A Week of Reflecting, Reading, and Regrouping

December 26, 20231 Comment

One of the joys of the Holiday Season is taking some time to be still. Unlike the rest of the year, the week between Christmas and New Year’s typically runs at a less frenzied pace. For many, these golden few days offer a respite from running out the door for school, work, sports, or meetings.

With the world at our fingertips via our phones, it’s easy to fill the void of activities with meaningless distractions. Now that’s not completely fruitless, but there are some purposeful ways we can use our time to set us in a positive direction for the new year. Here are a few ideas:

Reflecting: Take a moment to write down three of the best things that happened in the past year. It may be a success at work, an addition to the family, or a new friendship or hobby. Next, reflect on what did not go well. Think about habits you want to change or things you want to do differently. Finally, consider three hopes or dreams for the new year.

Reading: Consider areas that intrigue you or grab your interest and find one book on the topic. Begin reading it during these un-rushed days. You may even want to hunt down one book per month to read for 2024. If we want to continually improve each year, we must look for ways we can learn and grow through what we choose to read.

Regrouping: What are some ways to stay more in tune with family and friends in the coming year? Our connections with others are an important part of our satisfaction, joy, and growth. When we make an intentional plan to love, serve, and connect with others we enrich our own lives. Think of a few simple ways you can deepen connections this year.

We all need some time to rejuvenate. I hope this last week of December will offer some quiet moments of reflection, reading, and regrouping so that you can begin the new year on a purposeful path. Most importantly, take time to pray and seek God’s guidance and direction as you set your goals for 2024.

For more ideas on living a life of purpose and connection, check out my latest book Positive Connectivity.

A Hint for Happy Holidays

November 24, 2023Leave a comment

Thanksgiving is an everyday occurrence in my life. I’m not talking about the food (although wouldn’t that be fun?), but I am talking about the focus. Yes, it has become a joyful habit in my life to start each day by giving thanks to God for at least five blessings. Psychologists now confirm that daily gratitude can elevate our level of happiness, and the more specific, the better.

With my first cup of coffee each morning, I journal my thankful reflections over the past twenty-four hours:

Thank you Lord that I happened to see Patricia at the grocery store.

Thank you Lord for my husband cleaning up the dinner dishes.

Thank you Lord for the phone call from my daughter in Philadelphia.

Thank you Lord for extra space in my schedule to catch up on emails (a rarity in my life).

Thank you Lord for the sweet hugs from my grandkids and time to play together.

It does my heart good to think about the daily blessings God brings into my life. It reminds me that He is continually at work, and there is always hope. Even in the rough spots of life, I can thank God for His presence and the life lessons I am learning. On days when it is difficult to see the good, I may need to look a little harder for the glimmers of hope. It’s always there, it just may be more challenging to see.

Aren’t you glad that Thanksgiving comes right before we enter the Holiday season? Sometimes we need an extra dose of thankfulness as we encounter crazy traffic, stressful shopping, and not-so-easy family members. Let’s maintain a heart of thankfulness and a habit of daily gratitude as we walk through this busy yet glorious season.

May our lights shine brightly with hearts full of His joy as we reflect on His many blessings.

Photo by Alisa Anton on Unsplash

The Power of a Smile

October 24, 2023Leave a comment

It may seem simplistic, but a confident and sincere smile is an important part of the equation when it comes to communication. A smile speaks a thousand words. It says:

“I’m glad to meet you.”

“You are important.”

“I care about you and am listening to you.”

“I believe in what I am presenting to you.”

“I feel confident about my product.”

A smile welcomes others and makes them feel comfortable and relaxed. It speaks confidence, openness and understanding. Savvy salespeople know that a smile, even when they are talking on the phone, can be perceived by the listener and changes the tone of the conversation. Now you may be thinking; but I don’t feel like smiling. I’m not saying you should wear a fake smile – everyone can see through that. Be honest and real with how you feel, but think of a smile as a gift to other people – it’s not about you. When we smile, the serotonin level (the happy hormone) in our brain is elevated. So, smiling can actually make us happier people! When you smile, you are not only building up others, you are also benefiting yourself as well.

When my dad, was a young insurance agent in Bloomington, Illinois, his office was in the downtown square near the city courthouse. On days when dad didn’t have a lunch appointment, he chose to walk the city square, not only to get exercise and a little sunshine, but also to practice the art of smiling. He smiled at everyone he encountered and soon smiling became a natural habit. Interestingly, I learned the habit of smiling from my dad. While I was at Baylor University, many people seemed to comment on my sunny disposition. In fact, that is one of the traits that attracted my husband, Curt, as he saw my consistently upbeat demeanor on campus each day. Give the gift of your smile to uplift others – you never know what doors it may open.

