Disruptive Praise

Disruption & Praise

When I go before God and pray I seek comfort or am expressing my gratitude for his faithfulness and the grace he gives me daily. Worship delivers a message. It heals and removes the barriers between me and God. He gets his time and I get mine. There are times though when our praise to God should move beyond the norm. In fact, our praise to God should never be so comfortable that movement does not take place. Yes, I’m always feeling moved, but…

Disruptive praise shakes you the worshipper. It shakes the people around you. It moves the belly, gut, the pit of your stomach, and it hurts. It hurts because something is happening. Something is moving deep within the soul, and tears may fall, voices rise, and disruption happens.

We all have things to confess daily before God and he wants to hear it. He wants to relieve us of our burdens of guilt and shame, anger and fears, hurts and momentary despair, but when its locked deep inside it must come out. Before rejoicing a battle happens. Who goes to war celebrating without fighting and slaying the enemy? So yes, let your praises disrupt you and then celebrate your victory!

Disruptive praise, shakes the people around you. They are disturbed by the sound, the words, the emotion and the fire of ‘big’ praise. Looking on, disruptive praise must touch the hearts of those within earshot. It must leave an endless list of questioning and unease for those who do not understand. When something does not disrupt or disturb it’s easy to forget. Our God does not ever want us to forget him. We must never be so complicit and complacent in our lives that we step into ritualistic praise.

In this time of deep remembrance, Jesus disrupted the world, and our praises and worship should be the same.

Disruptive praise heals and restores. Disruptive praise reminds us that loving God is an action which can be uncomfortable, but...we should never be soo comfortable we forget others, ourselves and God when we pray.

Thank you for reading, commenting and sharing, this is how conversations are created, discussions happen and relationships are built. Keep safe, blessed and encouraged.

About me:

Corporate business veteran with diverse industry experience - Safety/ HVAC/ FMCG/ Industrial Equipment. Sales, Marketing, Business Development, Coaching are combined to deliver over 30 years experience. Entrepreneur & Blogger (Dwordslayer) now defining the next best opportunity outcome that challenges mediocrity!

Find me on: Twitter https://twitter.com/DLE41 or email: dwordslayer@gmail.com

Credits:Image — pixabay.com

My sweetest struggle – life

No one prepares us for life. From our development in the womb of a woman, whom we will be birthed from, nothing prepares us for life. Moving from the comfort or discomfort of a small space within a human body we are formed. In love or otherwise our destiny and lives begin with the one we call mother. She is our provider, and nurturer.

Life is good. Even when its bad its good. The ability to feel and love is good. To breathe is good. To feel means we are alive. I did not always appreciate this.

There have been bad times. Tough times are real and come in varying degrees. There have been times when fear would lead to despair and anxiety. However, from the beginning of my life I had my eldest sister. I always had my family of sisters and my mother.

Every family has challenges. Some challenges are visible, and others are hidden. Eventually, perceptions are formed based on external influences, judgements are made and as a child you create your normal space. Just like in the womb, you fit within a circle until you are grown and need to move from that place you know to the unknown.

My life, my rules

We all set our codes of conduct for our lives. It comes from habits, culture, education, knowledge, beliefs, the law and societal limits but mainly from our strategy of how to live daily. Goals are influencers.

We make choices for survival, seeking our definition of success. Sometimes life can seem to move so fast it’s hard to catch up with the dreams we made yesterday. Still, we press forward, and hope if we glance behind there are accomplishments and assets for our time on this earth.

I like the stability of rules. It is almost an obsession, which a friend called my standards. They are like an immovable object, needing to be pushed or proved for change to take place. These are core to my existence, and when I break with them, there are consequences.

My life has been a sweet struggle. It has been one where I climbed to the peak and summit of goals, only to realise, there is another mountain to climb. Does this sound familiar?

When the things I feel are important are damaged or lost, I don’t feel pain. There may be temporary discomfort inconvenience. When I am ill or under the weather, the hurt, pain and discomfort I can learn to manage, and eventually will overcome and be restored. When I lose friends and people I value closely, the grief and pain feel long, but eventually acceptance steps in and I can appreciate the time with them and the impact of their presence in my space. These are some of the sweetest struggles in life.

