The Truth of Us

By Don on April 5, 2022 0

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) has been constantly watching the sun for over a decade. They produced a time-lapse film (with music) of that entire footage at a speed of one second per day

Fascinating.

And to my understanding, like when you’re sitting in a car that isn’t moving and a train goes by … you begin to feel you are moving. It’s not the sun’s spin you see in the video. It is the Earth’s speedy revolution around the sun.

Watch for a few minutes, think about it a few minutes, and you are almost certain to be awestruck at the realization of where we are.

Courtesy of NASA Goddard

Because here’s the apparent truth of the matter

We may feel like we’re sitting still and motionless. We think we can stop and quiet ourselves to feel it entirely. But we are actually spinning at a rate of about 1,000 miles per hour at the equator of our planet.

That’s why we have sunrises and sunsets.

We’re not spinning only, though. We are simultaneously revolving around the sun at 67,000 miles per hour.

And the sun? It isn’t motionless either.

The sun and the galaxy we belong to are moving at 448,000 miles per hour. That means no matter how well-practiced the most accomplished human is at sitting silent and still, that person — and everyone else on the planet — are circling a nuclear inferno while twirling and hurling through space at mind-blowing speeds towards a God-only-knows what kind of fate.

True story.

The center of the Milky Way galaxy | Courtesy of NASA JPL/Caltech

So, what can we do about it?

Answer: Absolutely nothing.

No law we can pass, war we can wage, nor promise we can make can do a darned thing about it. Nature will have its way with us sooner or later.

We will age. We will die. The nuclear sun will explode. And not one iota of humankind’s existence will have mattered a tinker’s damn to the vastness of the universe.

That’s why the Gospel is so appealing to many. It explains the craziness happening at every moment on this planet. And it explains the craziness in me.

Both are similar:

The world and everything in it was created by an all-powerful Being who gave us the Earth as a Paradise, a place where we could walk and talk with Him in a beautiful Garden. But a spiritual enemy tricked the mother and father of humankind, and they chose the knowledge of “good and evil.”

They were booted from the Garden.

The woman was told she would have pain in childbirth, that she would need a husband and he would call the shots. The man was cursed with work … work on an Earth that would now jab him with thorns and make it difficult for him to eke out a living for his family.

For this, they gave up the Garden of Delight, where the food was plentiful and free. Where they worked together happily and the ground was blessed.

Thomas Cole painting – 1828 – Public Domain

And so it is with me.

I am steeped in my ancestor’s errors. I chose things that don’t really matter over the things that matter most. I fail to acknowledge the claim my Creator has on my life, choosing rather to pollute the temple He has given me. I break His commandments daily (for Jesus said to become angry is the same as to commit murder and to even look at a woman with lust is to commit adultery).

I am a “sinner.” I miss the mark all the time, because I rarely even recall that there’s a bullseye, the true target. The most important thing in life.

But here is something amazing:

My Creator desires me to come live forever in a place where tears and heartaches will cease. Where there will be no war, no hate, no evil. Where justice will reign, and no citizen will ever be hungry nor sick.

Wisdom calls to me, points on every side to the Way. The sun, moon, and stars should bring me to my knees in awe at the reality of my position in the universe.

Even so, rather than acknowledge His claim to me, I turn on incandescent lights and sleep under a roof to protect me from His glory. I turn instead to my pretend world where “everything is alright” and I am in control of every knob and switch. Where money, not God, is king. And fear reigns as high priest.

Has anyone noticed this?

The earth doesn’t point towards the sun. That’s why we have seasons. It’s a bit difficult to imagine, but Earth constantly points to the north. That’s why we have seasons. When the north pole points to the sun, we experience the summer solstice. When the south pole points towards the sun, it is the winter solstice.

I Googled the question in various forms for an hour or more and couldn’t find a reference.

If you can, please let me know: What DOES demand the earth’s unending attention?

Where does the Earth point? And why would it unceasingly aim at the emptiest part of the known universe?

Certainly, the force that attracts our planet is not Polaris, nor is it any other “north star,” for the particular star we deem with that astronomical title changes over time. The prior north star was Vega. The next in line is Gamma Cephei. The north star isn’t WHERE we are pointing. It is simply most in the way of that pointing.

Earth constantly looks towards something that holds us more captive than any sun could.

