How To Get Strangers To Like You (Though People Who Know You Well Find You (Very!) Annoying!)

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment

Come on over and learn some stuff about social magnetism, friend!

a crowd of people at a concert

I can finally be authentic and write about something I know a lot about! The promise in the title of today’s article is TRUE in my own life! So I can actually help you today!

As you know, and I’ve humbly hinted at once (or possibly twice?), people in over fifty countries have read my online writing!

Join people in over fifty countries who read this!

Let me share my formula (”Patint1” Pending) for how to get strangers to like you, too, even though physical (what do you call those who aren’t online?) people in your life find you (very!) annoying!

First, a story to illustrate the process.

You can read the first half of the story HERE. (Bonus: You can also read a helpful analysis of how to know if you are a Christian, based on the type of cigarette or weed you smoke there!) In that helpful article, I begin by explaining my magnetism, noting that I followed (what seemed to be) God’s nudge to sew some pants.

I ended up making doggy pants.

And now, without further ado, here is more of that story of the clerk and me at Tim Hortons.

After these initial discussions between the clerk at Tim Hortons and me, it seemed that God wasn’t finished speaking to him yet, but I had some pressing paperwork to do. I’m busy! Would I trust Him to interrupt my more essential tasks again?

It started when I realized that their staff had burned my bagel.

I could eat a bagel, slightly dark at the edges.

Tell them it seemed God was saying.

Really? How rude! Plus, I already had one (successful!) interaction in which it seemed God somehow fed this young man a crumb.

“Why did I have to ruin it by criticizing the food and be a loser again, God?” I wondered.

After sulking for a bit (which I would NEVER do!), I obeyed this seeming nudge, and coincidentally, perhaps, it was the same young man whose turn it was to speak to me. Several others were working the till. I showed him my bagel and explained that I recently learned that burned food contains carcinogens, substances capable of causing cancer.

I apologized for the nuisance.

“Maybe I should come to you for advice!” the clerk called loudly across the restaurant, as I walked away.

(!)

I smiled. He thinks he is drawn to me, but he is drawn to You in me. May he learn the difference.

We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That’s to prevent anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us. As it is, there’s not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we’re not much to look at.

The Message

And so, how do we get the servers at Tim Hortons AS WELL AS people in over fifty countries (who have read my stuff2), to like us?

How would I know? [Editor’s Note: Online writers are confident!]

Well, as confidently explained in THIS ARTICLE, I believe people like to listen to me and to read my online writing for one of the following reasons:

a. They are laughing with (or at?3) me.

b. God sometimes whispers between the words to mysteriously touch their soul, which should be the case for all of us who learn to listen to and follow Jesus4.

c. I am finding my inner cool.

I chose option c.

But it might be b. Whatever. Regardless, we’ll finish this story another time.

You’re welcome!

Good luck!

Thanks for liking me! I like you too! – Proven HERE, HERE, and HERE! Let’s journey together!

Photo Credit – My Doggy Pants! by Someone Standing Nearby When I Needed A Picture Of My Doggy Pants! and Follow The Crowd! by Valentin Lacoste on Unsplash

1 Yes, I did spell that correctly. Why do you ask? The paperwork for an actual “Patent” is so tiresome!

2 Did I mention that?

3 It CAN’T be that entirely! Please!

4 He speaks through our lives. (So no, I’m NOT saying I’m special (you Loser!) because we’re all losers -but this is good news!– remember?)

This Is How To Feed Others Spiritually – 3 Methods

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment

Why not share a bit of your food, friend?

ostrich drinking water from a white plastic bucket

Make some for yourself, too, God seemed to whisper to me that day several years ago. God had been nudging me to make fleece pants with my kids and their friends. Now, He seemed to be nudging to make fleece pants for me, too.

So, I was online ordering fleece fabric.

A particular type of fabric stood out to me, as joy bubbled from within. I bought the fabric with golden retrievers stamped all over it (True story, but why would I lie about that?). I made my pants.

And now, I will convey something challenging to articulate.

Join people in over fifty countries who read this to gain valuable life wisdom! (Or maybe they’re just laughing at me? . . . Whatever!)

Shockingly, these doggy fleece pants are like a key opening a door between another culture and me.

People who would never even bother looking down their nose at me suddenly become my best friends. I am accepted by a whole new world of people when I wear these pants. These pants melt their hearts, and they pour their love on me, after asking me where they, too, can buy the same pants.

Note: I say this HUMBLY, but in THIS article, I deferentially mention the name brands of the clothes I am wearing, because I am THAT kind of a person. Just saying. Read more HERE.

