A Good Place to Start – Character Creates Opportunity®: Thursday, June 30, 2022

There seems to be no shortage of major events these days that take up a great deal of space across newsfeeds around the world. These same events spill into our discussions at home, work and in the community as we all try and sort things out in our own minds and determine what, if any, actions we should take instead of just sitting in our easy chair at home. 

We have all been a bit conditioned over time that whomever can talk the most and be the most articulate in selling their point of view usually carries the day and sways the majority opinion. We see this time and again in our community, workplace and homes.

As we think about our own willingness to learn and grow within the increasing complexity and intensity of life, there are a few simple principles we can adhere to as we work to make a positive impact on those around us.

  1. We typically learn nothing when we are talking. Our world seems to gravitate towards the talkers who garner most of the attention. However, as we work towards trying to better understand others as things grow more complicated and intense all around us, the reality is, we learn very little when we talk.
  2. Asking questions is a good place to start. Most of us move quickly to our side of the debate or corner of the ring. Instead of working our way into the conversation with our strong opinion or brilliant argument, if we can start by asking some thoughtful questions, we will open a door to better understand the points of view of others. We stand a better chance of keeping the discussion going when we ask some questions instead of talking over others.

For those where strong opinions in the past have created cold, sound-proof walls among close friends and family, I am sure we all would welcome the chance to hear again the voices of those who have withdrawn in silence because of the shouting matches of the past…ask questions to bring some voices back around to the table and keep the discussion going.

We all have our set of experiences and personal learnings that we would love to share. However, opening a door first with a few thoughtful questions is most often a good place to start as we remain committed to making a positive impact in our home, work, and community. In addition, as we adhere to a few of these principles, we will continue to build and strengthen our character and we will set a helpful example for others that Character Creates Opportunity to reach our full potential and make a positive impact on those around us.

How can I help you today? My mobile is 269-370-9275 and my email is david@harvesttimepartners.com  

Please download some FREE resources at www.harvesttimepartners.com  I hope you will find them helpful in your journey.

Moving Through the Valley – Character Creates Opportunity®: Thursday, June 23, 2022

“Good luck in this next chapter of life.”

We hear that and we say that many times throughout our lives. Whether it is starting or finishing an educational pursuit, a new career path, marriage, children, retirement, etc. There is always a tremendous amount of excitement when we journey off into a new chapter of life. The reality for all of us is that inevitably we will hit a few “bumps in the road” as we make our way into this next chapter.

No next chapter in our lives goes totally smooth. For most of us, if we are brutally honest with ourselves, these “bumps” can become significant challenges and at some point, the once exciting path in this next chapter of life has turned into a dark valley. Often times with some self-reflection, we can figure out how we got into this valley. However, there will be other times where we can just simply shrug our shoulders and conclude “it is what it is.”

With today’s easy, point and click access to ideas and methods from some of the best thinkers on the planet, we have a tendency to search for the latest feel-good idea or new solution to address our present challenge. We may find some helpful ideas to kick start us into gear to deal with the valley we are in, but shiny new ideas have a tendency to lose their luster when the real work begins.

In trying to navigate our way through a dark valley in one of the many next chapters of life, there are a few simple truths that can help sustain our progress to see a brighter day:

  • Simply start moving with a few small steps of change. We don’t need some massive re-direction, but just some small steps to get moving. Perhaps just changing a consistent wake up time or bed time routine, or time for casual walk, or just keeping the smart phone out of reach when sharing meals with others. Some consistent small steps of intentional change that can help us to start moving in a better direction than simply sitting in darkness will help bring about some needed energy.
  • Avoid expending a great deal of energy on assigning blame to someone else for our situation. Yes, there are probably a host of contributing factors to how we arrived in this dark valley, but all we can control is our response to where we are today, so limit the energy spent on blaming others or staying angry at others. Redirect as much as possible of that negative energy into the small steps of change noted in point #1.

As we remain committed to making a positive impact in our home, work, and community, we will enter some dark valleys in our journey. If we can guide our efforts on some simple, timeless truths as opposed to searching for some new “easy button,” we will be most effective in reaching our hopes and dreams. In addition, as we take these steps, we will continue to build and strengthen our character and we will set a helpful example for others that Character Creates Opportunity to reach our full potential and make a positive impact on those around us.

