Category: Original Articles

#30 Still Have an Election Hangover? Don’t Miss Your BIG Opportunity.

November 25, 2016

The stress levels surrounding the recent presidential election were unprecedented.

Voters from both sides of the aisle hoped and prayed that we would at least see an end to the mudslinging after Election Day. But much to our dismay, it hasn’t stopped. If you are still fatigued over the whole ordeal, you are not alone!

If your candidate won, you were probably surprised, and relieved. But now you’re tired of the outbursts and becoming callused to all the uproar.

If your candidate lost, you are navigating through the five stages of grief, and wondering (or even fearing) what life will be like in the coming years. Either way, the bottom line is we are ALL stressed about our neighbors these days, and that threatens our big opportunity.

What opportunity you ask? The opportunity to help heal this nation.

The opportunity to love and serve each other like never before. It’s a time of Thanksgiving, but instead of gathering around the proverbial table to break bread together, we are all hunkered down behind our fences and walls.  fence-img_2471

Instead of talking, reminiscing and laughing, we are plugging our ears as the word grenades continue to fly overhead on social media, 24/7. Instead of seeing each other as one human race, one American family, we are still preoccupied with taking aim at Republicans and Democrats, Liberals and Conservatives. And worst of all, we are allowing the fear and anger mongers to define us, and set the parameters of our discourse.

One thing that became apparent to me during this election cycle was the fact that no one election or elected official was going to single handedly solve our country’s problems. And the past eight years taught me that this extreme political polarization that has consumed us like a wildfire will never lead to peace and prosperity.

The answer my friends, in it’s simplest terms is love. Love cannot be elected. Love cannot be legislated. Love is created by you and me. We are in charge of it, we make it, we own it and we freely and willfully give it away to multiply and take on a life of its own. That should be wonderful news to a nation weary from a long fight with oppressive forces, and anxious about the next four years.

Love is our opportunity. Who can you reach? Who is in your sphere of influence?

Start Small

See others for who they are, not who we think they should be.

Choose to hear them out if they’re upset, instead of trying to talk over them. Really listen, as opposed to picking your next words while their lips are moving. Understand that odds are, you cannot change their outlook with a talking point, but your presence and undivided attention may speak volumes about your relationship.

Commit to helping. This will look different for all of us, but that’s the point. Each of us adds something unique to the recipe. The trick is not caring if you are the only one. The power is unleashed, the ripples grow into waves and the impact is felt most when you just decide to love, serve and help anyway. You want to exercise your liberties? Here’s how. Show everyone that you do not need anyone else’s permission.

Be Bold

Two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ proved that Love is the most powerful force in the world. Quite frankly nothing can change our mess of a land faster. Look at those fences and see how everyone is on edge. We have what it takes to knock those walls down, to ease the tensions and light our collective future.

If we don’t act, we can predict what will happen. More stress, more anger, more uprising, more fences. We as believers have no good reason, no excuse not to act. We have no right to rest. Our families, our communities, our nation, our world needs help.

When Christ displayed the awesome, unstoppable power of love, He used it not to destroy the world, but to win it. We too can wield it to win back our homes, our neighborhoods, our generations and our nation.

All it takes is the will to come out from behind the fence, to step into the divide, and tend to the wounds of those within reach.

 

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#29 Catholic Millennials: Want to Experience the Power of YES?

November 19, 2016

Want to become excited about the next generation of Church laity? Want a shot of optimism about how the corporate world will operate in the future? Are you a Millennial and want to get involved with one of the most exciting endeavors of the New Evangelization? All you have to do then, is join up with the Young Catholic Professionals!

Founded in 2010 in Dallas, TX, Young Catholic Professionals (YCP) has rapidly spread across the country, filling a void felt by thousands of millennials in the workplace. Those young adults and future leaders are searching or more than just their way in the corporate world. They also battle profound needs for a sense of community, identity and meaning in their lives.

Jennifer Baugh, the group’s visionary foundress, was motivated after earning her MBA, to provide the answers for those common needs.  ycpgala2016-7331In just six short years she and her team have developed a network that can change the entire landscape for Catholic Millennials!

