We all get unfavorable feedback on our work. Rarely is anything we do appreciated as much as we think it should be. So what do we do about it? Stay focused on two things: 1.) What do I know? 2.) What can I control?

Loving sacrificially involves being willing to serve others without expecting anything in return from them. But does that mean we are entirely without self-interest when we serve? Jesus said that in order to gain your life you must lose it. So when we give of ourselves for others, should we not expect to receive some kind of blessing in return?

“Justice” seems like a loaded term these days. We live in a world where evil exists and we’re all capable of it. What kind of rules and structures are necessary for us to be free to exercise power to serve while still restricting people from abusing their power?

There’s a lot of talk about “power” these days, usually in a negative context. We can all agree that using power to oppress others is a bad thing. But is that the only way to use power? Is it possible to use power to bless others? What would that look like? What should that look like?

We are all multi-faceted. None of us are defined by just one aspect of our lives. What we do in one area affects all the others. I have found that by learning how to communicate who I am through content, it has helped me to become more integrated as a person so that the different components of my life are able to complement one another instead of interfere with one another.

Creating content that communicates shouldn’t just work one way. The goal is to form relationships. In this episode, I think through how to make it easy for people to connect with me after they interact with my content.

How much time and effort should we put into making ourselves look presentable? Where is the balance between conveying the quality of your service and outright vanity? I know I need to continually check my own heart and keep asking: “How does the effort I’m putting in translate to serving others?”

Many of us remember exactly where we were 20 years ago on this date and the impact the events of 9/11/2001 had on us. Many responded to a call to serve. Even more of us were inspired by the stories of courage and honor that came out of that day. Both those who sacrificed and those who told their stories served us as a nation. We ought to be grateful for all of it and also be grateful for whatever unique gift we can use to add value to others.

You don’t have to be a business owner to benefit from thinking like one. If you work to understand the needs and wants of your employer, you will become more valuable to him or her and increase your potential to advance in your career. Likewise, if you work to understand the needs and wants of your employees, you will attract and retain quality workers at a better rate.

Ultimately, we were made to do stuff. Thinking and gaining knowledge has its place, but it only gets you so far. To really learn and grow as humans, we need to take action, make mistakes, make corrections, and then do it again…and again…and again. It’s practice that makes “perfect,” not theorizing.