Now, I have met another life struggle. It does not in any way feel or seem sweet. It is bitter, and cuts deep. It breaks my heart and tests my ability for clarity, but I am finding even in this life struggle, life is what makes the difference. The unknown we cannot control. Every ounce of everything I know about living and value meets at this point. My eldest sister is missing- we cannot find her. This is real.

Everything else still moves, life goes on, but when the stuff that we have no control over happens, life’s struggles are magnified. Our faith and hope in all we cannot see are necessary, as we do what we must to pass though this struggle successfully, and make it sweet once more.

*Needed to share this, today. Just for a moment, my thoughts must be collected as they reflect on the past, and find the fuel to move forward with today's reality.

Thank you for reading, commenting and sharing, this is how conversations are created, discussions happen and relationships are built. Keep safe, blessed and encouraged.

About me:

Find me on: Twitter https://twitter.com/DLE41 or email: dwordslayer@gmail.com

Credits:Image — pixabay.com

You were made to be the best version of yourself!

When challenges abound be grateful for their existence. The presence of adversity, can move us into opportunity or despair. Choose wisely how you wish to proceed. The next step always presents learnings which can be overlooked because of the smokescreen which appears before understanding and then clear vision.

I sometimes wonder about the never-ending life changes, and their disruptive influence over my life.

There was always resistance to the newness and sometimes resentment. When I looked at what appeared to be a smooth sailing life for others, my burdens and load seemed heavier than they were. As I compared my life and found it lacking, feelings of wariness and uncertainty would creep in. Then doubt, and the self-seeking for all the ‘wrong things’ and decisions. However, when I shifted my mindset, and started seeing the fullness of my life and the overflowing contents of ‘my glass’, everything changed. Suddenly, the smoke cleared, and I could see.

As I embraced and welcomed changes and disruptions in my life, the weight on my shoulders lifted. When I stopped looking at the lives of others I saw the treasures within my own existence. Then my confidence, and purpose, vision and perspective took over, and ‘my glass’ had moved beyond its capacity and required a jug to keep the contents in. Now looking for the barrel, and one day I know I will need a tank. God moves me. He makes me better, when my focus is on him, because I can see the bigness of my awesome life reflected ‘back’ at me!

Face today differently. Change the image and the way you do you. You were made to be the best version of yourself, when you dare to step out and fulfil who you are!

Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts!

A short brief about me: I’m a corporate business veteran, with practical experience in a diverse range of industries — Safety/ HVAC / FMCG /Industrial Equipment /and much more . Sales ,Marketing, Business Development & Coaching are combined to deliver over 30 years experience. As an entrepreneur and blogger (Dwordslayer) I’m right now living an adventure, and looking forward to the next opportunity to challenge mediocrity.

Find me on: Twitter https://twitter.com/DLE41 or email: dwordslayer@gmail.com

Credits:Image — pixabay.com

Developing a society of bullies: The ugly truth in plain sight

I can vaguely remember a book I read during my secondary level literature class called ‘School’s Out’. I cannot recall the author but I remember the plot was one which involved the most unlikely careless people in the role of teachers. That book shed light on what happens when the education system fails children and the community. At the time I thought it was a funny satirical story about our West Indian education system which was not at all like that. Now, I think I have found an institution and society which resembles that type of attitude and embodies the dysfunction it exposed many years ago.

School may be out for some, at least locally, where a lawless society is created, not from poverty and illiterate criminals, but from intellectuals who lack the discipline and commitment to be better examples. I am not sure this should be committed to paper, but it is troubling when faced with a facade which is a disgrace to an education system.

The bully

Bullies are breed. They are given teeth when their power is allowed to grow. They feed on the fear of others and are not afraid to intimidate or coerce or use veiled or direct threats. In many primary schools there is a growing epidemic of bullies who can cause disruption, and are labelled as troubled, in need of additional attention and forgiveness. They can beat up, and torture other children, because the education system says they need to be given an education and should not be discriminated against. The innocent victims are advised to accept their persecution as ‘rough play’ and learn ‘how to mix’ with different types of children.