I had the great pleasure of working with Miss Baugh and several other members of YCP this year, while preparing for and speaking at, two different YCP functions. I also was able to attend their national Gala, held this year in Houston. Rubbing elbows with YCP members from across the country, you could not ignore the palpable excitement in the Westin Galleria that evening.

Even though today there are fourteen chapters up and running, (find a YCP Chapter near you!) with preparations underway to launch YCP New Orleans and YCP Detroit, it was announced at the Gala that dozens of other cities are eagerly waiting their turn! One got the sense that YCP is truly just starting to lift-off (click here to see the video).

Approximately eight more cities are on the docket for next year, bringing YCP to twenty-three chapters strong by the end of 2017. Young people from over 65 cities have reached out expressing interest, as far away as Canada, Spain and Poland, where this year’s World Youth Day took place.

YCP indeed seems to be an anointed apostolate, a turbo-charged mixture of youth and the Holy Spirit. To the thousands of young, working Catholics that YCP already serves, Miss Baugh stands as a constant reminder of how readily available God is to assist those who simply say “yes” to his call.

During one of our conversations, she shared what that “Yes” was like, back in 2009. “Because of the time I spent nourished by prayer, silence and by the liturgy, I truly felt that I had found the particular vocation God had for me.” She continued, readily sharing quotes to accent her story, “These words from Pope Benedict XVI perfectly describe what it was like.”

“What are you seeking? What is God whispering to you? The hope which never disappoints is Jesus Christ. The saints show us the selfless love of his way. As disciples of Christ, their extraordinary journeys unfolded within the community of hope, which is the Church. It is from within the Church that you too will find the courage and support to walk the way of the Lord. Embrace it with joy. You are Christ’s disciples today. Shine his light upon this great city and beyond. Show the world the reason for the hope that resonates within you. Tell others about the truth that sets you free.” – Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

She summed it up with, “I wanted to tell people about the truth which set me free!”

But saying “yes” required setting herself free from her current path, meant a lot of work, and took a lot of guts. She had to say “no” to a lucrative job in consulting.

“…for when I am weak, then I am strong.”  (2 Cor 12:10)

“It’s hard to describe what that time was like for me. I was weak and strong all at once! I was unsure and sure at the same time. It was a time full of soul-searching and prayer. Ultimately, God’s grace and mercy were bigger than any of my fears. His love and the incredible need for the ministry were enough to help me take the leap. To this day, I feel indescribably blessed that He chose me to be the catalyst for this beautiful adventure.”

“I really felt (for the first time in my life) that my unique talents and passions had perfectly aligned for this purpose. It was really tough to quit my job because I had no source of income lined up. Thankfully, one of my managers turned out to be a Christian, and he worked on my behalf in order to allow me to keep my signing bonus even though I hadn’t been at the consulting firm for a full-year. This was huge, because I was able to give my time to YCP without worrying if I would flounder financially. My parents supported YCP with some seed money, and I put some of my savings into the initial events and setup of the non-profit corporation. I waitressed at a local restaurant for the 1st 6 months of YCP’s life to give my day some structure and make some side cash. It was 6 months into waitressing that I met our first investor enabling me to quit as a waitress and devote all my hours to YCP.”

When I asked Jennifer about the name, Young Catholic Professionals, she was quick to giver her brother the credit. “I wanted the ministry to counter the trend of secular young professionals organizations that attracted so many people. There are tons of groups like Young Finance Professionals, Young Professionals in Energy, etc. My brother, Alex, said to me, ”Jenn, don’t overcomplicate it. Call it Young Catholic Professionals!”

“Looking back, it’s the perfect name because each of the three words tells us something about who we are. The professional aspect is important because it reminds us to work for a higher standard of virtue. Every single person in every single profession is called to perform their work well for the glory of God. You don’t have to be a traditional “professional” to be challenged to greater “professionalism” in your daily life for Christ.”

“Many of the Holy Spirit’s inspirations as noted in my original business plan (drafted before YCP began) have come to fruition, by God’s grace. There are also differences, but the important thing is that the organization today remains faithful to the original mission that God inspired. My prayer is that YCP can always maintain its unique balance of being a ministry that is inviting, welcoming, and open while also being challenging, daring, and courageous. We call young professionals to a higher standard of virtue, and we do it in a way that meets young people where they are at in the faith journey. As an apostolate, we will never be satisfied to be average because the Church depends on us to change the world and set hearts on fire for the Kingdom.”