But a couple of stories to illustrate the surprising allure of these doggy pants: Once, someone exclaimed jubilantly that she loved my pants and then recounted a surprising amount of her life story as I stood, listening, stunned and speechless, my to-go coffee cup waiting in my hand, mid-air, for her to finish. This kind of thing happens often.

It happened today.

The teenage guy working at Tim Hortons spent five minutes before taking my order telling me he loved my pants, telling me a story about his dog, and then speaking with the lady next to him about whether she liked dogs or cats better.

I listened mutely and smiled.

When I finally pulled away from him to sit at a table to drink my coffee, I noticed the table was covered with crumbs. I returned to that young man to quickly ask for a napkin to clean it. He leaned in to confide that they are understaffed, “But I will clean the table for you.” Stunned, I watched him wipe my table.

Then he said, “People really surprise me sometimes.”

“How do you mean?” I asked.

He was quiet.

I offered, pointing to the messy table, “You mean how people are always making messes?”

He nodded.

He seemed to need a crumb to eat, as he lingered a bit longer at my table. I wondered what I could say in the several seconds left of our interaction that could feed him just a little. “Well, it’s a good thing that God forgives us after we create our messes.”

I looked innocently away, waiting for the metaphor to nourish his soul.

The crumb nourished him, and his hunger pangs made him sputter forcefully, “I can’t believe people don’t know I’m a Christian! I don’t even smoke!” He then felt the need for some reason to confess to speaking a partial truth to me, a perfect stranger, by quickly adding, “Well, I do smoke weed.”

My brain was overheating. “Did he say that smoking weed made him a Christian?” I wondered.

Or that smoking cigarettes made a person not a Christian? It’s hard to keep all that theology straight – I can empathize!

“And so, where do we go from here, God?” I prayed. What do I say in the twelve nanoseconds before he departs to resume his job? Clearly, he was being nourished, somehow, by the crumbs of this measly conversation.

But Jesus said, “There is no need to dismiss them. You give them supper.”

“All we have are five loaves of bread and two fish,” they said.

Jesus said, “Bring them here.” . . . They all ate their fill.

The Message

“Well, if we can truly understand that God loves us after we mess up our tables, that’s the important part, right?” I offered him, like a crumb. Would he take and eat?

He stared at me, fumbled, and then dropped his cleaning cloth.

His hat fell off as he bent over to pick up the fabric. He stared at me a moment before picking that up, too. He was deep in thought.

Eye contact one more time before he walked away.

Was there a glimpse of light lit for a moment, so that Your light broke through this ordinary day for a clerk at Tim Hortons, God?

May this generation find messy tables wherever they go, we pray.

And may the crumbs somehow, by your grace, be multiplied to nourish the soul. There is more, there is more, there is more, He is saying to the teenage boy working at Tim Hortons. There is more to this story, too. I’ll continue it another time.

For now, how can our lives spiritually feed others?

  1. We get thirsty.

Jesus said, “. . . Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst—not ever.”

The Message

  1. We learn how to listen.

My sheep recognize my voice. I know them, and they follow me.

The Message

  1. We trust Him to lead us, come what may.

In the same way that a branch can’t bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can’t bear fruit unless you are joined with me.

The Message

That’s it.

(And may you, your doggy and your doggy pants1 (of course!) bring some love and crumbs to nourish a spiritually hungry world, too, friend.)

Thanks for liking me! I like you too! – Proven HERE, HERE, and HERE! Let’s journey together!

Photo Credit – 3 Methods / 3 Ostriches by Jutta Kamp on Unsplash and Me-and-My -Doggy-and-My-Doggy-Pants (Of Course!)

1 Or however He leads you in your culture.

How To Love Healthy Habits More: Two Identity Hacks You Need

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment

Come on over and swap your identity! (Why not?)

woman reading book while sitting on white chair

She laughed at me.

But I intended for her to laugh at me that time.

(That’s how we know that she is bright, brilliant and sophisticated – She laughs at the RIGHT time.1)

The funny thing I said to the newbie at the gym after the exercise class was this:

Join people in over fifty countries who read this to gain valuable life wisdom! (Or maybe they’re just laughing at me? . . . Whatever!)

“You can eat TWO pieces of cake when you get home because you went to the gym!”

“Hahaha!” they laughed.

But STOP for a second. Insert that sound that makes people rewind or halt in a movie – Time stands still for a second while we ask:

WHY, EXACTLY, ARE THEY LAUGHING?

Besides the fact of my sophisticated, exceptionally humorous remarks, they are laughing because:

NO ONE WANTS TO EAT TWO PIECES OF CAKE IMMEDIATELY AFTER GOING TO THE GYM.