How can I help you today? My mobile is 269-370-9275 and my email is david@harvesttimepartners.com  

Please download some FREE resources at www.harvesttimepartners.com  I hope you will find them helpful in your journey.

Seeking Truth – Character Creates Opportunity®: Thursday, June 16, 2022

There has always been a struggle to find truth throughout human history. Whether it is fact or fiction about specific historical events, discerning scientific theory from scientific law, or the simple fact that the more we read and hear about a certain topic, it somehow magically becomes truth in our world. Even with our collective appreciation that these challenges to find truth have been around forever, it certainly seems that the struggle to find truth has become more intense in these recent times.

The pace and volume of information coming at us from all over the world and well-functioning algorithms that can channel certain messages our way leaves us somewhat punch-drunk and unable to search effectively for truth as we just simply accept or reject everything that is flooding our way as a manner of survival.

As we think about our own personal growth and development, we need to be careful that we don’t apply the same rapid, shallow triaging of information that we have become accustomed to in our present time of information overload. Given the legacy-building importance of our efforts to be our best for those we care about most, we need to be more intentional about anchoring our efforts on some universal and timeless truths that we can always count on.  

Even as we witness the pace of change continuing to accelerate all around us, we should find some peace in reinforcing a few simple truths surrounding our own personal growth and development:

  1. There are no quick fixes to being our best each and every day. It takes a plan and the slow, steady effort to execute the plan. Just like the law of the harvest on a farm, we can’t day-dream all spring, goof-off all summer and then expect an abundant harvest in the fall. It takes time and effort throughout the seasons. No amount of money, brainpower, or smooth talking can bring about a quick fix to cover up some of our persistent short-comings in our behavior. We need to be committed for the long haul to be our best. 
  2. We cannot reach our full potential alone. Life is strengthened through close relationships and close relationships are not easy. Those same relationships that can bring such great joy can also be the source of such great sorrow. However, as we gather up the collective wisdom of some old folks who have “been around the block a few times” we will all come to realize that it is our commitment to journey through those highs and lows in our close relationships that enables us to reach our full potential and be our best for those we care about most.

As we remain committed to making a positive impact in our home, work, and community, if we can guide our efforts on some simple, timeless truths, we will be most effective in reaching our hopes and dreams. In addition, as we take this step, we will continue to build and strengthen our character and we will set a helpful example for others that Character Creates Opportunity to reach our full potential and make a positive impact on those around us.

How can I help you today? My mobile is 269-370-9275 and my email is david@harvesttimepartners.com  

Please download some FREE resources at www.harvesttimepartners.com  I hope you will find them helpful in your journey.

The Need to Know We Matter – Character Creates Opportunity®: Thursday, June 9, 2022

Sustained conflict in the home is one of the most heart-breaking of all conflicts.

The reality is that sustained conflict in the home is rarely one-sided…it usually takes “two to tango” as the saying goes.

When well-educated academics and kitchen table psychologists get to the bottom of these sustained conflicts in the home, they usually land on the truth that there has been a slowly widening gap in what we all know is the fundamental need of all of us, to know that we matter to another person – that someone has chosen us over anything else.

We all know we violate this need every time we fail to give our full attention to someone, glance at our phone while in conversation, quickly dismiss or not even acknowledge the person’s point of view, or flat out ignore them. These occasional missteps can usually be handled, but when we dissect sustained conflict in the home, these violations become a consistent pattern and create real barriers to healing and health in the relationships we care about most.

As our world continues to grow in complexity, we all have a tendency to think we need some new, brilliantly complex methodology to address the growing complexity around us. The truth is when things get too complex, we need to fall back on simple, direct and uncomplicated responses to be most effective.