If you are ready to participate in YCP’s three pillars, fostering Catholic identity, encouraging community and inspiring action, check out the group’s web site
http://www.youngcatholicprofessionals.org or write to them at national@youngcatholicprofessionals.org.  logo

As for the future that YCP is fearlessly pursuing, Jenn is both focused on tasks at hand, as well as remaining open to the Holy Spirit’s continued guidance.

“We hope to do whatever God asks of us for as long as He asks. I hope that we can help to change the tide of secularism and relativism and that we can build an army of young Catholics across the nation and world who have the tools and conviction to witness to their Faith – even when it will cost them a great deal. I hope in 50 years, God will once again be invited into the public square. I pray that in 50 years, young Catholics will have started their own companies and employed workers using their Catholic values as their guiding post. I pray that our YCP members will have holy Catholic marriages and have raised many priests and religious! I pray that our members will have evangelized effectively bringing more people into the fold.”  

“Of course, we have plans and ideas regarding how YCP will actually accomplish these things. We need significant funding and a lot of support to keep fighting like we are. This is going to require a team effort, but I am convinced that our generation will be the one to change the tide for Christ.” 

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#28 Catholic Survival Guide to Election 2016

August 6, 2016

My wife told me last night that she is considering deleting Facebook until after the election.  I think that’s probably a common thought.  The nomination circus has ended. The official presidential campaigns have just begun, with the major party conventions in the books.  November is still a long way off and I am already fatigued by all the rhetoric, memes, videos and outright bad decisions and bad behavior posted by good people on social media.

In addition, everyone I know is talking about this election with heightened emotion because, for the first time in my adult life, we as a country have been put into an incredibly difficult position: we have to make a bad decision.

We have been presented with no good options.  Both major candidates are horribly flawed individuals.  Both have lots of baggage.  Both have said and done things that cause concern in their supporters, and horror and repulsion in their opposition.  And despite this dismal scenario, as I write this, third party candidates have produced no clear-cut alternatives.

Still we must somehow choose.  It is our duty.  And in a world where things like the Bill of Rights and the peaceful transference of power are not the norm, this duty of ours is sacred.

As Catholics, as Christians, we certainly have our work cut out for us, in discerning our votes.  All serious candidates view our demographic as a major prize.  The media will keep busy by manipulating information and playing on our emotions, and on social media, we will have to deal with a lot of celebrities, strangers, family and friends that see things differently from us, and may even try to chastise us for it.

Here are 5 things we can all do, to keep the important things in perspective, choose our candidates wisely, keep the peace around the dinner table and maybe even bring a touch of class to what promises to be a very tumultuous time.

  1. Trust in Jesus. He’s got this. Considering the emotion displayed so far, it’s obvious the Baptized have some some trust issues.  When Jesus said do not be afraid, He meant it.  When He said He’s already conquered the world, He meant it. When He said the gates of Hell would never prevail against his church, He meant it.  So why do we all have such a hard time remembering this, whenever storm clouds collect?  Even before He walked among us, the world had had its share of failed leadership.  This is nothing new to God.  At the time of his passion, Jesus encountered authorities like Herod and Pilate.  Pilate didn’t know what truth was when it stared him in the face, and Herod was such a fool, Jesus refused to even look at him during the interrogation.  The sky will not be allowed to fall. The Lord’s church isn’t going anywhere, regardless of what bumps in the road our country encounters.
  2. Turn to the Holy Spirit for guidance.  That’s what He’s there for.  He will speak to your heart, if you bring Him your quest for understanding and wisdom.  Don’t waste your time arguing with others. Pray.  Don’t rely upon your own intellect and limited view of the world, but His eternal wisdom.  Cardinal Dolan, the President of the American Catholic Bishops advocates “Faithful Citizenship”, and that takes both prayer and action.
  3. Don’t judge your family in Christ.  Not everyone will see things the way you do.  Good people will vote for for the person you can’t stomach. Just because someone holds a different view than you, doesn’t mean they do not share your aspirations for a better tomorrow, that their soul is dead or that they somehow don’t have the mental capacity you have.  Even if their vote seems to oppose church teaching, remind yourself of the fact that we are all in this together.
  4. Be honest with yourself.  These candidates are far from perfect and it’s understandable that others would be conflicted about them.  When you hear of your candidate’s shortcomings, it’s not your job to trade punches with the jabber.  With these candidates, chances are the criticism is valid. It’s your responsibility to seek truth in all things.  No politician has ever cornered the market on truth.  It’s hard to defend bad behavior without embracing it yourself.
  5. Look beyond the current choices.  What if you don’t yet support a candidate because they all turn you off?  You’re not alone. A lot of people are wondering what they will do come November. So here is one last suggestion. Remember the republic for which we all stand, and see where the parties beyond the candidates want to take us.  Look at the party platforms for insight into how the candidates will probably govern, if elected.  Which positions will best help us to remain “One Nation, Under God, With Liberty & Justice For ALL?”