These bullies or ‘special children’ then move into the secondary school system and continue to use force to fight and have their own way. They can get away with disrespect in many instances because their behaviour is enforced by ‘bully parents’. These parents are proud when their children show their strength, and they are always ‘ a good child’. Discipline is lacking and we must learn to tolerate their behaviour as a condition of ‘a problem background’. They will change eventually, is the hope given to those who must accept their purpose and test of life.

Then, the bullies graduate and get a tertiary education continuing their behaviour which has been developed over time. They know scare tactics work, as well as intimidation. They know how to play the game, when to curse, when to smile kindly, when to badger and when to threaten. They evolve into a bigger version of their small selves, and can even graduate, and may be fortunate to become world leaders, because power can make many things possible.

Education

It is unfortunate that I discovered an institution which should be held in high esteem, being dishonest in its offer, disreputable in its processes, and another avenue for the bully to flourish. As someone advised that all work submitted needs to be original, the response was swift, explaining that Turnitin was never really used by the institution, and merely a threat by the school administration. The voice advised that many assignments were copied, pasted and submitted with full marks forthcoming. My shock was evident as was my disbelief, until that statement was reinforced the next day. Then I was advised it goes further, as some students pay others to write assignments and they submit as their own, graduating with certainty was the objective.

As I listened, my innocence felt ripped from me, and in its place, there is nothing.

Group work a panacea for the bully

The situation arose where a couple folks in a group could not agree on where collaboration to execute a project would take place. Then the leader decided to use the class day as a resolution to the problem. Everyone except one person showed up. The missing link deciding that if it could not be done on their terms at their time then everyone would receive zero for the project. One person crossed over, trying to bully the other team members to redo their work at the will of the missing link. Who do you think will win this battle? The bully of course. The key factor here is everyone must be present

to do the project; thus the lecturer will expect everyone to give in to the one who can wield the power. It has always been this way in the institution. Any other way would mean the groupwork was not completed. Quickly the bully knows their power. The others will compromise and give in to get the valued marks, it is the only way to win.

Developing a lawless society

Lawlessness does not happen overnight. It is an accumulation of a breakdown in a society’s justice and law enforcement system. When the leaders, principals, teachers, parents, and many others are lawless can anything else be expected from society? An audit and review of safety systems are normally done to establish credibility in processes and procedures for compliance. Maybe this should be extended to every aspect of society.

It is with a deep level of certainty, as I look around that my country needs help. It is sinking and rotting at all levels. If it were a bucket, there would be holes everywhere with precious water escaping from many routes. As the people flee through the holes which are getting bigger, some will remain. Hopefully they will not suffer persecution from those holding an unfair advantage. I wonder though, if the little bullies were not allowed to flourish, how different our society would be?

Not everything written can appeal, thus, not every truth should be revealed to those wishing to live in a bubble, which will eventually pop.

Thank you for reading and sharing. Leave a comment, and add to the discussion on bullying and your society.

We all have a say in what we leave behind when we depart this earth — let’s make a dfference.

Credits:Image — pixabay.com

Get The Small Details Then The Big Picture

Conflicting objectives

Today is a new day but in business we carry over the old problems challenges and situations to the next work period. Most times it will be the next day and it probably still looks the same.

When we look at what must be done to complete a task or job we can encounter conflict.

What is conflict or conflicting agendas?

Well conflict in business relates to disagreement or something which brings a negative or alternate reaction to the surface. A good example can be the salesman trying to close a sale and needing support, being advised that the company has made its best offer and anything else will affect his commision rate. The company is holding its minimum margin and the rep grudgingly agrees to give up a part of his percentage. So what is the bigger picture here.

A) the salesman needs the sale to meet his quota to gain commission for the month maybe even an additional incentive to pay his car insurance.
B) the company can't afford to go lower because it will affect their budget, and it may already be behind due to unexpected operations problems.

