I get up until late evening when my son is in bed and I feel like I can take a little time for me. So, to have some non-important something slow me down or stop me is annoying. Do I ever stop to watch television or check out Facebook? Yes, but I don’t spend hours doing either one and most of the time if I’m watching television it is part of my personal downtime or time with my family. As a parent of a middle school student, there is a lot of time spent taking him to practices or having him at school activities. This is not a waste of time, but I find myself with odd periods of time waiting for him that I try to make productive by taking work along or a book to read. Rarely do I ever “kill” time. What I do watch out for is that I’m teaching my son the balance between living a productive non-wasteful life and living in such a manner so as to not rush or over-plan every moment of the day. There are extraordinary things that happen to us and around us in the spontaneity of life that need to be experienced; slowing down to listen to a spouse share their day or a child ask a question or tell of an adventure, watch the sunset or notice a child playing; taking a call from a friend in need or who has good news to share. You know the important things in life that will outlast any daily schedule, remind us of our priorities and are like pushing the reset button on our patterns of thinking.
“People over progress” is a mantra that I took on several years ago when I did find myself so over planned and dedicated to my daily lists to be available for those who mean the most to me. Most of the time, people are not a waste of time.
Well this post didn’t go exactly the way I expected, but that’s ok, it accomplished the goal. Are you re-thinking your pet peeves? What are they?
All the best,
KK
Have you done it yet?
Welcome to the end of the first week of January. Last week you started the month and the year with high-hopes and lofty resolutions. Now that things are settling down to normal and the kids are headed back to school, it’s time to solidify those resolutions into goals that you can work toward accomplishing in the next 358 days.
With clear and realistic thinking, sit down and write your goals for 2013. You’ve heard that the journey of 1,000 miles begins with the first step; writing your goal down is the first step. Your goal becomes real when you see it staring back at you from the page. It becomes your destination and map for a new journey this year. Then take the second step and write under the goal the first five action items to accomplishing your goal.
For example, one of my goals is to read at least 12 books this year and at least two of them need to be new authors and genres for me. So under the goal I number lines one through twelve. Now I just go to work filling in the blanks. I know a book a month doesn’t seem like much, but realistically I have little time in my day to read, so I know it’s attainable given my work and family obligations. Last year, I would have read more, but one of the books I chose was painfully slow. But I finished it and am glad I stuck with it.
Can’t think of anything you would like to accomplish this year? Ask yourself a couple of questions: if I could do one thing to improve my situation, financially, physically, mentally or emotionally, what would it be? What do you need to do to accomplish this?
If it helps and you want someone to hold you accountable, share your goals with a trusted friend and give them permission to ask you throughout the year about how you are doing toward your goal. Having gone through this exercise every year for the past 20 plus years, setting goals has become a part of my psyche, I’m pretty good at holding myself accountable; ok except for exercise goals, these I stink at.
One thing is true, if you write nothing down; set no goals, you are likely to be the exact same physically, mentally or emotionally as you are right this minute. Even if you don’t fully accomplish the goal you write down, any effort toward that goal is better than no effort at all. In the end, you will celebrate all the steps of your journey even if you didn’t reach your destination. That’s what 2014 will be about.
Let me know how it’s going,
KK
January 1st
I’m pretty sure that January first is the most optimistic day of the year. For most it’s a holiday; a day without a schedule. One person wrote that it was their first “stress-free” day of the year. Unlike starting a new page on the calendar, we start a new calendar, 365 days free from all the obligations that will come with the reality of tomorrow.
Today, many will make resolutions and set goals; some of which will stick and they will be better for it. No one ever resolves to take up a bad habit or sets a goal to gain 10 pounds. The resolutions and goals are positive changes of general self-improvement.
Today we look forward with hope with tunnel vision toward the good that coming days will bring. Will all of the days be as “stress-free” as today? Not a chance. But today there is hope for more good days than bad; more successes than failures and wisdom enough to appreciate both.
Happy new 365 days.
All the best,
KK
Consider Mary
Consider Mary; young, outcast, weary of nine months of whispers as she passed the other women rather than motherly advice from her elders. Did the hormonal swings make her think she was crazy? With no book, What to Expect when Expecting to guide her, she prepared for her baby and our king. Did she know how to count the weeks and months until the birth? In her third trimester did she understand Braxton Hicks contractions? Joseph had come back ready to love her through this, did she wonder if he would change his mind? Knowing they would be traveling to Bethlehem, did she do any “nesting” like most mothers, preparing space and blankets for wrapping her new born?
Each year at Christmas as a mother, I am drawn to Mary and her point of view. Nine months pregnant, more than likely swollen and uncomfortable riding on the back of a lumpy donkey, did she weep with fear of giving birth?
Or in her discomfort, fear and pain, did the God who chose her, carry her. Did she find peace in the silence and feel His strength and confidence surround her?
Jesus didn’t just feel his humanity when he was older and being tempted in the desert, even during birth the babe experienced the trauma of the birth canal and his first sounds were that of his mother’s scream during delivery. No doubt Jesus immediately felt the dramatic contrast from the warmth of a mother’s womb to the coldness of the world.
All births are miracles, if you are a mother, you can imagine Mary holding her child close to nestle him in the warmth of her arms. While we may have held our children in wonder about who this little person is and what they will be when they are grown. Mary held her son knowing his purpose but not fully understanding his impact.
Recovering from giving birth, Mary lay resting with her child snuggled close and a loving but shell-shocked Joseph trying very hard to make their surroundings more comfortable.
Taking a deep breath of contentment, the young mother, forgetting the nine-confusing months rested under the star that made the silent announcement that her son had arrived and the world would forever be changed.
KK's Candor 