 

 

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#25 How to Reinvent Yourself in 2016

January 5, 2016

If you’re like me, you’re serious about life. I’m a planner.  My wife calls me Mr. List (among other things). So it’s a New Year – time again for all of us to envision how we can improve ourselves. What’s the next step for you in becoming the person you-were-intended-to-be? Bestselling author Matthew Kelly has coined a great phrase when he asks this question, he calls people to be the “best-version-of-themselves.”

Last year at this time I wrote an article that resonated with a lot of my readers.  It recommended choosing goals or “Resolutions” that were really worth your time, and energy.  It’s entitled “Set Goals Worth Fighting For”.  Check here to see it again.

In every industry and in all walks of life, the real movers and shakers keep moving and shaking. They’re always reinventing themselves. I often remind myself that “Movers move!”  Here are 11 questions designed to help you take aim at what you must do in 2016 to keep moving and reinventing yourself!

  1. What’s happened since last year at this time?
  2. How’s your health?
  3. How’s your marriage?
  4. How are your relationships with your family?
  5. How’s your personal performance at work?
  6. Did you touch someone else in a remarkable or memorable way last year?
  7. Did you give of yourself in a new way?
  8. Have you actually written out a bucket list?
  9. Did your debt increase or decrease in 2015?
  10. Are you more emotionally centered or frayed?
  11. Are you praying more or less?

As you ponder these things in your heart, you feel the interior compass pointing you in a certain direction. Take control of what you can control. If  2015 hit you harder than you hit it, now is your time to turn the tables.  If you were healthier a year ago, don’t settle. If your most important relationships are not the best they could be, decide what you need to do immediately, to bring your best self to them (especially if that means humbling yourself in some way.  Chances are, that’s just the glue those cracks need).

Is there anyone outside of your home that considers you invaluable? If not, how can you become a better team player? How can you give of yourself – without seeking payback of any kind?  That’s usually the fastest way to changing anything.

If you do not yet have a personal bucket list, a simple notecard or mobile phone will do.  I only suggest that in addition to the standard items like the places you want to visit and things you want to do, that you also invest in yourself and think about the word Legacy.  What do you want to leave behind? What contribution to others do you want to make, while you still have the chance?  Instead of just a wish list, make it a bucket list worth fighting for.

Now look at that last question again.  The clear path to becoming the person you-were-intended-to-be is through prayer.  If you’ve ever heard the practice of meditation promoted, I’m here to say that prayer is meditation in hyperdrive.   It makes perfect sense to plug your mobile devices in, on a regular basis, to power up and download data from the cloud.  Do the same for your heart, mind and soul with prayer.

With prayer, you are tapping into answers from The One who has all the answers, all the time.  And that’s just what you need when reinventing yourself!  Happy New Year Friends.

 

“Jesus has an answer for everything” – Matthew Kelly

 

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#24 Are You The Next St. Nicholas?

December 21, 2015

“Yeah, right.”  Now be careful, I actually heard someone think that.  One of the most addictive things about writing is how we connect from mind to mind, and as you read this article’s title, someone’s inner Ebenezer sent me a small dose of sarcasm.