The bigger picture for both company and employee may appear to be different but they are in fact the bigger areas of concern which need to be met. The potential for conflict is there if not managed properly. Then of course there are 'agendas'.

The hidden agendas

The employee and employer have different agendas which must be met for both to be satisfied. In the case of the employee motives for working harder/ overtime or pursuing tasks which will generate an additional reward or benefit can be the fuel which drives surplus actions. Sometimes the employer will be aware of employees additional needs but many times they don't. The hidden agendas can create conflict in activities which require additional efforts and compromise in achieveing the objectives of employees and employer.

The employer may need to have increased sales to boost revenue in a particular area and to help with cashflow, but the hidden agenda may be a bit of mismanagement which has impacted on the financial standing of the company, threatening its survival. The employer will not wish to disclose a weakness, but the vulnerability of the company can impact on commissions when looking at the entire situation.

Both examples can create conflict, and looking at the big picture on both sides will lead to frustration.

In business looking at the big picture is looking at the impact of a decision on other areas and seeking to make the best decision in the best interest of the company and staff.

Today I'd like to throw a spanner in the big picture wheel and suggest looking closer at the situation and getting creative with solutions. The big picture won't matter if the little things are not done. Get back to the drawing board and revisit the 'whys', always ensuring the 'big picture' is not the elephant in the room no one speaks about.

Resolving conflict at work requires patience, a good listening ear and a willingness to set aside the big picture for a moment while getting the smaller things resolved. Managing the little things can reduce the possibility of a big blow up, and that is the real 'big picture' most times!

Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts!

Credits:Image — pixabay.com

The Greater Good

The following is published on Citizen4life, and is something to think about!

The concept of the greater good is used to justify actions where loss affects a few/ or takes place to allow for a perceived greater benefit.

There have been wars waged based on ‘the greater good’. During war it is believed that a few hundred men will sacrifice /lose their lives for their country to achieve their goal of strength or freedom.

At work there are times when someone ‘takes one for the team’ because there are proposed future benefits for all. Sometimes it can be a salary to avoid layoffs, and at other times a salesman may be asked to allow another to take over a deal based on bigger benefits for the company in a bigger deal. Whatever the reason, it is considered a sacrifice for the benefit of others.

As I think about this ‘rationale’ it seems that it is a double-edged sword which can be for both good or bad depending on the person using the phrase for justification of action or decision. For good or bad that decision ultimately can be a ‘bitter pill to swallow’. I recall a meeting with a sales team when one of the salespeople suggested they team up against a manager to force a change some thought was necessary. The goal was to make the manager look bad so their suggestion would look like a solution. The weaker members were bullied into submission and one person walked away. The argument was everyone needed to stand together for the team and if the majority thought it was a good idea it was a small sacrifice for the greater good to compromise on one’s beliefs/ values.

The expectation of society to be in ‘martyr mode’ for religious, political and social or cultural reasons has been growing, with folks expected to look at ‘the greater good’, taking one for the team, but ultimately ‘throwing someone below the bus’, as a necessary sacrifice.

There have been wars and sacrifices which have resulted freedom, the end of slavery, freedom of human rights to choose what happens with one’s body, how to pray and what religion to observe, who to vote for and ultimately who to be. When one person decides his way is the right way, and is able to build a cult of support the power of numbers can become a societal bully. The right of man is a human right, but according to George Orwell, “all animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others”.

‘Animal Farm’ was published on August 17^th, 1945 and it’s interesting that today it holds true. When it comes to the greater good, on very few occasions has this been a worthy justification. The abuse of others, and their rights can never and should not be considered as something to promote ‘a greater good’.

Just something to think about.

Thank you for reading and sharing your voice!

© Donna-Luisa Eversley and D-WORDSLAYER, 2018. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Donna-Luisa Eversley and D-WORDSLAYER with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

D-WORDSLAYER

Disruptive Praise

My sweetest struggle – life

You were made to be the best version of yourself!

Developing a society of bullies: The ugly truth in plain sight

Get The Small Details Then The Big Picture

Conflicting objectives

The Greater Good

Back as a human 2023

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