Tag Archives: Practical Life

Conquer by doing good

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We live in a transformed society. What once was regarded as the standard, today is questioned at every corner. Deals were sealed with a hand shake, today a contract is a must. A promise was regarded as the highest form of commitment, today proof is demanded before any agreement. We have been gradually shifting from the good life to the norm of “watch your back at every corner.” We distrust everyone and everything, from the government, financial institutions to religious organizations, even our own family. So we created the contracts. Yet we expect everyone else to trust us.

Broken promises have made our hearts hard. We are constantly shielding ourselves from hurt, from people that see us as a mere transaction. Men and women that love things and use people, when the opposite is what should be. It is hard. I know first hand the feeling of whom has gotten close, just to grasp as much as they can under the disguise of friendship. And it hurts. There is a crawling sensation of anger inside that if you are not alert, will overtake you and poison your entire being. And every new interaction is viewed with suspicion and distrust.

Being reminded by Paul in the book of Romans, “Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good”, is liberating. He tells us not to “feel” our way through, but to do. It is how we become a conquerors. I heard once an illustration that I actually tried myself. If you have a glass of water that is dirty and full of contaminants, and you put in under a faucet that is flowing clean water, you will see how the clean water being poured into the glass will eventually clean out the dirty water and make the contents clean. Our lives are the same. When we do good, even when it is not recognized or even reciprocated, our glasses, our lives will be clean and fruitful. We should always look for “faucets” that will pour “clean water” into our hearts.

Being a conqueror starts by conquering yourself. If you don’t manage yourself first, your enterprises will always lack something. Managing yourself creates character and builds credibility. Credibility is the ultimate currency, when your presence alone makes everything right. Your credibility can only be built over time, and it is built from the history of your words and actions. Changing the tide or the norm is not easy but it is worth every effort. We will become better, once we commit to do good.

When evil lifts its voice around us with a boastful attitude, doing good represents the single most effective way to silence its noise. You can do it, I can do it. Let’s change our sphere of influence we have been given and conquer by doing good.

“BREATHE expectantly, LIVE confidently and MOVE Boldly”

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© Copyright Danny Maldonado, 2013

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

What are you waiting for?

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“How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your ancestors, has given you?” Joshua 18:3

What are you waiting for? That was basically the question Joshua made to the Israelites. They knew what they had to do and stood still, even when they were promised a better place and a bountiful land. Stillness was their answer.

Oftentimes we know exactly what we need to do and just do nothing. There are many reasons for that, but the main one is fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of not having the skills, fear of fear itself. I know, I have been there myself. But when we are all by ourselves, we know what we need to do. Furthermore, we know that action is the only option to move forward, but we choose to stay put, we choose to do nothing. Probably it is because we are comfortable where we are in life right now and making a change is inconvenient. Or maybe fear has become our master. Can you imagine that? Being controlled by a thought that extrapolates and creates mental circumstances and events that in the majority of time never happen? Fear constricts perception, thinking, and motor processes, but faith and love promote action. That is why repeatedly we find God reassuring us and telling us not to fear. “Do not fear, for I am with you” and “perfect love drives out fear”.

You might have been drawn into a situation that most likely you did not create. Or be in a position today you drifted into because of your inaction. Regardless of what or why you are where you are today, you need to take action. The best way to break a series of bad decisions is to make one good one. It sounds simplistic and obvious but when you are immersed in a streak of constant inaction, thinking of making a change, even when it’s a small one, seems an unsurmountable task. One act, that is what it takes.

Here are some suggestions of how to start making changes that I found helpful.

  • Rest: Yes, it sounds like an oxymoron, but when you are well rested your body and your mind are renewed, you think better you’re more productive, alert and more prone to move on.
  • Eat well: Take control of your diet and make small changes everyday. Drink water before eating, it will make you feel more full and therefore consume less. Ask for help to make a balanced diet and don’t be hard on yourself.
  • Exercise: Even a small walk around your neighborhood will make you feel better and alert.
  • Analyze who are your influencers: “The people that you listen to, are the preview of the future you.” Jeff Henderson. When we consider the lives of those we regard and seek their advise, we should notice the result of their lives in the area we are seeking advise on. Are they modeling well? If I am asking financial advise, are they an example to follow? In relationships? In work? If not, change your sphere.
  • Change what you are reading: If you only read news and are plugged to every media outlet, you will be informed but you will grow very little. Bad news always sells but never builds.
  • Ask for help: If you cannot make changes on your own, seek advise of others. Look for people that have different ideas than yours and pick their minds. Sometimes one word or one phrase is all that you need to start moving.

