Ruminating is a dominating compulsion. Even though everyone hates to ruminate. We do it when we’ve felt run over by a powerful persona. For hours and days afterward, our mind reruns the script, inserting every good comeback we wish we had made. We resolve that never again will we be caught off guard, and we … Continue reading The way to topple the idol of rumination
Author: Russell Smith
Consume Less. Savor More
I’m trying to learn a new habit. My primary motivation is for my physical health, but this habit has broader application. It’s a simple habit, summarized in four words: Consume less. Savor more. I’m trying to build this into my dietary habits. For years, I’ve been in the habit of hoovering down food as though … Continue reading Consume Less. Savor More
Some people just want to be unhappy
Some people just want to be unhappy. They will latch on to you. Out of compassion, you try to meet their needs. Somehow the bucket never fills. They are still unhappy. Their conversation is a litany of complaint, woe, and frustration. In response to every suggestion they will explain why it won’t work. Their favorite … Continue reading Some people just want to be unhappy
The challenge of social wellbeing
I’m having a hard time writing about a topic. I hope you can help. Perhaps you’ve figured out I’ve been blogging about Gallup’s Wellbeing project. Gallup identifies five areas of Wellbeing: Career, Social, Financial, Physical, and Community. These five areas work together, contributing to one another, supporting and bolstering one another. Together they shape our … Continue reading The challenge of social wellbeing
The Key to Financial Wellbeing
In economically anxious times, how can we speak of financial wellbeing? We struggle to make our piles of pennies meet the mountains of expenses. We stress about costs spiraling higher. Worry, angst, anxiety. On average, married couples argue about financial issues three times a month. Yet here’s what the Gallup wellbeing study has to say about … Continue reading The Key to Financial Wellbeing
30 minutes a day
What one daily habit will with certainty improve your life quality? I know – I’m a pastor. I’m supposed to say “a daily devotional,” “Bible reading and prayer,” or perhaps “daily reflection on our lives in light of God’s word.” Make no mistake, these are good, spiritually healthy habits, and I commend them because they … Continue reading 30 minutes a day
The way to have joy at work
Play to your strengths every day. So says Gallup. They ought to know – they’ve spent decades asking questions about overall wellbeing. We spend most of our days at work, so it should be no surprise that we’ve told Gallup that our employment plays a big (though not exclusive) role in our wellbeing. As of … Continue reading The way to have joy at work
The undeniable power in your grasp
His thoughts were like a Twitter stream of self-doubt. He perpetually feared his words had given offense. He worried that he had left some important task undone, that he had botched some critical element in a project, or that he had let someone down. He was a great disappointment to those about him, of that … Continue reading The undeniable power in your grasp
The most important thing you do as a citizen
Are we not weary of the lies? The television teems with 30 second jeremiads warning of imminent economic disaster. Robo-calls, screened out by caller ID, crowd answering machine space with their denunciations. Friends lose inhibitions, loading Facebook with political jargon and links to fanciful stories woven from half truths and out of context quotes. All … Continue reading The most important thing you do as a citizen
Armageddon Chic
Zany everyman Steve Carrell, the Buster Keaton of our age, is a comedic franchise unto himself. Pair him with everyone's favorite adventure heroine Kiera Knightly, and you have a box office gold in Krakatoan proportion. Together, they star in a sweet romantic tale called Seeking a Friend for the End of the World. That's right. End of … Continue reading Armageddon Chic
Horizons of the Possible 