Lessons || July 27th, 2024

1. There is no amount of love that should stop you from being radically honest with someone. Truth can be hurtful, but dishonesty hurts more. Live and speak from a place of truth.

2. Knowing yourself is critical. You need to understand who you are and the hierarchy of your values and priorities. You can't be everything to everyone, and all relationships take compromise. If you don't know how your values rank, it'll be harder to know what you are and are not willing to compromise for others.

3. Separate the sinner and the sin. Mistakes, personality traits and shortcomings do not make a man's identity. Be careful with these labels for yourself and others.

4. Most anxiety comes from the common culture that we are entirely responsible for our lives, and making it happen is solely up to us. When we're not where we want to be, we believe it's a fault of our own which can become self-defeating. Patience and grace with ourselves cures most anxiety.

5. The growth we're seeking comes from the self-work we're avoiding.

6. Money will not make you happier. No one believes this until they have made themselves miserable pursuing it. Money and possessions will give you comfort and short-term pleasure, but it won't change the things that are most directly related to true joy.

7. Stop talking politics. Unless you have a serious financial or professional interest regarding who is in the White House, quit making politics a topic of conversation with friends, family, or worse, strangers. It's either divisive or leads to self-induced frustration. No one leaves a political conversation feelings happier or lighter.

8. Wake up early. Early enough to have two cups of coffee, slowly. Use this time for stillness. Giving time to yourself before you begin your work day will drastically change your effectiveness when your daily “to do’s” begin.

9. Incorporate a “Digital Sunset”. From sunset to sunrise, eliminate the use of screens- no phones , TV’s or computers. All day every day we are staring at a digital board. Give yourself at least half a day for your brain to adjust to the material world around you. This mental decompression inspires thinking and stress reduction.

10. Avoid arguing with someone over text message. The second you receive a negative text from someone, call them immediately. Chances are they won’t pick up because they are afraid to directly confront someone, but whether they answer or you get the voicemail lead by saying, “It sounds like there’s something you wanted to get off your chest and Im here to listen”. You’ll instantly deflate the situation.