Storms in life and menacing waters may be ahead of you, that’s life. But you are not a quitter, you are courageous and you embrace the future with hope. Every obstacle is just a building block for your character. As Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor”, if you never quit and you take that first step, you will be on you way to your promised land.

You know what needs to be done, so what are you waiting for?

“BREATHE expectantly, LIVE confidently and MOVE Boldly”

Want this inspiration of coffee by email every morning? Enter your e-mail to subscribe at the top right of this page under the box for “Subscribe”. Like this writing and want share it? Just add your comment below on “Leave a Reply” or share it on Facebook, Twitter, or by email using any of the buttons next to “Share this:”

© Copyright Danny Maldonado, 2013
Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Chasing the wind and running out of breath

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We all get caught up with it at some point. For some it is the story of their lives. You know what I mean, the homes, the cars, the position, the influence, getting noticed, the exposure, the Klout number (that was a new one for me!), the name dropping, you get the point. It never ends doesn’t it? We are caught up with promoting ourselves because we have a “message” to give. Nowadays I find myself more often than not, questioning why I do things in my own life. I want to do everything with excellence, I want to be a role model to my family and those around me, but I am looking more intently into the why I do what I do. You might relate to this. When we want something, we can be very persuasive (even when talking to ourselves, I do it often!), and rationalize what we want. By the end of the conversation, we have everyone nodding in agreement with every point we make. Anything that will support our pursuit of “whatever”. But there is a fine line between doing things well and self promotion. And I struggle when I see it, even in my own life.

There is something bigger than things, positions or influence. We find ourselves chasing all sorts of new trends and ways of doing things more efficiently, and I agree that there is a place for that in our lives, but sometimes we get so busy that we miss the most important of them all, relationships. John C. Maxwell always says, “Everything rises and falls on leadership” and that’s a paramount truth, but I would also say, “Everything rises and falls on meaningful relationships”. Watch carefully that I said meaningful. In our culture we are so obsessed in raising our social/wealth/influence numbers, that we put little or no emphasis on the meaningfulness of the relationships we create. As a friend told me once, “We can create big momentum but we cannot follow through”. What he was referring to, was to the capacity to stir up something, and not being able to sustain it long term. We try to create a trend or align our lives to them, just to find out in the end that it was not sustainable of even worth it. Wind.

I look at my own life and ponder. I can be at times like the train in the movie “Unstoppable,” with no brakes, gaining more speed with every second that passes, and in the meantime our most significant relationships suffer. I would advice you to, slow down. Something amazing is happening right before your eyes and you are missing it. You are chasing the wind and at the end you will run out of breath. You might be in the early stages of a new endeavor. It could be family, church or a business. Whatever the place you might be now, slow down and enjoy the moment. You might realize that even in the situation you are right now, something significant is happening. Your son or your daughter needs a hug, your wife just wants you to hold her hand and reassure her that you are present. Yoyr husband needs your affirmation, your friends might just need a pat in the back. But you are running to fast and running out of breath.

Question yourself:

        •        When is it to much or when will it be enough?
        •        Am I caught up with the hustle of getting ahead?
        •        Does it concern me more what others think about me, than what you think about myself?
        •        Do I have a sense of restlessness in me? Do I secretly envy what someone else has?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might be chasing the wind. You could say, “No you’re wrong, this is an opportunity of a lifetime, a great house, a fantastic car, a wonderful school, a great church, a no brainer deal.” Whatever you might call it, it’s just wind. If your relationships are not flourishing, you are chasing the wind and you’ll end up very lonely.

Slow down and invest in the most important aspect of your life, meaningful relationships. The greatest teacher of all also did this when he said …Consider the lilies of the field, showing us that even he had stopped to admire the most simple things of life. It might be time to take a walk with your son, to have a conversation with your daughter, to give a hand to your father, or sit down and lend your ears to your mother. It is time to forgive and forget. It is time to love and not reproach. I believe that when you do this, everything else will sprout out on itself and you will enjoy them more. The funny thing will happen, you’ll find out that what you chased, was not that important after all. What really mattered, and flourished where the relationships you nurtured and nurtured you back. Everything rises and falls on meaningful relationships.

“BREATHE expectantly, LIVE confidently and MOVE Boldly”

Want this inspiration of coffee by email every morning? Enter your e-mail to subscribe at the top right of this page under the box for “Subscribe”. Like this writing and want share it? Just add your comment below on “Leave a Reply” or share it on Facebook, Twitter, or by email using any of the buttons next to “Share this:”

© Copyright Danny Maldonado, 2012