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 (...

What is it about long drives that is so exhausting? Sitting in a car for a long period of time is extremely draining.  Running 3.5 miles makes me feel tired (and exhausted); but at the same time, I feel invigorated and energized. Stagnation is not a good thing. From birth, people want to go and do. Parents celebrate first steps and riding a bike for the first time. So many milestones have to do with activity. There are even times, as kids get older, that parents (and adults) want them to “get off the couch” or “stop being lazy.” However, the lives of many Americans are marked by stagnation: the lack of motivation to do something. I don’t want to get into the topic of laziness and obeseity, and I’m definitely not the guy who rants about fitness or tries to solicit people to pursue supplements that will give them good gut health or use various workout programs. (Note: I’m not against any of those things, but I’m definitely not a zealot.) What I know is that we fall into ...

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...