Gary Mintchell

Author Archive

Practice Kindness

December 30, 2020

Few of us are perfectly kind to others, to animals (pets), to even ourselves.

I imagine we put kindness to the test for the past 10 months living in close proximity to part of family and away from other parts. Living more online than ever before, we discover that it is easier to be unkind online than in person.

One of the terminology things I like about Yoga is the word Practice. Each time we come to the mat, we are practicing our poses. A little improvement each time.

Looking at the past year, how often did we practice kindness. Looking ahead to the new year, perhaps we see where we could use more practice.

I watched on YouTube a violin master class led by a virtuoso violinist. He conducted a youth orchestra. A young man, most likely late teens, played a concerto. As the maestro led the violinist through different parts following the performance teaching phrasing and sensitivity, he mentioned, “You have probably practiced this about a thousand times and played it a hundred times with your teacher before performing here.”

We admire the performance and don’t consider the work that goes into it.

Just so with kindness. We must practice a thousand times to get close to being right. And even then, we still have more to learn. Remember, the proper phrase is not “practice makes perfect”, but “perfect practice makes perfect.”

Practice kindness.

Posted in Learning, Living | Leave a Comment »

The Wise Person Seeks Renewal

December 29, 2020

Ancient writers used the metaphor of returning to the root. Return to the source of spiritual nourishment.

Continuous renewal leads to clarity.

Clarity of thought. Clarity of purpose. Clarity of relationships.

Daily we return to the mediation chair or pillow to seek the renewal of the spirit. The rhythm of the daily seeking the spirit measures our spiritual life.

We are approaching the New Year of the Western calendar. The pause in activities for many during this period between Christmas and New Year’s Day is a perfect time to seek a longer range of renewal. Setting our minds on changing a habit that will lead us to clarity. If you are on the Chinese calendar or another one, just push the timing to match.

Pause…Focus on the Spirit of God…Seek renewal with intention. Make the new year a better one within what you can control.

Posted in Meditation, Spirituality | Leave a Comment »

Virtuous Leaders Do As They Say

December 28, 2020

She taught home economics, as it was called back in those days, at the high school. Half of her days were devoted to teaching healthy meal planning and preparation. One day at lunch a student observed that her lunch did not seem to be very healthy.

“Do as I say, not as I do,” she replied.

That phrase embedded in my memory. At 15, I knew it was wrong. Her education failed to inform her actions.

For we know that an effective leader at any level of leadership from classroom teacher to president of whatever, does what they say. This is called trustworthy.

We hear too many stories of leaders recently who say one thing and do the opposite. Especially telling are those who pretend to be virtuous. They teach virtue. Their private (soon to boil over into public) actions belie their words.

A virtuous leader worthy of following matches words with deeds.

Posted in Leadership, Trust | Leave a Comment »

Good News For All People

December 25, 2020

“Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people…”

In the midst of whatever is around us, there is still good news available if we look.

Merry Christmas.

Posted in Disciplines | Leave a Comment »

A Vision of Human Spiritual Development

December 24, 2020

“…be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.” —Philippians 2

The Apostle Paul writes to a small group of Jesus-followers in Philippi. We know from Acts 2 that the movement grew exponentially because of the way the early followers lived. Here is a brief glimpse of that life.

He did not instruct them into something new. He reminded them of their coming into fellowship together and with Jesus. His hope is they never forget it…and never stop living it.

Our challenge as we sit here socially distant from others and most likely not in church on Christmas Eve maybe for the first time in our lives, reminds us in these ways of becoming a Jesus-follower even in these circumstances.

The times require even more than ever humility, forsaking selfish ambitions, infusing our selves with humility.

Thus we truly prepare ourselves to celebrate Christmas no matter what our unusual circumstances this year.

Posted in advent, Attitude, Disciplines, Humility | Leave a Comment »

Beyond To Do Lists and Don’t Do This Lists

December 23, 2020

How about a list of virtues? Something to guide us into a better state of being?

Humans seem to love lists of “thou shalt not”. They have compiled these for thousands of years. They are a means of comparison. I can prove that I am better than you by comparing how we did on rule-following

However, humans on a spiritual path also have discovered thousands of years ago the list of virtues. Make these your way of life and you will live a better life and be more successful.

Like water, it benefits all things, but does not contend with them.
It unprotestingly takes the lowest position.
This person adapts to any environment;
Attunes the mind to what is profound;
Is kind when dealing with others;
Is sincere in speech;
Is efficient in work;
Is opportune in actions;
Does not contend with anyone;
And, thus, is above reproach.

Within the stresses of holiday and pandemic, shall we pause, become aware, then remember to practice virtue. At the very least, be kind.

