As someone who prefers to engage in healthy conflict rather than destructive division, I often struggle with the illustrations that in my spiritual life, I’m somehow at war with an enemy. I’ve never been in a physical altercation with anyone, unless of course you consider a battle of wills; then perhaps, I may have gained …
Category: Flourishing
Spiritual Discipline
Is there a title you have embraced or been assigned that felt like an appropriate fit? Have you ever resisted a label or designation that seemed to miss the mark? Perhaps, like me, there is one particular classification that gets under your skin such as Single, spinster, never-married, or childless. Even the department of transportation …
Barn Raising
Expressions we speak in the South are baffling to many Americans, I cannot imagine the struggle that comes in translating idioms such as “Were you raised in a barn?” into another language. Today, I will not pose this question to you, but should you visit my home and happen to leave the door open, I …
Liturgical Life
Some readers may find this statement to be sacrilegious (and I know so little of theology that my word choice may be inappropriate), but for most of my life, I was unaware of the meaning of the word liturgy. This Southern Baptist girl just went to church, read my Bible, memorized Bible verses, and prayed. …
Refinement and Revision
“End of Construction – Thank you for your patience.” These words were chosen by Ruth Bell Graham, wife of evangelist Billy Graham, for her gravestone, and they have arisen in my reading several times over the years. I’m not sure I can accurately articulate why the expression resonates so deeply within me. Perhaps the reason …
Charitable Writing
As an avid reader and traveler, one of my favorite quotes (as I shared in Racing to Roam) hangs on the wall in my home, “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” Because this quote blends two of my favorite activities, it illustrates for me the wealth …
You Too?
Has there been an occurrence when you are actively listening to another person in a conversation, and your intent is not to interrupt, but truly Listen With Your Eyes; however, your mouth just blurts out, “You, too?” Often, this simple expression opens the door to a new Friendship Conversation that validates your experiences or feelings …
Flourishing Organizations
Today, I was deeply saddened to read a comment from a student in a graduate-level course who offered that my request for a book review was the first time they had been asked to complete one since seventh grade. My sincere hope is that this statement did not mean that during their educational formation they …
Decision Fatigue
In the process of developing healthy habits which might lead to a flourishing life, the topic of willpower often arises, but it seems to be most frequently associated with exercise and eating choices. We have the knowledge that wise decisions in this area of our life will have compounding interest on our health, but because …
Friendship Conversations
In researching the characteristics typical of people who are considered to be flourishing at life, it should be no surprise how often someone’s ability to thrive is connected to the individuals with whom they have created Relational Equity, or as Shawn Anchor terms it in his book, The Happiness Advantage, social capital. As I continue …
Flourishing @ Life 