Why not?

Because going to the gym, even once, changes our identity.

This identity hack was actually the one thing that helped me to stay within [basically) my weight goal for most of my life – I didn’t focus on losing weight. I focused on movement. This focus changed my self-perceived identity.

As mentioned HERE, I hate it when others (or even the best side of me!) tell me what to do!

“Stop being so bossy!” I yell at them, or even at myself. But if I get some exercise, I don’t immediately want two pieces of cake (it takes a few hours). Being the kind of person who exercises changes my identity, so better dietary habits come a little more easily.

“I’M THE KIND OF PERSON WHO GOES TO THE GYM”, my mind tells my mouth.

An energy ball (or other healthier treat) suddenly seems more appealing, anyway, right now, is how I feel.

a wooden bowl filled with nuts next to a jar of nuts

Who we believe we are drives our behavior.

So, (1) Go to the gym or get outside for a walk or run to begin to change your own idea of who you are!

And when do we start this? We can even begin this type of identity transformation before we get to the gym if we are experts! For example, once my friend said,

“I go swimming three times a week!”

“Oh wow!” I said. “How long have you been doing that?”

“I went swimming twice!” he continued.

He knows who he is! A swimmer! Showing up at the pool is that much easier, friends!

If that fails, then another great identity hack to help us choose healthier habits is (of course) to:

(2) Pretend to be someone else! (This is one of my favorite life and identity hacks.) More on this HERE!

And whichever of these two identity hacks you choose, remember to be S.T.U.P.I.D. about it while you’re at it! (Explanation HERE.)

You’re welcome!

Good luck!

Oh! And did you know that God is constantly whispering to us, asking us to change our view of ourselves, too?

If you knew who God made you to be, you’d never want to be anyone else.

Pastor Bill Johnson

Have a listen to what God is whispering, friend.

You may just be surprised at who you end up becoming, once you know who you really are, too.

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

The Message

As the song below sings, “You call me deeper still into love . . .” consider asking God, “How do I see myself differently from how You see me?” And may who you believe you are align exactly with how God sees you, friend. (Everything gets easier to DO when we have a closer understanding of who we really ARE.)

Thanks for liking me! I like you too! – Proven HERE, HERE, and HERE! Let’s journey together!

Photo Credits – How’s Your Life? (Need Someone New To Drive Your Car?) by Prophsee Journals on Unsplash, Are Energy Balls Your New Best Friend, Too? by Ophélie Pgt on Unsplash

1 NOT like many of the people who read these articles who laugh at all the serious stuff and are serious when it’s time to laugh at my funny jokes! Why?

The Most Important Hack To Make You Begin To LOVE The Healthier Habits You Currently Hate!

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment

Try this shortcut, friend!

sliced fruits

This article will outline how you, too, can learn to begin to LOVE practicing healthy habits OR if not, how to at least delude yourself into thinking you enjoy healthy habits! Anyway, what’s the difference between loving healthier habits and deluding yourself that you love healthier habits? But more about deluding ourselves successfully another time!

You’re welcome!

Good luck!

Today, we’ll start by understanding what motivates us to practice healthier eating and exercise habits. I’m actually the kind of person, for example, who hates it when people tell me what to do. I figured this out one afternoon when I was frothing at the mouth and making myself some tea.

Join people in over fifty countries who read this to gain valuable life wisdom! (Or maybe they’re just laughing at me? . . . Whatever!)

“How dare THEY tell ME when to drink this tea?”, I thought, fuming. “I’ll drink it in the afternoon instead, just to spite them!” The tea was called English BREAKFAST tea. BREAKFAST. I guess you’re supposed to drink it at BREAKFAST.

Maybe this is an item I should get counselling for, too, but my hard-working counsellor hasn’t gotten this far down the list of priority items yet.

I know I could have been, actually, a lot more successful in life if I had taken people’s advice a little more easily. You can check out my daughter’s blog for that. For example, in one of her articles, she mentions some stuff she learned from me!

I’m sure she’ll go far (because it’s ME who told her stuff).

Wait: THE POINT was that we are humble enough to receive advice from others. Same thing! Anyway, we are who we are.

I know myself, and if someone tells ME to do or not do something, even if it’s myself telling me to choose healthier habits, I’ll probably want to kill them or me. Take your pick. No, we need another method than simply muscling through and doing stuff we hate.

Here’s the trick to learning to LOVE to implement healthier habits: Know, think about, meditate on your BIG, HUGE “Why?”

Why should you implement healthier habits?

