All of My Thoughts and Articles
Notice the Wind, But Direct the Boat
As a writer, I receive a lot of feedback. Some of the feedback is positive, but much of it is negative. For example, I recently received the following feedback on a paper I wrote: “I ...
What is More Important: Behavior or Identity?
One of my favorite parables of Jesus is the story of the Good Samaritan. Jesus is approached by an expert in the law, who asks him what he must do to get eternal life. Jesus ...
Put Your Anxiety on a Shelf
For some reason, I tend to struggle with anxiety more at night, when I’m trying to go to sleep. I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s something about lying in bed that allows my mind to ...
Want to Change Something? Start by Measuring It
Psychologist Everett Worthington, who was my advisor in graduate school, once did a research study comparing two types of therapies for improving people’s marriages. He brought couples into the lab, measured them on a bunch ...
Take Your Own Medicine
We often have a lot judgments about other people in our lives. It seems as if we are the experts on what other people should and shouldn’t be doing. It’s easy to watch how someone ...
Don’t Get Stuck in Your Perspective
One day I was on the train, trying to get some work done. A woman got on the train and sat a few rows ahead of me. I noticed her because she was playing music ...
Boundaries for Leaders
I’m reading an interesting book called “Boundaries for Leaders” by Henry Cloud. Boundaries are incredibly important for effective leadership, whether you are leading a small team or a massive organization. But the concept of boundaries ...
Grace Isn’t Always Fair… But It’s Good
Jesus tells an interesting story in the book of Matthew that illustrates a reason why many of us resist grace—it can be perceived as unfair. Here’s how the story goes: For the kingdom of heaven ...
Jeremy Renner and Conquering Your Fears
I was watching an interview with actor Jeremy Renner. The interviewer asked about Jeremy’s process when facing his fears. I loved his response. He said that when he was young, he recognized fear was the most ...
