Tag: Perseverance
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More Feedback | Short Story
Ronald, a would-be writer, receives a scathing rejection letter from a magazine editor. His submission is riddled with bad grammar and there’s little to no narrative arc. It’s barely a story at all. The critic claims that a chimp with a piece of chalk could write better flash fiction. Tears sting the aspiring wordsmith’s eyes,…
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The Unspoken Promise: Navigating the Messy Middle
In 1914, explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton set out to cross Antarctica on foot. However, his ship, Endurance, became trapped and crushed by sea ice as it slowly sank. He and his crew were stranded for nearly two years! At some point, during their ordeal, everyone’s goal had to change. They were no longer explorers but…
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Don’t Waste Your Waiting
It was the late 1980’s and a talented NFL backup quarterback was at an emotional low. He’d been the number one draft pick in 1984, and was promised plenty of playing time, behind Joe Montana, the injured starting quarterback. However, the “Come Back Kid” made a miraculous recovery, and Steve Young was taking few snaps.…
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It’s Not the Nail: A Reflection on Leadership and Sufficient Grace
A presenter at a leadership conference I recently attended spoke about the importance of affirming communication. To illustrate, he showed a viral video of a young woman who’s telling her boyfriend she has a splitting headache. “It hurts so badly I can’t think straight,” she says to her beau, turning toward him on the couch.…
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Snail’s Pace Toward Grace
The TV in the waiting room of my doctor’s office shares advice for good health and well-being. One day, while I was sitting there, a commercial came on for a prescription drug that helps lower A1C levels, to prevent type 2 diabetes. The smiling actress, surrounded by people at a party said, “It’s the little…
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From Struggle to Strength: Finding Faith in Healing
The young man was standing outside a travel stop near the interstate selling handmade wooden crafts. I recognized he was from a local drug and alcohol rehab that often sets up outside the doors. His high and tight hair cut, chiseled physique, and khaki cargo pants tucked into combat boots said he was ex military,…