  • The caring about how you look in a bathing suit when a massive slice of chocolate cake is calling your name stops mattering after middle school. That “Why?” won’t cut it.
  • How about a few more years in your own home, rather than an old folks’ home? That’s a goal to light a bit of a fire behind our butts, still in bed, scrolling on our phones.
  • How about the fact that God has something new for you?

If you knew who God made you to be, you’d never want to be anyone else.

Pastor Bill Johnson

We want to be as healthy as we can become so that God can accomplish all that He has for us through our lives.

How can we have more energy to complete the calling God has for each of our lives? (This stuff matters more than we realize.) That’s it.

(And of course, if we’re not healthy, God can accomplish just as much or even more through us, but that kind of true information muddies the point of this article!)

THE POINT is: Get out of bed, friend!

There are good reasons to get up and to get to the gym or outside for some heart-pumping exercise. And if we can get there, our identity changes a bit, making it MUCH easier to implement your next healthy habit. But more on that next time.

I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. . . . easy street is a dead-end street. Those who live there make their bellies their gods; belches are their praise; all they can think of is their appetites. But there’s far more to life for us. We’re citizens of high heaven!

The Message

What more can be said than that?

Thanks for liking me! I like you too! – Proven HERE, HERE, and HERE! Let’s journey together!

3 Common Spiritual Mistakes – Want To Soar Spiritually? Be S.T.U.P.I.D.!

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment

Don’t be like them! Be like me, instead!

a man jumping in the air on top of a mountain

What is spiritual maturity? Well, I’m glad you asked (me)! Of course, since I write online about spiritual things, I MUST have a great answer to this question!

Spiritual maturity is not what you think it is.

It’s not knowing more stuff about God1 than other people. I know this because I read the entire Bible once, and people STILL didn’t think I was mature spiritually, for some reason. So it CAN’T be that!

Join people in over fifty countries who read this to gain valuable life wisdom! (Or maybe they’re just laughing at me? . . . Whatever!)

As another example, there was a lady at church who once started every comment (loudly) with, “I’ve sat in this pew every week for thirty years!” and then the next thing that came out of her mouth was inconsistent2 with a God who defines Himself as love.

My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God.

The Message

No, it’s not spiritual knowledge or even learning a lot of stuff at church that defines spiritual maturity.

Then I wondered if being a really great person defines spiritual maturity?

I mean, that’s what everyone assumes, right? The most common complaint against God that I hear is, “Those PEOPLE are such hypocrites!” So if the people are NOT hypocrites and do things right (at least most(!) of the time), then this MUST be the correct definition of spiritual maturity, right?

. . . we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us

The Message

Nope.

We all (even me!) fall short (occasionally, ok?). But this is actually freedom for me, because then I can stop sucking in my gut and pretending I’m amazing (I would NEVER do that!) because I can remember that Jesus is the star of our show, not me! Whew!

And that’s a GREAT relief.

Plus, tragically, we have seen many churches crumble recently, with people who appear well put together on the outside but whose interior lives, hidden from the eyes of others, suddenly get exposed, spraying cancerous filth on everyone nearby. We shouldn’t be surprised by this, by the way, because being a great person (or even a pretty good person) is not the definition of spiritual maturity, either.

Christian behavior can be put on like a mask… Spectators… will often break into applause. But there is no applause in heaven.…

Eugene H. Peterson

Perhaps the definition of spiritual maturity is someone who attends church five days a week and helps the needy at every opportunity?

Nope. This could be excellent work, and may be driven from a pure heart in devotion to God, but more often than one would expect, in the church, these types of people have boundary issues and are actually nursing childhood wounds related to pleasing others or searching for significance in a church community. I, for example, would NEVER do that!

So THAT can’t be the definition of spiritual maturity, either.

My husband3 told me this, that the true definition of spiritual maturity is:

One who gets up quickly after they fall.

That’s it.

We get up quickly after we fall.

More on the how and the why of this next time, but it’s EXACTLY THE SAME to grow spiritually as it is to develop physically. We get up after we fall, and we keep going back. (“To the gym or to God?” you ask. What difference does it make? Do both!) And we get stronger each time we turn our face away from despair and towards giving it another go.

Oh! And did I mention that He gives us the strength to get up when we fall, turn our feet toward the son and take another step into His arms?

grey pathway between trees during daytime

Your God is present among you. . . Happy to have you back, he’ll calm you with his love and delight you with his songs.

The Message

That’s the good news!

(Not you. Or me. We’re not the good news.)

Yah!

Oh! And getting up quickly after we fall is also colloquially referred to as “being S.T.U.P.I.D.”, a method of goal-setting that is expounded upon in sophisticated, elaborate but convoluted minutiae HERE.