Posted in Attitude, Awareness, Disciplines | Leave a Comment »

Trust

December 22, 2020

I trust people–until (or if) they prove me wrong.

I made a list in my notebook of those who broke promises, owed me 5-figure payments, looked me in the eye while shaking hands and then acting as if no deal was ever agreed to. I looked at the list. All except one were white, Evangelical males. Interesting, if not meaningful.

At this time of year, Advent, we hear the “Christmas story” told many times.

There they were, ordinary people, trying to live a life. Mary, Joseph, Zechariah, Elizabeth, and several others. They were visited by messengers of God. They trusted. We remember them 2,023 years later. They changed the world.

Jesus trusted his Father. He invited people to follow him. Twelve guys accepted. Eleven trusted him. We remember them all.

A guy came along a bit later killing Jesus’s followers. He met Jesus. He trusted. He changed the world.

I’m sure we all have had trusts betrayed. But whom do we trust? Who doesn’t let us down.

I hope that we all are also trustworthy toward those we meet. Trust is a most important quality of character.

Posted in advent, Disciplines | Leave a Comment »

Happy Winter Solstice

December 21, 2020

Of course, happy summer to my friends in Australia, Brazil, South Africa and other locations south of the equator.

One of my Persian friends posted a picture on Facebook about their traditional observance of the longest night of the year. Candles, special foods, reading traditional poetry. Cool. That surely beats grumbling about the dark and cold.

We moved 150 miles (241 km) north last spring. That means the nights are even longer than back home.

But we don’t really know. With the pandemic settled in for the season, we hardly go outside anyway.

Some people don’t like the dark. I wonder at times if we convince ourselves that we must be depressed with the dark because everyone says we should be. Enough people are depressed that psychologists have come up with a name, that means a diagnosis, that means treatment (and a fee).

But we know from recent history that the days will start lengthening. Ancient peoples could tell for sure that they had turned the corner four days later. Therefore the celebrations four days later, the day we call December 25. The celebrations that the Christians co-opted and turned into a feast day, a celebration of a new birth.

Use the darkness to settle in, slow down, read, play games, contemplate the fire in your fake fireplace. Use these few weeks to recharge in order to greet the end of the pandemic with renewed energy. Change your attitude from discouragement to celebration, like my friend, the Persians.

Posted in advent, Attitude | Leave a Comment »

Reputation or Work

December 18, 2020

Have you ever met someone who has a reputation for great work only to come away disillusioned? When you can actually get a sense of the person in the flesh, they come across as full of themselves?

Abba Silvanus, a 4th Century Desert Father, said, “Unhappy is the man who’s reputation is greater than his work.”

Isn’t it refreshing to meet someone whose work you have seen whose humility is such that you walk away thinking you yourself are the valued person?

The Tao teh Ching (number two) says:

When his task is accomplished,
he lets go of it and seeks no reward or recognition.
Because he does not claim credit for himself,
his virtuous influence endures.

Do the work. Therein lies the reward.

Posted in Disciplines | Leave a Comment »

Jesus, So What?

December 17, 2020

I devoted some hours yesterday to thinking about market disruption in the industrial automation and control market. Is there a new technology that will upend the incumbent market leaders much like digital photography (incidentally, invented by Kodak) rendered Kodak almost instantly obsolete?

And I thought, it was really all about what serves the customer and solves its problems.

I intended to write something from the Desert Fathers this morning when my mediation took this idea of serving the customer into the realm of churches, and eventually Jesus himself.

Christians are in the season of Advent, the time of preparing to celebrate Jesus’s birth as a human being. Some people focus on the celebration. In parallel, there is a secular side of Christmas–family dinners (not this year), getting (and maybe giving) presents, wishing people peace and joy, and wishing for snow (depending upon where you live).

I’ve observed churches for almost my entire life. Most of them say they want to attract new people “to Jesus”. And I’ve sat back and watched and asked, “So what?” Why? What happens afterward?

Andy Stanley, founding pastor of Northpoint Ministries in the Atlanta area, invites people to “make better decisions and live a better life”. I like that mission. It sounds much like Jesus who also invited people to make better decisions and live a better life. That is the “so what” that people ask when they commit to joining an organization (or buying automation and control equipment).

I’ve seen too many people say that they’ve “accepted Jesus into my heart” and then noticed that nothing changes about their lives.

If we have not made the changes that comes from really living in the kingdom of God, then we have missed the message. It is not so much what we say about Jesus; it is very much about how we live our new life. That is the “so what” that is too often missed. Maybe our reading for this celebration of Jesus’s coming, we shouldn’t just read the “Christmas story”, but maybe we should go to Matthew 5-7 and read Jesus’s words to us.

Make better decisions; live a better life. Beginning now.

Posted in advent, Attitude, Christianity | Leave a Comment »

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