The book of Job explains it well in Chapter 37, Verse 22:

Out of the north comes golden splendor; Around God is awesome majesty.
Job 37:22

God lives in the north. And the planet we are riding on knows and acts on that fact.

Why don’t I?

What to Do When Things Aren’t Going Your Way

By Don on January 13, 2018 0

Roadturn Principle car on fire — Creative Commons Image via Pixabay-vainodesositis

The water pipe bursts, you get sick, your outgo is bigger than your income … what do you do when things aren’t going your way?

Here are some of the methods I’ve tried:

Get angry
Throw a fit
Feel sorry for myself
Blame something or someone else
Say “To hell with it” and head to the bar

That’s enough. You get the picture.

Did any of that help, though?

Maybe temporarily. Maybe I felt a little better for a bit, but none of that does anything about solving the problem that set me off in the first place.

Here’s what a Navy Seal might do

Have you heard of Jocko Willink? He’s a retired Navy Seal — a bonafide badass — who now helps company officers and teams develop better leadership skills.

Jocko’s advice for what to do when things go south is to step up, assume responsibility, and draw fire.

That’s right, “draw fire,” meaning you intentionally step out and say “Bring it on.”

Certainly, there needs to be some context to the situation — you don’t want to step in front of a locomotive — yet, there’s a nugget of wisdom here for us mortals to grasp.

Here’s an example of how the “draw fire” concept can work

Back when I was a whippersnapper, early 20’s I guess, I was renting a “granny flat” sort of apartment in Eugene, Oregon. It was a sweet little spot, with a sliding glass door that opened up to a beautiful, fenced backyard. It was summertime. My plan was to take a break from my studies, then return to school at the University of Oregon in the fall.

Meanwhile, I took and quit a few jobs, lost my girlfriend, holed up inside … then entered a deep depression.

I had zero ambition, not even enough to go get food. I had a jar of peanut butter and a jar of honey. I’d dip a spoon into both now and then for nourishment. I sat on the couch for days like that … dark room, blinds closed, doing nothing whatsoever. Just me and silence.

Then came the cavalry (and the calvary too)

A moment of clarity finally broke through. I ran a quick scan of my situation and called it like it was. “I’m depressed.”

If you’ve ever been there, you know exactly what that feels like. If you’ve not … God bless you. I hope you never go through it.

Where the idea came from, I don’t know. Certainly, it wasn’t something I knew I knew. I said this to myself: “If you’re going to be depressed, you might as well get really depressed. Go for it.”

I then proceeded to bear down internally and get as depressed as I possibly could be.

The idea was so far fetched, that it made me laugh, and with that laugh came a little joy.

I got off the couch, went over to the blinds, and pulled them open. I walked barefoot out onto the lawn and the sunshine of a glorious day.

That was my first and last experience with what was probably “clinical depression.” Sure, I’ve been down here and there since, but never like that.

How to use the “drawing fire” concept in daily life

Here’s my point.

What should you do when things aren’t going your way?

Try stepping out and drawing fire. Face up to the onslaught and say, “Hey, bring it on. Let’s go.”

Sometimes, that simple, brave act can restore your confidence and fill you with power.

Draw fire!

By the way, believers especially have no wiggle room here. “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

***

Disclaimer: I’m not a psychiatrist. I don’t even play a doctor on TV. I write from my own life experience and observations. I’ve a master’s degree in the humanities, I’m a believer and philosopher, and I’m the author of How to LIVE, a field manual for getting unstuck. I’m not a physician, and I don’t intend to dispense medical advice here. My aim is to share what’s working (and not working) for me.

The ONE Question Everyone Should Ask Themselves

By Don on January 12, 2018 0

Creative Commons photo via Morguefile

Email from an online business tool: “Next week, things are going to look and feel different [on our site].”

My response: “I hope that means you’re fixing your customer experience issues, not just prettying up the brand. Fix the car before you paint it.”

How often do we try to cover up the blemishes in our own lives with solutions like these?

I’m drinking too much, guess I’ll lay off the hard stuff and stick with beer
We’re fighting too much, let’s try not talking at all
I hate my work, if only I could find a job that pays more money

Take a few minutes today to consider this one question: “What personal problem or roadblock am I trying to cover up instead of fix?”

Fix the Car Before You Paint It – Hypertension and Cholesterol

For the past several years, I’ve been taking a “blood pressure pill” daily. Worse yet, the doc says I should add a “cholesterol pill” into the mix. That’s a problem, you see, because I don’t like the idea of painting the car instead of fixing it.