So keep being S.T.U.P.I.D., friends!

You’re welcome!

Good luck!

Thanks for liking me! I like you too! – Proven HERE, HERE, and HERE! Let’s journey together!

Photo Credit – Don’t be that kind of S.T.U.P.I.D., though! by ulziibayar badamdorj on Unsplash and Follow The Son, S.T.U.P.I.D.! by Christiaan Huynen on Unsplash

1 Ha ha ha ha! Do people actually think this? Hilarious!!

2 Unlike me, who always applies wisdom to my life correctly.

3 And we can trust him to know the correct definition of spiritual maturity because: (1) He reads a LOT of stuff about God! (2) He’s a pretty good guy! AND (3) He regularly helps put the chairs away after church!

How To Get Fit? Be S.T.U.P.I.D (Not S.M.A.R.T.) Of Course!

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment

Sometimes the most important truths are upside down!

a man with a white beard sitting in a gym

“Finally!” I thought.

I had been attending these same classes at the gym for seven months.

It’s only taken me seven months to arrive, so now I can tell others what to do! I sized them up as newbies and immediately joined their group. I looked forward to showing off my knowledge, to “encourage” them, of course.

Join people in over fifty countries who read this to gain valuable life wisdom! (Or maybe they’re just laughing at me? . . . Whatever!)

This is not even a lie, but in the first set of exercises, I somehow got confused and started doing exercises from the other set.

The two newbies patiently explained to me how to rotate through the three exercises that were listed on the board right in front of me.

“Well, everyone makes a mistake at some point!” I thought to myself.

I sulked while doing the triceps extension exercise, and then the new lady had the audacity to lean over and tell ME to pull my lats down before extending my arms.

I felt like throttling her because I’VE been going to the gym for a while – not YOU! I’M the one who’s supposed to know what’s going on here – not YOU! I’M the one who’s getting stronger – not YOU!

During the break, the irritating newbie who knew what was going on all the time revealed that she used to be an exercise instructor.

“Bad luck!” I thought, waiting for my next victim, a new person at the gym.

Sooner or later, I’ve got to be able to “help” someone else so I can feel1 superior to someone!

The instructors asked us to set a fitness goal for the new year in that class that day. The only one I could think of was the one the instructor had told me. One day, when she was shocked at my (relative) improvement, she blurted out that she thought I could do one (yes, that’s ONE) pull-up next year (yes, that’s next YEAR) if I keep coming to the gym every day and keep working hard!

I actually didn’t have any faith or confidence that I could achieve this goal.

Still, she thinks I will get stronger because I KEEP COMING BACK to the gym, even though everyone else (show-offs!) always seems to know what’s going on all the time, and even though I might not (always!) be impressive to look at when I’m at the gym.

AND you WILL get fitter, too, if you are S.T.U.P.I.D., not S.M.A.R.T.

“What do you mean,” you ask, scratching your head.

Last time, we discussed how the best types of goals are S.T.U.P.I.D., not S.M.A.R.T. A S.M.A.R.T. goal is (See the Footnote2 – They are boring to read about!), but S.T.U.P.I.D. goals are based (however loosely) on the high-powered acronym full of immense wisdom, “K.I.S.S. = Keep It Simple, STUPID.” (See full explanation of the details of S.T.U.P.I.D. Goal Setting HERE.)

So setting a S.T.U.P.I.D. goal means that you keep it simple and choose TO KEEP GOING.

For example, if you KEEP GOING to the gym, even if you’re not very strong and you still don’t know what’s going on after seven months, you will actually get fitter because you’ve set a S.T.U.P.I.D. goal.

“I’m going to KEEP GOING” to the gym is my S.T.U.P.I.D. goal. It’s simple. I keep going, S.T.U.P.I.D.!

So set a S.T.U.P.I.D. fitness goal and then keep going!

We are getting stronger, even if we’re not really much “help” to anyone else practically, and we still get confused (sometimes!).

So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit.

The Message

Setting S.T.U.P.I.D. goals is similarly immensely important for other areas of life, including emotional and spiritual growth. However, you can’t expect me to share ALL my manifest wisdom at once! Stay tuned for next time, and I’ll continue to draw on the insights gained from my time at the gym and in life, in general, so that I can continue to “help” you, too!

You’re welcome!

Good luck!

After some thankfulness for the good things already in your life, consider asking God what the new direction you need to set your life and your heart towards is. Will you keep going and not give up, too, friend? May God give you the joy, courage (and of course, the S.M.A.R.T.s) to keep walking in the right direction, friend.