This blog is an excerpt from my new book, Positive Connectivity. Click here to order your copy.

Live on Purpose!

January 31, 2023January 31, 2023Leave a comment

Hello and welcome to Positive Life Principles. I hope you find encouragement in this place. I’ve asked my friend Candace Gray to be our guest blogger for the month of January. Her insight and inspiration are sure to strengthen your heart. Find out more about Candace at the end of this post.

– For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,

which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

Are you clear on your purpose? There have been many seasons when I struggled to clearly understand mine. I thought defining your purpose was a one-and-done event and once you defined it, you never needed to question it again. I expected to fulfill my purpose in a predictable, logical sequence of events. When that didn’t happen, I felt confused, frustrated and stuck.

It’s been said that defining your purpose is a matter of answering the question: why do I exist? But that’s a weighty question for a finite human being. The truth is that God does not reveal the entirety of His plans & purposes for us at any one point in time. God is multilayered and complex, and He design us that way as well. To narrow purpose to our own understanding based on one point in time can be way too limiting. Instead, the best way to understand purpose is in seasons. I now have a simplified definition of purpose: it’s how do I make life better for others. While there are common threads throughout my life, my expressions of purpose have looked very different in various seasons and situations.

You may be in a season where you work full-time on a lofty cause; or you may be dreaming about something you would like to do. You may even be in a vocation that doesn’t seem meaningful or you may be in a season as a full-time parent or caregiver. As long as you are serving others by applying your God-given, mix of gifts, skills and experiences to a situation, you are living purposefully and bringing glory to God. As you simplify the concept of purpose you will be able to see the wide variety of ways God shows Himself to others through you.

Live on purpose daily, but don’t overcomplicate the matter. God has created you to do good works and He will continue to reveal the next chapter to you. Identify how you can make a difference in the season you are in and leave the rest to God.

Questions for Reflection

In what ways have you struggled to define your purpose?
What simple ways do you make life better for others?

Master Your Mindset

January 23, 2023Leave a comment

Welcome to Positive Life Principles with Karol Ladd. I’m glad you are here. My desire is to encourage your heart and strengthen your faith through the truth found in the Bible. For the month of January, I have asked my friend Candace Gray to share her wisdom and insights on starting the year off in a positive direction. I know you will enjoy her blog. You’ll find more info about Candace at the end of the blog.

Numbers 13:33 “…We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”

Many success gurus talk about the importance of mindset. Mindset refers to strongly ingrained patterns of your thoughts, attitudes, assumptions and beliefs. You may have good days with a positive mindset and discouraging days when your mindset is negative. But, just like establishing healthy eating practices, the issue is not what you do for a day or two, but your prevailing habits over time.

Mindset is incredibly crucial because if you have a faith-filled mindset, it can propel you toward great achievements and give you the ability to persevere despite significant obstacles. Likewise, if your mindset is negative, it can derail you from accomplishing what you desire or it can prolong the time it takes you to get there. Some believe that mindset is simply what you believe about yourself, but what you believe about yourself is directly related to what you believe about God.

As God was preparing the growing nation of Israel to take possession of the land He promised them, they had a pattern of negative thinking. They routinely looked at their circumstances and dismissed God. They consistently displayed a lack of faith in Him and belief in His promises. The result of their stinking thinking was a grasshopper mentality. They viewed themselves as small and powerless in the face of their enemies. They felt they would be crushed if they attempted to take the opportunity that God wanted to give them.

We may wrestle with questions about God’s intentions toward us: Are His plans for me really good? Does He really care about the affairs of my life? Is He really at work in my life? Does He truly want to work through me to bless others? Does He truly have a purpose for me? Is my life going somewhere or is it just randomness and minutia? Is He willing to act powerfully on my behalf? Will He show up for me?

Don’t be afraid to take your questions to God. Hebrews 11:6 says, “He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” If you struggle with a grasshopper mentality, ask for His help. He loves to strengthen our faith, since our faith is what pleases Him. He will help you develop a faith-filled mindset that boldly pursues purpose throughout the year.

Questions for Reflection:

When have you viewed yourself as a grasshopper in your own eyes?
How can you become more aware of the pattern of your thoughts?
How can you strengthen your faith in God?

About Candace: Candace Gray is a seasoned leader with a track record of living a life of purpose and helping others to do the same. She is a Senior Director for Buckner Children and Family Services and a longtime member of Concord Church in Dallas.

If you’d like to follow her full 21-day devotional series, go to www.candacegray.com

Photo by Diana Simumpande on Unsplash

Photo by Jonathan Leppan on Unsplash