But hear me out, I might not be asking you what you think.  And I bet you have more in common with St. Nicholas than you expect. unsplash-9r-_2gzp37k-mike-arney Catholic or not, join me in taking a quick look at Nicholas, before Santa, before Sainthood.  Consider the man that lived in the city of Myra (along the southern coast of modern-day Turkey) during the 4th century.

Despite several legends about Nicholas, what fascinates me most is the fact that just by how he chose to live, he inspired his community, the Church and eventually the world to completely change the way Christmas is celebrated.

Now did he set out to do all that?  No.  He set out to be generous.  He set out to help the needy.  He used his resources to help others around him, and he got so good at it, that his influence took on a life of its own after his death.  Today we still marvel at his example and attempt to emulate it.

At this time of year, my wife and I like to mention St. Nick a lot in our house.  It’s important to us that our kids know all the commercialism around Christmas was inspired by a real person.  My hope is they realize we all have a little of what Nicholas had in him, and if nurtured, it will surely grow.  Generosity is combustible!

You may not have an abundance of resources, but everybody has an ability, or something at their disposal, that could benefit someone near.  And you don’t have to be great with kids to see how the vulnerable among us need to be aided, protected.  This is what Nicholas did, and this is all within our power, no sainthood required.

I know you’re busy and you’re stressed just like everybody else.  But it’s been proven that the quickest way to escape your own burdens is to help someone else.  It’s also documented that every time we freely give something to someone else we feel a surge of happiness in our hearts.  Like I said, generosity is combustible.  You want to ignite your world?  Fire up your generosity.

And your efforts do not have to be grand.  No kindness is too small to be felt.  It is said that people may not remember what you say or do, but they will always remember how you made them feel.

This week, Christmas will come and go, and then come around again before you know it.  As you rush to and fro, remember it was generosity that initiated this bustle.  The opportunity to give and serve with our time, talent and treasure is something we all have in common with Saints like Nicholas, who weren’t yet Saints when they were busy changing the world.  Click here to see just one recent, amazing example!

Merry Christmas, friends!

“The giver of every good and perfect gift has called upon us to mimic
His giving, by grace, through faith, and this is not of ourselves.”
― St. Nicholas of Myra

 

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#19 Four Ways to Defeat Your Stress!

July 23, 2015

In November of 2015 I conducted a survey of my book and article readers. I wanted to know how this largely Catholic, non-Catholic Christian and professional group viewed current stressors in their lives. When asked what they considered to be a personal struggle, the top three answers were:

  1. Feeling overwhelmed/out of balance
  2. Fighting effects of stress and anxiety
  3. Wanting a more productive prayer life

My first thought of the results were that the top two responses are so closely related, they could be considered two parts of the same struggle. Feel overwhelmed or out of balance long enough and you’ll have to fight hard against the effects of stress and anxiety. Not good. The next thought I had was that the key to handling the first two issues is through the third. With a more productive prayer life, one puts on the “armor of God” that scripture describes, and can kick stress, anxiety and overwhelm in teeth!

So what can I teach others about stress and how to combat it? Fair question. From my personal experience, I know four things about this topic that I am sharing.  Spoiler Alert: if you read the introduction to my Kindle book “Catholics Have Courage – 40 Days to Beating Stress, God’s Way”, you will recognize these points.  But that’s okay, based on my readers’ survey results, they are worth repeating!

1.  Stress is universal – it is part of the human condition. If you breathe, you’re a target. Stress and all its relatives – anxiety, tension, fear and apprehension seem very real, and can do very real, physical damage to us and our relationships if not confronted and managed. Stress manifests itself in a variety of physical symptoms and conditions, like heart problems, high blood pressure, a compromised immune system, skin rashes and outbreaks, aches and pains everywhere – especially head, neck, shoulders and back, digestion and abdominal difficulties, obsessive or addictive tendencies and behaviors, chemical imbalances and depleted energy levels (just to name some of the most common effects). Takeaway: almost everyone you meet is also struggling in some unseen way. This simple acknowledgment can adjust your perspective enough to make you a more patient, merciful and kind person – the type of person people like to work with and be around!

