Posts Tagged ‘Being human’
Why A Platform Is A Responsibility, Not A Quest For Glory
In the last 48 hours social media has gone into meltdown in reaction to the disgraceful comments made by Donald Trump in 2005, comments which effectively endorse patriarchy and rape culture.
Comments which have no place in civilised society.
And no place in the White House.
As a regular visitor to social media, there has, rightly, been outrage – both at the comments themselves and some people’s reaction to them. Including from myself.
There’s been many comments which have left me dumbfounded. One of these was from a major author a critic of Trump’s comments – who made clear there were people DM’ing them their outrage, but not saying anything publicly for fear of losing their platforms.
And when I saw that, I was shocked.
Read MoreHow Comparison Is The Enemy Of Grace
Comparison. It’s one of the biggest addictions human history. And one of the most damaging.
Be honest, how often do you compare yourself with others? People you’d like to be like. Others in the same career, or people who have what you’d secretly desire but don’t have. We do this even on a subconscious level. Many of our worst decisions, lowest moods, you may find rooted in comparison.
And if you really think about it, you probably use comparison way more often than you’d like to think.
Read MoreTwo Fuses Of Hope
For 20 years my heart has been angry. Day to day, I’ve been a calm, rational, sensible, grown up (sometimes more than others) like anyone else. I’ve grown. I’ve matured.
But underneath, I’ve been screaming. And much of the time, I was too deaf to hear my own subconscious.
When I was a kid things happened at home and outside of home which did me a lot of damage. Betrayal, mistrust, fear all became part of my soul. And the injustice at people who’d hurt me not being held accountable, being let off the hook fuelled a bitterness and resentment in me.
It began as righteous anger. But it quickly got out of control. I grew up, but my anger didn’t. A 15 year old wanting to be heard but constantly ignored. Hurt, betrayed and bulled, with no resolution.
And he’s been angry ever since.
Read MoreWhy It’s Easier To Believe In Others Than In Ourselves (& What We Can Do About It)
“Believe in yourself”.
How many times have you heard that mantra preached to you? I’ve lost count of the times I have.
I think a more accurate, helpful phrase might be
‘Trust In Yourself’
You see I’ve always a great believer in encouragement. I’ve always been an optimist when it comes to other people. I have great belief in others potential. I love to encourage others, and I have great confidence in others ability to grow and thrive.
But I have none for myself.
Read MoreHow Writing (& X-Men) Saved Me From Myself
One value I place above all is authenticity. And on a blog, this means always being honest, and being vulnerable as much as is appropriate.
I firmly believe the best creative work – including our lives – is always honest, always authentic.
Tell the truth, the last few months have been tough for me. Without going into too much detail, I’ve been feeling led to confront issues from my childhood, which I’ve buried and run away from for 20 years. They’d been undermining me and controlling me for too long – and this year, I knew it was time to confront them. I knew this would mean going down a dark path, into the valley, and knew this would impact me – but I also knew it was, and is, absolutely necessary for me to grow.
What I didn’t expect was the depths to which this would go, and has gone.
Read MoreTo Orlando – With Grace & Love
What’s happened in Orlando has shaken us all. The worst mass shooting in US history. 49 dead, far more injured. More violence. More death. These tragedies seem to piling up in the States.
And from America, to here in the UK, and arguably all over the world, the shockwaves are being felt.
It was a human tragedy. We all feel it. Our hearts are all with the people of Orlando right now,. Our prayers, love and support are with the victims, their friends, families & the LGBT community as a whole.
There are barely words at a time like this. And I stand with all those in that place of grieving.
There’s a despair, a frustration, an anger, at this injustice. It wasn’t just wrong , this was evil. And it shouldn’t have happened.
Read MoreWarrior Yoga: The Modern Warrior’s Battle For Spiritual Balance (guest post by Dr Kate Hendricks Thomas)
Today I’m delighted to welcome Dr Kate Hendricks Thomas to my blog. Kate is a neuroscientist and leading expert on resilience & stress management. She has been a guest on my podcast James Talks twice, most recently last Wednesday. Kate has lots of wisdom on personal wellness and spiritual health, it’s a privilege to host…
Read MoreWhy Jesus Would Welcome Refugees…& Eat With Donald Trump
I’ve always been reluctant to blog about politics. Because politics can be so divisive. We’re all entitled to our own political perspectives and opinions, and I’d never want to force anyone – or even be seen to be trying to force anyone – to agree with me. Nor do I want to create an “us v them” mentality. That’s just unhealthy and deconstructive.
We’re all in this together. Whatever our beliefs.
I have no interest in being divisive. I’m for reconciliation, community, inclusivity – with those I agree, and disagree with.
Today there’s something I felt, to be true to who I am, I simply had to share. So if you disagree with this post, I’ve got no problem with that. We’re still friends.
All of which brings me to the topic at hand.
Donald Trump, prospective Republican candidate for President. And why I believe that – despite his politics of fear, exclusion and, frankly, hate – that as Christians, we should be willing to eat dinner with him.
Read MoreMaking Peace With My Weirdness (Guest Post by Holly Pennington)
Today I’m delighted to welcome my friend Holly Pennington to my blog. Holly is a uniquely gifted writer, blogger from near Seattle, US. She writes about vulnerability, and faith, and has so much wisdom to share. Take it away Holly!
*****
I’ve never tried to be weird. But I have always felt weird. No purple spiky hair, grunge obsessions or gothic dress phases. Not even a single tiny hidden tattoo. Growing up in the 1980’s, I was a predictable Guess jeans-wearing suburban kid.
But I did own a pair of red plaid Doc Martens once. To be exact, I was only part-owner. My sister and I shared them. We simultaneously fell in love with them but Doc Martens weren’t cheap, so we each paid half. When I went away to college, I took them with me just until my next visit home; then, her turn. Being part-time keeper of the boots somehow made my love for them stronger.
Treading across the Wake Forest University quad, an insecure thumb tucked under each backpack strap and self-conscious eyes fixed downward, the surprise of my feet clad in red plaid filled me with a distinct burst of joy. I felt daring in my Doc Martens. My connection to them was made of courage, awe and a tinge of rebellion.
But, what made me feel weird was not my style; it was my interests.
Read MoreIrregular Intentionality: Making Sense Of Our Busy Lives
Blogging has been tough for me for a while. In truth, for nearly a year. Even though I had a break which was meant to help, on reflection I didn’t use that break as effectively as the one I had in 2014.
The recurrence of this issue though, has shown this problem was far deeper.
And I have absolutely no doubt what the real problem is.
It’s an issue with time management. An issue which many of us struggle with, and has become a major issue for me. I’m simply not creating enough space in my life to cultivate the habits, like free-writing, which help me find my voice & inspiration.
And I need to do something about it, or I’m not going to achieve what I’m capable of. Because if we don’t manage our time effectively, we won’t realise our full potential – in any area of life.
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