Thanks for liking me! I like you too! – Proven HERE, HERE, and HERE! Let’s journey together!

Photo Credit – He’s Getting Fit, Too! by Centre for Ageing Better on Unsplash

1 A BIT at least! I’m human!

2 S.M.A.R.T. Goal: S = Specific, M = Measurable, A = Attainable, R = Relevant, T = Time-bound

How To Be Sure God Actually Likes You!

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment

Find out for sure, friend! Why not?

a boy with his arms crossed

He looked at me intently, his eyebrows furrowed.

“Do you think I am going to hell?” His question was honest, open, curious. The question wasn’t loaded, as if he had a pile of ready-made snowballs next to him, ready to fire, whatever the response.

He just wanted to know what I thought.

Click HERE to continue reading.

Join people in over fifty countries who read this to gain valuable life wisdom! (Or maybe they’re just laughing at me? . . . Whatever!)

“How-To-Succeed” Made Simple: Set S.T.U.P.I.D. Goals – Not S.M.A.R.T. Goals!

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment
person holding purple and pink box

Today, we will discuss the importance of goal planning. I have already outlined the critical requirements for setting New Year’s goals HERE. I’ll continue this discussion with a brief introduction to the ONLY type of goal-setting system you will need for the year.

Stop setting S.M.A.R.T. goals! Set S.T.U.P.I.D. goals instead!

Join people in over fifty countries who read this to gain valuable life wisdom! (Or maybe they’re just laughing at me? . . . Whatever!)

As all the intense, Type-A people know, with exhausting alacrity, S.M.A.R.T. Goals are an acronym standing for: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic (Ha! What IS realistic anymore?1) and Time-Bound.

I’m exhausted just writing out all these terms! Whew! Thankfully, I have developed (“Patent” Pending) a new type of goal setting that is a LOT easier!

It’s called (of course) setting goals that are S.T.U.P.I.D.!

S.T.U.P.I.D. goals aren’t actually an acronym. But we put periods after each letter because it looks cooler that way, and also, no one pays attention to grammar rules anymore. No one younger than Grade 5 even knows what an acronym is, or ever will know, so we’re safe there with the younger crowd, for sure.

S.T.U.P.I.D. goals are (distantly) derived from Einstein (See how S.M.A.R.T. these goals REALLY Are?), who made a statement about simplicity that later became colloquially known as “Keep It Simple, Stupid”.

So, S.T.U.P.I.D. goals are SIMPLE goals.

You can apply S.T.U.P.I.D. goals to all areas of your life!

For now, let’s illustrate this goal-setting method by starting with Spiritual Goals. The best definition of spiritual maturity is2:

One who gets up quickly after they fall.

We’ll massage more of the striking truths from this statement in a later article, but essentially, the best way to grow in any area of life turns out to be is:

To not give up.

As proven HERE regarding Fall Fairs, or HERE concerning physical goals like going to the gym, it’s not being amazing that matters most, but that we keep showing up!

The same principle applies to the spiritual life.

Most people give up too soon in their search for God.

Is it annoying people who keep you away from your search for God? Read THIS if so, but keep going on your spiritual journey, friend!

Is God distant, just out of reach? Read THIS if so, but keep going on your spiritual journey, friend!

Do you think God is a mean dictator, and you’re running the other direction? Read THIS if so, but keep going, friend, on your spiritual journey!

He longs to walk WITH us on this journey we call life. He wants us to WANT to want to seek Him. Will you KEEP (The key is this word – Don’t give up!) seeking Him?

And maybe if you are lucky, you may even have some spiritual insights that you can share online, and then be a spiritual “expert”3 like me4 one day!

If we don’t give up, even though most people do, and keep walking forward, following where we last saw his footsteps and carving out time in our busy day to sit with Him, unhurried, we will find ourselves surprised by hints of the divine, if our eyes are open and maybe if we even ask a trusted friend where to look.

There’s more to come . . .

The Message

Keep walking, friend.

And keep being S.T.U.P.I.D. to find true life success!

You’re welcome!

Good luck!

Thanks for liking me! I like you too! – Proven HERE, HERE, and HERE! Let’s journey together!

Photo Credit – All You Need Is A Few Sticky Notes To Succeed! by Eden Constantino on Unsplash

1 Oops! I got the “R” acronym wrong. Well, close enough!

2 My husband told me this. Isn’t he S.M.A.R.T.? He helps me remember that spiritual success is NOT about being better than others, for example, which I had forgotten (once)! Another time, we will discuss WHY this is the best definition of spiritual maturity.

3 Definition confidential.

4 Because I write about God online! Although I’m not sure why people laugh at the wrong times when they read my writing? It must be their spiritual immaturity. Sorry for being offensive.