Here are two simple and timeless steps to help build more compassion in the home and address some tough situations where sustained conflict has created real distance between those we care about most:

  1. Give someone your full attention. One of the most heart-warming ways to show someone they matter is to give them our full attention when we are with them. We need to be intentional and have some discipline to not let some other story start playing in our head when we sit with someone and just simply listen. There are also the obvious actions of keeping your phone down, stop glancing off in the distance, or preparing your response. Despite how smooth we think we are, we are all not good at hiding our distractions. Stay focused on the person who is with us in that moment. Being in the moment with them will make a big difference over time to heal some wounds.
  2. Take turns in the conversation. Some of us may have a tendency to steamroll our way through conversations. We see a real need to get our point across as some process of self-validation. We need to be intentional and have some discipline to simply shut up and take turns volleying back and forth in conversation so everyone can feel they are being heard. Simply working towards doing more listening than talking is a fantastic start. Acknowledging the conversation with the other person through an occasional head nod, direct eye contact, and a question or two to better understand their comments are some of the graduate-level actions we can take.

As we continue to work on making a positive impact in our home, work, and community, if we can become more intentional about making sure those around us feel they matter by simply listening and sharing the air during conversation, we will begin to head down a path of showing more compassion to help versus inflicting more pain. In addition, as we take this step, we will continue to build and strengthen our character and we will set a helpful example for others that Character Creates Opportunity to reach our full potential and make a positive impact on those around us.

How can I help you today? My mobile is 269-370-9275 and my email is david@harvesttimepartners.com

Please download some FREE resources at www.harvesttimepartners.com
I hope you will find them helpful in your journey.

Climbing Back into the Ring – Character Creates Opportunity®: Thursday, June 2, 2022

Well, I would first like to say I am sorry for not giving you a heads up on my decision to pull back from writing a few years ago. So many of you reached out to check in and I should have more broadly communicated my plans. I am sorry and I would be grateful for your forgiveness.

I jumped back into the ring to lead a small biotech company in 2019 and just needed to create the space to focus on the critical work of building the company to help make meaningful progress our on plans to develop treatments to protect the vision of patients suffering from retinal disease. It is purposeful work and our team continues to make good progress on making a difference at ONL Therapeutics, Inc.

I do plan to begin writing again and this blog kicks things back in gear. The theme for the blog remains unchanged, sharing insights and encouragement to build and strengthen our character. As our thoughts, decisions, and actions are grounded in timeless, universal principles like compassion, commitment, and honesty, we continue to build and strengthen our character in order to fully realize the truth that Character Creates Opportunity® to reach our full potential no matter what our circumstance.

In today’s world, with divisions being seen in every aspect of life and the machine (our computers, smart phones, newsfeeds, etc.) with hardwired algorithms guiding a lot of what we see and read about, how can we effectively find truth and do our part to make a positive impact in our world?

Our first step in finding truth is still anchored in trying to more effectively understand one another. We have become so complacent with a rapid, steady stream of data and opinions that we simply play the tape inside our heads like the hardwired algorithms in our social media feed to draw quick conclusions about another person, another situation, or another apparent disagreement that we skip the hard work of trying to better understand the issue or person at hand.

Like many things in life, we have a tendency to overcomplicate and overthink the situation before taking the necessary first step. It is important to remember that simple and not complicated, timeless, universal principles are often the most effective first step in dealing with the growing complexity around us. In today’s example of living with division in our home, work, and community, the first step is based on the principle of understanding.

It never fails in my own experience, and I am sure in yours, that when I become intentional and focus on simply trying to better understand a person, a situation, or an apparent disagreement, rather than quickly picking a side to stand with, I end up transferring a great deal of physical and emotional energy for conflict and being “right” into a larger desire to comfort and help the individual or the situation.

As we continue to work on making a positive impact in our home, work, and community, if we can become more intentional about taking a first step to try and understand the individual and the situation a little better, we will begin to head down a path of serving and supporting each other as opposed to spreading division. In addition, as we take that first step towards understanding, we will continue to build and strengthen our character and we will set a helpful example for others that Character Creates Opportunity to reach our full potential and make a positive impact on those around us.

How can I help you today? My mobile is 269-370-9275 and my email is david@harvesttimepartners.com

Please download some FREE resources at www.harvesttimepartners.com
I hope you will find them helpful in your journey.