CAPTURING EYEBALLS

Like someone who dropped

a large jar

of marbles

frantically darting

this way

and that

trying to scoop them up --

this is what social media

seems to force us into.


Capturing eyeballs.


We are either the

scoopers

or those being

scooped.


If this is the game

then

I really don’t want to play.


I’d rather we think of it

as

captivating hearts.


Hearts are shy and suspicious.

Eyeballs are shifty and fickle.


So if you want to make an impact

beyond the viral,

you must attract the

heart.


Hearts are best captivated

by standing steadfast

offering something

true

and

worthwhile.


I warn you,

this takes much longer

and

one cannot be darting

all the time.


THANKS GIVING

Life

and

breath,

health

and

growth,

family

and

friends,

movement

and

meaning,

challenges

and

choice --

for these

I am grateful.


I am also grateful for you

who faithfully

read my reflections,

send responses,

and

encourage me

Every. Single. Day.


May today be a day for

thanks giving

that overflows into

all your

tomorrows.


THE TABLE-SAW CONNECTION

My son is an aspiring maker.

His primary medium is wood.

Out in his 8 by 10 foot shed,

he is beginning to gather tools for his trade.


Deciding he needed his first table saw,

he searched on Craigslist

for something suitable.


He did his homework and knew what he wanted.


He found one

and

at a good price.


He made arrangements to meet the seller.

I drove him there.


When the man got out of his truck,

I knew him

and

my son had met him once.


After the hugs and handshakes,

we laughed about how small

our world is.


The table-saw connected us again.


But it wasn’t the saw really,

it was the technology behind our

social media and crowd-selling.


They have the potential for reminding us

how connected we are,

how we need each other,

how life is better together.


It seems, however, these social networks

cause so many to feel

more isolated,

more alone,

less worthy,

less desirable,

less grateful,

more angry,

more anxious,

more depressed.


What if this week,

you used your platforms

to create real,

live,

connections?


What if, this week,

you gave shout outs

for all the people whose lives

have made your life

better?


And why not reach out

to someone you once

knew

and

make a table-saw connection?


You’ll be glad you did.


UNREASONABLE

Unreasonable people.

Unreasonable policies.

Unreasonable politics.

Unreasonable beliefs.


With all of these in play,

life seems unreasonable,

which can lead to despair.


We need more reasonableness

in the world, in our lives.


And one way to get it is by exhibiting:

unreasonable love,

unreasonable dignity,

unreasonable grace,

unreasonable forgiveness.


So maybe there is a place for unreasonableness.


STOP OVERWHELM

So many people are overwhelmed

with life, work, and love.

We may use different words

(frustrated, stressed, busy, unsure, angry)

to describe it,

but underneath it all is

being overwhelmed

and

not knowing where to begin.


So today, I offer you a 2.5 question process

to stop overwhelm.

Every Morning ask yourself:

1 What am I grateful for? (write down 3 things)

1.5 How did I receive these things?

2 What ONE thing MUST I do today

to make the rest of the day better?


Here is an example.

1 my heart beating

1.5 It came with my life. I did nothing to get it.

2 Write a post to help people stop the overwhelm.


Then DO the ONE thing.


Simple and hard. Like all helpful things.


Try this for the next week

and

let me know

how it helps.