3 Underrated Attitudes You Need To Lose Weight – Guaranteed

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment

Yup. You too, friend.

To encourage you, I’m going to share another way I’m amazing!1

I have been (more or less) within the healthy weight range (basically – okay!) for my entire life, which has been no small feat.

However, when following my advice failed me for a while, and the pounds piled themselves on in a hurry (it happens!), I decided to switch it up and buy a nutrition app. I am constantly trying new approaches and programs and learning more about implementing healthy habits, which is the point of this article. But I’m not talking about that right now.

I’m talking about the notification that startled me.

Join people in over fifty countries who read this to gain valuable life wisdom! (Or maybe they’re just laughing at me? . . . Whatever!)

I was initially an undisputed failure at using this nutrition app.

Check this out. The photo below is an actual graph of my “progress” over several months, showing NO improvement in achieving my ideal weight. None.

There are normal fluctuations, but the graph of this line is flat.

Same, same, samers.

Despite hours (and hours!) of logging EVERY food item into the app, I STILL didn’t lose ANY weight!2

However, I continued with the program.

BY March, I was in the top 3% of users of this nutrition app I was using. The TOP 3%. And do you know WHY I was in the TOP (Let me repeat it) of users of this app?

Simply because I hadn’t given up yet.

And it wasn’t even that I DID anything extraordinary, which is the MOST amazing part!3 I eventually lost some weight using this app4, and I feel a lot better. And the program would have also benefited many other app users.

If only they kept trying.

And so, how do we increase in our journeys toward healthier habits?

1.Don’t be surprised that you’re a loser!

For example, I immediately unsubscribed to the “encouragement” texts accompanying the health app because so many people complained in a way I could not comprehend.

“I only lost five pounds this month!” they would complain.

Five pounds! That sounded amazing! I was excited to celebrate with them, but they were already discouraged. I hadn’t lost any weight in several months, and I was proud of myself for continuing the laborious task (for my thumbs) of logging food items into my iPhone!

Which brings me naturally to Point #2:

2.Have low expectations for yourself!

Then you don’t need to get discouraged! Oh! And remember how God ALREADY loves you?

That takes the pressure off, friend!

Why we even WANT to try to get healthier is another article, but we don’t have to please others or even ourselves because God, your community and maybe even your mom ALREADY love you!

3.Get up quickly after you fall, friend.

Keep going.

I’m with you. . .

I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you.

The Message

Oh!

And these three ways to grow in our healthy habits journeys are EXACTLY the same three ways that we grow in our spiritual journeys! But more on that next time. (Or soon!)5

(But don’t give up just before your breakthrough, friend.)

Thanks for liking me! I like you too! – Proven HERE, HERE, and HERE! Let’s journey together!

Photo Credit – Can We Keep Getting On It Despite The Number It Tells Us? by i yunmai on Unsplash

1 As described HERE, online writers need to build their credibility and establish themselves as important and amazing, so that others will blindly follow their advice!

2 Yes, I was WAY OVER my “Recommended Eating Goals” in various categories, but it took me a while to find that part of the app!

3 You can do nothing but show up and end up being amazing, as proven definitively HERE!

4 Eventually, okay? (Like being more consistent with going to the gym.)

5 It snowed today! Ski season is upon us, here in Canada, friends! The holiday break needs to be extended again!)

Why You Should Read This Instead of Goal-Setting! AND 10 Funny Things They Said About Homeschooling, Aging, And Love!

/ Lori Lawe / Leave a comment

Got time to join us for a laugh, friend? (Put the goal-setting pencil aside for a bit.)

a group of people holding glasses of wine

I’m in extended holiday mode, so I’m not (quite) ready yet to set new goals, that I won’t achieve anyway.

However, stay tuned tomorrow (or soon) for how to start the year at a sprinter’s pace! (Though we will already be a bit behind because we are beginning our energetic goal setting a day too late!). Dang!

The new year has barely started, and you’re already a loser!

Join people in over fifty countries who read this to gain valuable life wisdom! (Or maybe they’re just laughing at me? . . . Whatever!)

How to catch up and pass everyone else (Or how to at least stay in the race a bit longer) will be discussed tomorrow (or soon)!

“We’re just happy to be here!”

Said Jen and I, to explain why we didn’t want the number of Devil’s Press (NOTICE the name, anyway?) and other exercises recorded that our team completed at the “Competitive-Partner-Get-Fit-Day” at the gym.

Anyway, I hope you also feel encouraged to start your New Year off with a bang of frenzied activity (That you’ll do soon)!

