“First the man, then the Saint” is an age-old saying that refers to the vital importance of forming ourselves as people, as a basis upon which everything else sits.   So I’m trying to do that, sharing my journey of personal growth and self-mastery here in short daily reflections.

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Help Yourself. No seriously.

Help Yourself. No seriously.

Most of us have heard the following dozens, if not hundreds of times:  "Place the mask firmly over your nose and mouth, secure the elastic band behind your head, and breathe normally. If you are traveling with a child or someone who requires assistance, secure your...

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Back to basics

Back to basics

This is the two week mark of this new year, and I wanted to review briefly some of the things I've been able to do. 1. I've prayed as soon as I woke up every morning. 2. I've worked out for at least a half an hour every day. 3. I've created this blog and written a...

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Time is Running Out

Time is Running Out

What if you were told that you only had 1 year to live? How would that change the way you go through each day?  What relationships would you mend?  What things would you do?  How would you want everyone you meet to remember you?  What would you strive to accomplish,...

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Never enter a pool by the stairs

Never enter a pool by the stairs

A few days ago I posted a list of 10 rules for life.  Many of them merit a whole article for thought, bu this one stood out to me in a particular way.  "Never enter a pool by the stairs."  It caught my attention not only for its literal meaning, but also for its...

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The Freedom of Vulnerability

The Freedom of Vulnerability

Me: "Hey, how's it going?" Person: "Good, good; how 'bout yourself?" Me: "Good; can't complain." How many times have I had this conversation?  Maybe TOO MANY times?  Why is my default to put on this face of "Everything's good" even when it's not, even to my closest...

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Shine

Shine

“If only you could sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person.” – Mr. Rogers Self-mastery is not for...

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Helpful Comparison

Helpful Comparison

One thing that I really struggle with is comparison, that leads to envy. I feel challenged and somehow degraded when I see someone who has what I don’t, or who can do what I can’t, or has succeeded in ways that I have not. Well not surprisingly, there’s a Jordan...

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Focus on Priorities

Focus on Priorities

We are all presented with a million priorities, constantly clamoring for our attention, from the minute we wake up, to the minute we double-check to make absolutely sure we don't have any more Facebook notifications as we fall asleep. (I can't be the only one who does...

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The Pace of Nature

The Pace of Nature

For years I’ve been trying to learn the Maple Leaf Rag, by Scott Joplin. It is such a fun, bouncing, energetic tune. Yet every time I sit down to try to learn it, I’m quickly discouraged by the irregular rag-time rhythm patterns, and I give up. “Adopt the pace of...

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