Category: mental health

Salad and Spreadsheets

On By jeff ludlumIn Attitude, Happy, Insight, lifestyle, mental health, scienceLeave a comment

What did I wake up to yesterday? Salad and spreadsheets on my mind, and thus the day began. And a pork chop, couldn’t forget the pork chop I was to make that evening. My mind was clicking from the moment I woke up. Lots to do, lots to do.

And?

The salad turned out to be tasty. The spreadsheets did what they were supposed to.

All good. And that’s…?

GOOD.

Finally, twelve hours later, the pork chop turned out to be muy delicioso…first time making it too. NICE.

Lesson? Don’t fret if your mind starts racing. Pull it back with a few deep breaths and maybe a list if needed.

And then? Ah yes, that common refrain:

GET AFTER IT.

Simple Suggestions

On By jeff ludlumIn Attitude, family, Happy, Insight, leadership, mental health, parentingLeave a comment

Boiling life down into bite-size bits and basic ideas we can learn and hold on to day-in, day-out? Might just be a superpower secret to living a good and happy life. These are concepts we should not only live by everyday, but pass along to those around us, especially our children, if we have them.

One of my favorite people and friend for more than 30 years lives by simple principles. He’s the father of five kids. He’s a successful business person, self-made.

These simple suggestions can make a big impact, if you remember to follow them, apply them each day.

“Life is easy,” he likes to say to his kids (and others)…

1/ Make a friend.

2/ Stand up for someone who needs it.

3/ Smile.

And then there are three more below from my kids’ elementary school. The ethos of the school might be summarized thus; it lists what should guide the students’ behavior everyday.

They call them “The Three B’s:”

Be Respectful.

Be Responsible.

Be Safe.

What We Do

On By jeff ludlumIn Attitude, family, Happy, Insight, mental health, parentingLeave a comment

What do we do when we’re married? What do we do when we’re parents? What do we do after a long day, a long week?

We take care of business, that’s what we do. We go to the practice, we wash the dishes, we’re sociable, even if maybe we’re not feeling it. Who knows, it might be a good conversation…

It’s how we act, the choices we make when we’re tired, when we’re done, when we’ve had enough, or maybe too much, when the decision’s hard, what do we do?

Sometimes we fail, maybe more often than not. We make the wrong choice, we’re lazy, we give in, we take the easy path, selfish and weak.

But maybe, just maybe, if we really dig in, we can make that tougher choice now and again. We can do the chore, talk the talk, walk the walk right down that ol’ path, the higher road waiting if we give it a chance.

If we make that tough call at the moment of truth, have the courage to face that fear from our youth, that thing we thought gone, but waiting instead, ready to blow up inside of our head…

If we face that fear, if we set in to do what we know we should do, we might just find then, that we can do it again. And again, and again, and again, AMEN.

It May Bear Fruit

On By jeff ludlumIn Attitude, faith, leadership, mental healthLeave a comment

This passage from Luke, chapter 13, resonates.

Don’t give up; try again; there is still hope; take action with care, try a different approach, Good can still result.

Yes. Yes it can.

And he told them this parable:
“There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard,
and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none,
he said to the gardener,
‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree
but have found none.
So cut it down.
Why should it exhaust the soil?’
He said to him in reply,
‘Sir, leave it for this year also,
and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it;
it may bear fruit in the future.
If not you can cut it down.'”

AMEN.

1st Tim, 6: Fight The Good Fight

On By jeff ludlumIn Attitude, examples, faith, lifestyle, mental healthLeave a comment

Reading for Sunday, 09/22/2019

From First Timothy 6: 11-16, in part…

“You must aim to be upright and religious, filled with faith and love, perseverance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith and win the eternal life to which you were called and for which you made your noble profession of faith before many witnesses.”

Like some of the other phrases and inspirations I share here (and otherwise), there is often linkage to songs that goes along.  This excerpt from First Timothy definitely falls into that category.

One of my favorite bands I listened to as an adolescent was the Canadian rock band, Triumph.  Not to be confused with another of my favorite bands, also from Canada, RUSH.    : – )


Triumph inspired me musically and lyrically.  They brought a straight-ahead, definite hard rock sound, guitar-heavy, with this great blend of inspiring lyrics for some songs, and very typical “rock n’ roll” lyrics for other songs.


One of their songs, “Fight the Good Fight”, was a particular gem from one of their earlier albums. At that time, around 1981, I was deep into adolescence and had begun the life-long journey to define my own faith, and find my own way forward in life. Faith was a big factor.


When I linked this rock song to this Bible passage…? For me, it was a magic power (another great Triumph song, by the way).


Fight the good fight every day, live a life worthy of the gift it is. Follow the Golden Rule, through struggle and obstacle, be gentle and kind to everyone that needs it, and love one another. As you love, so you shall be filled with love.


This mantra still rings true all these years later, and powers me forward each and every day.