The Ordinary Impact

Any time I go out in public I see people (adults and kids) focused on their smart phone screen. It could be at a restaurant or a store. It’s always interesting to see people sitting directly across from each other not connecting with each other because they are focused on a screen. (I’m sure it happens at home, too.) Digital connection is amazing. The internet’s theme song should be “It’s a small world,” and creating a small world has many perks. Those perks are so engaging that many people tend to disengage with the world around them. Spending time in Colorado, I haven’t seen as much “screen time”. People hang out in restaurants and lodges, taking in the sights and connecting with the people. Last night, I  saw two people staring at their phones, but then I heard their conversation. They were comparing the pictures they had taken during the day: discussing the lighting, angles, and their experiences throughout the day. All in all, people were disconnecting from technology (...

There are so many places in Colorado I like to visit, but the  Garden of the Gods  is one of my favorites. From the feeling of the air on my skin to the majestic views, it is truly an invigorating “garden”. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed a garden as much as the Garden of the Gods. However, I can’t help but think that the gods took the easy way out when displaying their gardening skills. It’s as if they thought, “we don’t have a green thumb so let’s take these rocks and call it a garden.” Then I think about how we compare what we do to the achievements of others. Comparison can be a motivator for excellence; yet, all too often, comparison becomes a barrier to achievement. Rather than allowing the greatness we see and experience to inspire us to be the best we can be, we allow the thought “I could never do that” to creep into our mind. We read the words of authors and get convinced that our words don’t compare. We hear about someone’s life experiences...