Stamina. The power to endure. We need stamina, just as we need a backbone. The two, in a way, are related. They hold us upright and keep us looking straight ahead. When we look at people, we wonder how they survive certain events. When the unexpected headline lands on someone’s lap, we gather around in [...]
It is tough to find a car with a manual transmission! Everything is automatic these days. When I was a kid, we learned how to drive by shifting gears, grinding them a little as we went. Great memories of driving our 1963 Chevy Biscayne, with three on the column, are present as I look back. [...]
We all get restless. Something isn’t going quite right. Something isn’t happening the way we thought or dreamed. There is a churn inside that stirs up questions of “is this where I am supposed to be?” Times have been challenging. When things begin to look up, we begin to get curious as to what is [...]
If you have ever walked through a Las Vegas casino or down the Las Vegas Strip, then you know it is an experience. Some people enjoy the “action” of what happens, but I am not one of them. However, some times, business takes you to places that may not be on your bucket list (or [...]
Our family farm has mostly disappeared. The land still flows, but the homestead signs are almost gone. When I went to our family farm last year, I snapped this picture. These grain bins are the last reminders that a family worked this land. One of the odd things about them is they were present before [...]
Hope is one of those funny words. On the surface, it sounds good. Up with hope, right? Meanwhile, there is a downside in that people can hope for bad things to happen to others. This is not a good thing, but our world is imperfect. Beyond all this, hope often seems hollow. Hoping for something [...]
How do you toughen up yourself? Simple answer: Get out there and do something! If you have read anything about me, you know that I grew up on a family farm. A farmer’s life teaches you many things, and one of them is that no one is going to do the work for you. This [...]
In this moment, I close my eyes and think about peace. My mind weaves together different thoughts that drop out: Peace is a home where there is laughter, cuddling, and quiet moments of just feeling good about all that is around. Peace is getting lost in the lyrics of song. Peace is teenagers who do [...]
“Get thicker skin!” “She/he must have thicker skin.” We hear these statements, and what rings through our mind is “toughen up.” There is truth in this thought. We do need to have thick skin in our life. Many things come at us – Making ends meet Surviving annual reviews Being told you are not good [...]
Arguments happen every day. Heated conversations take place all the time. Disagreements come into light between honorable people. Life is contentious at times. What do we do? Do we fight to the bitter end? Do we use unflattering names? Do we stall or filibuster until we get our way? Do we let problems fester until [...]
Welcome! I’m Jon, and these are my thoughts on life, leading, and meaning. Our choices define us, so let's make the best ones possible. Join the conversation.