“Doc, isn’t there something I can do with diet and exercise that would help?”

“No. This is all about heredity. You must play the cards you’re dealt.”

So, I’ve been taking the blood pressure pills, but I’m bucking hard against the statin drugs for cholesterol.

Last year, I experienced some remarkable success with an eating plan I developed. Then came the holidays, and I got off track. For awhile, I was off the blood pressure medication altogether (the doctor was amazed). But it wasn’t sustainable.

Rather than paint the car, though … I’m working on a repair. I’ve re-grouped, I’m back on the plan, and I’m hoping to duplicate the results.

LISTEN UP: I’m not saying you should stop taking your medications. This is about me and my car. I can’t drive two cars at once. You are in charge of your own. I do urge, you, though, to consider the core of this idea and ask yourself that one critical question: What am I trying to cover up that I should be dealing with instead?

Roadturn principle: Fix the car before you paint it.

Let’s talk about it …

— Don

3 Steps to a Fresh Start and Better Plan

By Don on January 11, 2018 0

getting past failure — Creative Commons illustration via Pixabay and geralt

WHEN THE GAME IS OVER, there’s a winner and a loser.

It’s final.

You’ll never see a Super Bowl or World Series end in a tie. That’s not going to happen. Somebody has to win and somebody has to lose.

That’s fine for televised sports, but how about life in general?

If you don’t follow through on your New Year’s resolution, does that make you a failure?
If you start a new diet plan and can’t even stick with it for one day, are you a loser?
If you keep promising yourself you’ll find a way to earn more money and take better care of your family, but you’re still struggling to pay the bills … are you hopelessly trapped?

Here’s a roadturn principle you can take to the bank: You’re not defeated until you give up and stop trying.

I know that’ll cause an uproar in some circles. How about “surrender to win” and “acceptance is the answer to all my problems” and “what you resist persists”?

Isn’t your struggle the very thing that keeps you bound?

Here’s the short form answer: No.

Surrender, acceptance, non-resistance … those can all be useful steps along the way to getting unstuck, but they’re not the way to get unstuck. If they were, I could take the doctor’s advice, swallow the pill daily, and not worry any longer about the underlying condition the pill is meant to treat in the first place.

Here’s another roadturn principle: You get what you settle for.

Your life isn’t a football or basketball game. It’s not a “you against everybody else” situation. You’re here to learn and grow. Your problems help you do that … if you’ll let them.

What should you do when you try one more time to get and stay on that diet, but don’t follow through?

What do you do when that job interview falls through or you don’t get the raise?

Try again.

Don’t stop.

Never give up.

3 Steps to Help You Get Back on Track

Here are three steps you can use to grease the rails for a revival:

Stop and feel the inner discouragement. Don’t fight the emotions, express them as needed. Use the LIVE Method to deal with the inner critic.
Sit down with a notebook and pen. Take 45 minutes to sit and think about the issue. Use prayer and meditation to gain clarity. Write down the observations and ideas that come to you.
Go back over the previous attempts you’ve made to get past the issue. Look for the parts that were successful and for the parts that weren’t. Is there a common tripwire that keeps making you stumble? How can you deal with that situation the next time it comes up (and it will).

If you’ll use those three steps, I can all but guarantee you’ll gain back your energy, your motivation, your enthusiasm … and that you’ll gain insight to help you re-group and go at it again. I can’t think of a single time I’ve walked through that process that I didn’t walk away with an answer I needed.

I’m using them right now to refocus on a health issue I want to overcome: high blood pressure. Some say I should give in, take the pills, and forget about other methods of hypertension control. But I don’t like depending on pharmaceuticals.

Everyone draws their own lines. That’s mine. If yours is different, I totally respect it. It’s not the issue that’s most important. The central point is about how it’s affecting your life and your self esteem. If you think it’s a problem, then it’s a problem. If everyone else says you look fine carrying 20 extra pounds, that’s great. But if you don’t agree, then you don’t agree.

I hate taking pills, so I’m trying to do something about it.

What’s your struggle?

Let’s talk.

— Don

The Biggest Time Waster of All

By Don on January 9, 2018 0

time wasters — Image by Capri23auto – Creative Commons via Pixabay

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY is the biggest time-wasting activity in your daily life?

