Shifty View

Every morning, after brewing coffee and exercise and getting dressed, I sit down at my dining room table.

I sit in the same seat with my back to the windows, facing a watercolor painting hanging on our wall, and I begin. For years this is where I've sat. I write in this seat, back to the window. I read here. I journal. I've even settled into this seat during family meals, like an old man claiming his territory.

Today I didn't.

This morning I shifted one seat to the left. It's a round table, so no matter where I sit, like King Arthur, I'm on equal footing with myself. But this view is totally different. Straight ahead is a small, high window looking out over some crab apple trees and sky. To my right are the windows glowing with the sunrise out of the corner of my eye. I feel different.

This is a key experience in our creative habits, to shift perspective once in a while. To move a quarter turn in our heart, mind and body in order to view the world, our creativity, our input with just enough change to be refreshing but still comfortable enough to be fully engaged.

This is how life coaching works, by the way. This is my role in working with creatives and family dudes. We shift perspective time and again in hopes of discovering and creating and moving and engaging.

Give it a try. Shift a habit tomorrow, not too much, but enough to notice a different view. Take note and try again in another area of life: reactions, responses, scheduled meals, adventures with your kids, prayer, writing position, recording location...

Get shifty.

Happy Through Poverty

Those of us who live in poverty here in America, a family of four making around $25,000 / year, our lens of happiness is dramatically impacted by our income. Even with an active faith in Christ, serving others, discipling our kids, tithing and leaning on the love and truth of Jesus daily... we believe we would be happier with a healthier income.

Those of us hovering in the middle class, $45,000 - 130,000, and actively engaged in our faith, our view of happiness runs parallel to our financial comfort.

And those of us in the upper crust of society are in a happiness ball park of our own. Our uber amounts of money (to the poverty-man this is anything above $25,000) doesn't necessarily make us happier and outside of faith we may even be equal to or less happy than those in poverty.

Why write about this in a snapshot blog post? As a creative and as a parent, happiness connects all sorts of dots in life and faith and creative pursuits.

The other day it struck me that most people who write, blog, speak and preach on happiness are comfortable in their wealth. They aren't working for their daily bread, literally, on a check-to-check basis. They don't continuously think about daily money issues, maybe retirement, but that's a luxury to the poverty-man.

Personally I'm learning to be not only content, like Paul, with my status, but more than that I am eager to practice a rhythm of happiness. Aren't you? Wouldn't it be amazing to witness a resurgence of happiness in the face of growing suicide rates, income divides and culture clashes? To see the 'least of these' rise each day with a growing sense of joy and blessed attitude above and beyond financial success?

To celebrate success beyond 'making it rain.'

No, I'm not vying for socialism, that's as big a lie about satisfaction and happiness as any. I am hinting at putting our faith into action, serving others, holding doors, saying hi, making eye contact, providing meals, sharing resources and talents and gifts and, yes, even finances. Pressing into our creative outlets, hard work and exciting seasons in parenting.

I'm not washing over the impact a healthier wallet has on our attitude, it means something. But it shouldn't mean everything.

What are your goals? What do you find most difficult about chasing after a dream or healthy desire or opportunity?

Sometimes we just need to talk it through from a fresh perspective. See our world from the outside again. Be reminded that while some dreams die, others spring up with a fresh start and kick in the a$$.

Shoot me a message or give me a call. Coaching is the art of asking questions, let me throw some at you. Maybe a little investment in what could be will be enough to engage where you are with a renewed motivation to keep moving forward in happiness. Let's talk!

Bandera of Dreams: Lexicon

Happy Lexicon Thursday! Here's another snippet of my upcoming book on key words that do what only words can... encourage, build up, tear down, confuse and clarify.

Words mean things and I'm convinced it's super vital to choose them wisely under the roofs of our homes.

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/ B /

Have you ever had to hold up a dream for someone? Nail it to a pole and wave it back and forth so they can see it clear and alive, far above the fray?

When my kids were learning to walk, each in their own season, this was our job. Brooke and I sat them down on the floor, stable and strong, then we’d jog to the other side of the room and begin to wave, shouting, “Come on, little lady, you can totally do this!” New adventures have to begin somewhere, like all of my kids learning to crawl before standing upright. Before we knew it, at some point along the journey, she took ownership of the goal, the dream to walk, and we no longer needed to wave the bandera so high.

You’ve never heard of the bandera of dreams?

Bandera is spanish for flag or banner. More loosely it’s the various colors on a flag that represent an idea, a symbol for something else. The bandera of dreams does just that. For my kids shuffling around on their knees all day long that bandera symbolized walking. Of course, it was also my dream for them, so I waved it high fully aware of the freedom they would have if they chased after it.

Christ does this. It’s part of what draws me to Him. “I am the way to absolute rescue. I am the truth of it all. I am the real life.” Christ is The Bandera of all banderas...

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Keep some eyes out for my forthcoming A Lexicon of Awesome: words that build the home (and some that scramble the alphabet) in spring 2020.