2.  Stress does NOT differentiate between personal and professional. It cannot be left at the office. With stress, there are no boundaries, no “work/life balance”. Stress is a perpetual by-product of our fast- paced society. Takeaway: I like to tell others that, thanks to technology, work/life balance these days is a myth. There is no such thing. Instead of searching for something that doesn’t exist, try defining your priorities and then managing your boundaries accordingly. That gives you “voting power” on the things in life that can cause you stress!

3.  God does not want anyone to suffer – just for the sake of suffering. Rather, He likes to use life’s stressors to build us up and keep us close to Him. He knows just how heavy our personal crosses are and walks along side us, ensuring our pain is not in vain. Takeaway: Next time you are faced with a crisis, remind yourself: God’s here with me, and He has built me for this!

4.  God provides a peace that is not of this world, and He wants us all to know how to hang onto that peace, to not forget it, to know how to harbor and use it to ‘guard our insides’ from the world’s hurts. Takeaway: Prayer and time reading His word are the fastest, most direct routes to that un-worldly peace.

“He who prays most receives most.”    –St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

#15 I’m SO ready… for Lent!

February 11, 2015

In the blink of eye I looked up and saw it was the first week of February (already?!?).  Picking at my field greens and sipping my soup, I mentioned to my friend, a fellow authorpreneur, that January blew by like a freight train.  She lit up in agreement, and mentioned how that reinforced her decision to make this year, the “year of putting herself first”.

“Time is just moving too fast, and I have to start saying NO to people, or I’ll never get done what I really want to do.”  I picked some more at my leafy lunch before asking a follow-up question.  I knew she wasn’t a taker, she was a giver.  She’s a passionate literacy advocate with a teacher’s heart.  Still, she had a point about that NO-thing.

We both pondered my next question.  “Do you think it’s having your energy pulled in different directions that’s the problem?  I mean, helping other people is a good thing.”  And that’s when I found the right word, focus!

We all come out of the gate on January first, charging into the new year with fresh goals ahead of us, and plans to chase them down.  But with our re-energized selves, offices, homes, schools and churches all taking off at the same time, it’s not long before our schedules start to pull away from us in a different direction.

As a Catholic I love getting to start each new year twice!  We start with everyone else on New Year’s Day, and then about a month and half later, we can really get down to business with the beginning of Lent.  Those 40 days prior to Easter allow us to conduct a little reconnaissance, evaluate our start to the year, inventory any baggage we have brought along from past years, and really focus ourselves on what’s most valuable and worthy of our efforts.

So back to the lunch conversation, I guess we should be able to say NO to people, but not until we are prepared to deny ourselves first.  During Lent we can practice denying ourselves of our routines, impulses and addictions in order to build up the virtue of Temperance.  Why? As we practice temperance, we conduct a little internal “spring cleaning”.  With greater temperance we have the increased “capacity” needed to focus our renewed selves, come Easter.

And maybe it’s the lack of temperance that keeps us from being more affective in January.  Consider the the period of time (about the same duration as Lent) between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.  It’s filled with occasions of indulgence and celebration.  Many people are exhausted come January and looking for things to “get back to normal”.  That’s not really the mindset required for a life changing campaign (a.k.a. Resolution).

Contrast that to Lent, a period of self sacrifice, prayer and focus.  Lent provides fuel for our renewal and helps make Easter a powerful season! If you read my article last month on what it takes to make lasting resolutions, you know how serious I take planning for the new year.  I have lofty goals and need to improve myself, and grow as a person, to accomplish them.

I need Lent.

Another common practice during Lent is to take on something new, like adding spiritual readings or prayer to a routine or begin a new practice of selflessness to bring about required change.  My inbox recently received a couple invites to embark on a such a journey.  The first is by Matthew Kelly and Dynamic Catholic, where they want to help people have their Best Lent Ever. The second is by a social media group launching the #ShareJesus campaign.  Both looked intriguing to me (and both are free) so I’ve signed up.  If they help me focus (there’s that word again), and prepare for Easter’s rebirth, it will be well worth it.

Temperance and prayer will create clarity.  Clarity and focus equals advancement for one’s self.  But more than that, this recipe can also create advancement for one’s world.

When we grow and become better suited for our grand endeavors, we inspire people.  A good Lent may be just what you need to bring about that transformation.

So who’s with me?  Who else is ready for Lent?