Some say it’s spending too much time on social media, some point to a fascination with news headlines, others say they’re too busy to waste any time whatsoever. Time is too precious to waste.

I agree.

Allow me to tell you a brief (true) story, then the conclusion I’ve drawn from it.

How the electric bill doubled in one month

My son was complaining about his room being too cold. He kept jacking up the main thermostat and overheating everyone else.

So, I bought a portable electric heater for his room. His brother piped in that he’d have to have one for his room too.

Problem solved.

The next month, my electric bill almost doubled.

It wasn’t because the weather turned suddenly colder. It was all due to those two seemingly harmless and helpful little heaters. You could argue the extra charge for electricity will be offset by the lower need for natural gas … and I hope so … but that’s not the point.

Little things can make a huge difference

What is there in your life that doesn’t take a long time to do, but you find yourself doing it frequently?

Look there first.

Those heaters weren’t blowing heat all the time, but they were switching on often.

Do you keep your smartphone handy and check it constantly?
Do you keep your email program open and deal with messages on the fly?
Are you always in need of a snack or drink or quick trip to the grocery store?

Those little things can take up a large chuck of time. If you’ll start noticing those actions you thought were inconsequential, you may find they’re the primary culprit stopping you from accomplishing all you set out to do every day.

Seems incredible … but check it out.

Here’s the fix

You don’t have to knock off the little things completely. Just get them under control.

Here’s a method I like. It comes from a system I outline in The DEEP:

Decide what you’re going to focus on next. It doesn’t have to be the most pressing or important project in front of you, it only needs to be the thing you’re willing to devote the next chunk of your time to.
Get your drink, your snack, your break — whatever you think you need to do first — get it out of the way. Do the little things FIRST, not during.
Do what you’ve decided to do and focus on it entirely. No distractions allowed. Don’t pick up your phone, check your email, visit Facebook … no little things allowed … until you’re either finished or you’ve been at the task long enough to deserve a break (set a timer if you wish).
Take a brief break. Allow yourself a few minutes of little things, then rinse and repeat as needed.
Remember, this isn’t only about work. When you sit down to eat with your family, focus on your family. Give them your full attention. In the smartphone age, full attention is a rare commodity.

Here’s the primary lesson: When you’re working on something, work on it. When you’re not, don’t.

The little things aren’t bad in themselves. If you major in the minors, though, you’ll never operate at anywhere near your full potential.

Let’s talk about it.

— Don

** If you don’t yet have your copy of the How to LIVE field guide … get it now. If you do have it, read it, use it, and leave a review. Help get the word out.

What Happened to Brian?

By Don on January 6, 2018 0

IF ANYONE HAD plenty of reasons to live … it was Brian.

A beautiful wife, great job, son of one of the wealthiest men on the planet … Brian had it made.

I clocked in early and left late, trying to earn another little raise at my copywriting job.

Brian rented an RV and toured the West with his family.

I needed a reason to leave my desk and go run an errand … and it’d better be a darned good reason.

Brian came and went as he wished, answering to nobody but himself.

Brian was rich and powerful. I was the opposite.

What Happened to Brian?

I met with him the day before it happened.

Just the two of us in the marketing conference room. We talked about SEO and a new website project. We went over blog analytics and social media plans. But I could tell something was wrong. The old fire was missing.

I said, “Hey, I hear you’re going to be heading overseas again soon, maybe even take over the Asian division.”

“No,” he shook his head, “no, that’s not going to happen now.”

I wanted to press further. I wanted to say, “Brian, what’s up? You seem off today.” But I didn’t want to butt into his business.

Guys are tough, you know. We don’t need a lot of hand-holding or emotional triage. I held my concern for another time. Maybe we could grab lunch together soon. Maybe I’d stop by his office later …

but that was the last time I saw Brian.

I was at my desk about 0600 the next morning. Half an hour later, I checked my email and found a message from the company president: Brian is dead. He will be missed. Funeral arrangements pending.

My heart sunk. My head went wild. I checked the local news — had there been a car wreck?

Nothing.

The marketing manager told me later, something I’d already suspected: Brian killed himself. Gunshot to the head.

Goodbye, Brian.

That was years ago, but I still think of him often.

Especially on days when life is tough (that’s just about every day), especially when finances are iffy, and I’m wondering how to make ends meet.

Brian had it made. But he doesn’t anymore.

I do.