For now, as clearly and thoroughly elaborated in THIS ARTICLE, here is one of our past holiday newsletters to amuse you, while you look around for your pencil today to enthusiastically write out all of your life goals tomorrow!

Now, most homeschooling moms are looking forward to sitting on the couch with a glass of vodka after Christmas.

No, don’t get me wrong! I MEANT a tiny splash of rum in our Christmas eggnog! I am always misunderstood!

But instead of doing that, I wrote this holiday newsletter!

Anyway, it would have been preferable to have one of those lovely family Christmas photos – You know, where everyone is wearing those matching red hats, but who has time to book a photographer, coordinate ridiculously busy schedules, etc.?

This photo (SEE DISCLAIMER!)1 will have to do. We took it tonight, impromptu. Sure, some of us MAY be in costume attire, but this is what we look like. On reflection, elf suits may have been a slight improvement.

In past years, we included memorable quotes from various family members in our New Year / Holiday letters. This year, we include ten quotes on Homeschooling, Aging, and Love. Enjoy!

On Homeschooling

Kyah: “I’ve had a pretty good day so far!” Time: 7:13 am

Andy: After his shower, “Hey! Where was my soap? I couldn’t find it?!!”

Me: “Oh, sorry! Kyah carved it into a turtle and entered it in the fall fair yesterday!”

I mentioned lunch.

Kyah: “Mmm…lunch!”

What she was doing – eating breakfast!

Kyah was having an in-depth Zoom discussion with budding philosophers about the Easter holiday.

Suddenly, a shrill 10-year-old voice from Pennsylvania emanated from the computer, “Well, I think the Easter bunny should go to hell because . . .” An impassioned speech followed. A lot of great learning and critical thinking is in progress!

(She may need a bit more work on theology.)

On Aging

Me: “Where do you want to be in five years?”

Andy: “Where you are…!!!”

Me: (Oh!!)

Kyah: “And I can help you up the stairs!”

Me, thinking: “Will we functionally be 100-year-olds in just five years?”

Andy: “Next June, I will be 50. We should have a massive party.”

Andy remembered that we had a big 1990s party for him when he turned 30. Andy continued, “We can have another 1990s party! We can wear . . . jeans and . . . all the clothes I wear now…” … “and we can listen to … all the music I still listen to now!”

Esther: “I feel so much older now that I am seventeen. It’s a big difference from being sixteen, or fifteen, or fourteen. I don’t know why. Do you think it’s because seventeen has an extra syllable?”

Esther to me: “Whenever I make my hair look like yours, I get compliments. Whenever I wear your clothes, I get compliments.”

Me thinking: “I’m not completely irrelevant, yet!”

On Love

Andy: “I like it when you talk.”

Me: “What??”…(!)

Andy: “Well, most of the time.”

Kyah: “You are the best Mom.”

Me: “Well, thank you, Kyah, but I don’t think that’s true.”

Kyah: “No one is perfect, but you are the best Mom for me.”

And so we may not be perfect, but we are the best people that God put in our lives for each other.

I know that’s true with your family and friends, too!

Happy New Year!

Oh! And I think professional online writers like me are supposed to encourage you, especially on New Years! And so, as this song sings, “. . . make a list and do not make it brief. Write down every single wish and every little thing that you want” (Seriously2?) – Well, good luck with that!

As for me, today I plan on doing a little more skate skiing, enjoying my favorite soup with friends and family, and trying out some of the new board games we received at Christmas.

(And as you write your exhaustive to-do list for the year, remember to keep one ear open to Holy Spirit. You’ll have more luck pursuing the activities God is ushering you into in your next season.) However, to be safe and ensure we are actively setting goals to be like everyone else, we will soon discuss setting not S.M.A.R.T. goals, but S.T.U.P.I.D. goals, to help you even more!

Stay tuned!

You’re welcome!

Good luck!

Thanks for liking me! I like you too! – Proven HERE, HERE, and HERE! Let’s journey together!

Photo Credit – Happy New Year! by Debra Manny Mosley on Unsplash and It’s Us!

1 DISCLAIMER: My family stays mad at me for longer each time I post embarrassing things about them on the internet lately (It’s not like ALL of the five billion people on the internet read every word!). However, to keep them happy, I deleted the photo of my entire family that accompanied this article. They didn’t want the family photo posted SIMPLY because some of them were wearing dress-up clothes, pajamas, or something (I couldn’t keep track of ALL their complaints). Anyway, good thing you like me!

2 My wants (synonymous with needs, in my case) are a giant bucket without a bottom that would completely consume me as well if I focused too much on them! But whatever works for you!