The Output Habit

We all get unfavorable feedback on our work. Rarely is anything we do appreciated as much as we think it should be. So what do we do about it? Stay focused on two things: 1.) What do I know? 2.) What can I control?

Loving sacrificially involves being willing to serve others without expecting anything in return from them. But does that mean we are entirely without self-interest when we serve? Jesus said that in order to gain your life you must lose it. So when we give of ourselves for others, should we not expect to receive some kind of blessing in return?

“Justice” seems like a loaded term these days. We live in a world where evil exists and we’re all capable of it. What kind of rules and structures are necessary for us to be free to exercise power to serve while still restricting people from abusing their power?

There’s a lot of talk about “power” these days, usually in a negative context. We can all agree that using power to oppress others is a bad thing. But is that the only way to use power? Is it possible to use power to bless others? What would that look like? What should that look like?

We are all multi-faceted. None of us are defined by just one aspect of our lives. What we do in one area affects all the others. I have found that by learning how to communicate who I am through content, it has helped me to become more integrated as a person so that the different components of my life are able to complement one another instead of interfere with one another.

Creating content that communicates shouldn’t just work one way. The goal is to form relationships. In this episode, I think through how to make it easy for people to connect with me after they interact with my content.

How much time and effort should we put into making ourselves look presentable? Where is the balance between conveying the quality of your service and outright vanity? I know I need to continually check my own heart and keep asking: “How does the effort I’m putting in translate to serving others?”

Many of us remember exactly where we were 20 years ago on this date and the impact the events of 9/11/2001 had on us. Many responded to a call to serve. Even more of us were inspired by the stories of courage and honor that came out of that day. Both those who sacrificed and those who told their stories served us as a nation. We ought to be grateful for all of it and also be grateful for whatever...

You don’t have to be a business owner to benefit from thinking like one. If you work to understand the needs and wants of your employer, you will become more valuable to him or her and increase your potential to advance in your career. Likewise, if you work to understand the needs and wants of your employees, you will attract and retain quality workers at a better rate.

Ultimately, we were made to do stuff. Thinking and gaining knowledge has its place, but it only gets you so far. To really learn and grow as humans, we need to take action, make mistakes, make corrections, and then do it again…and again…and again. It’s practice that makes “perfect,” not theorizing.

We sometimes have a hard time talking about ourselves, especially if we value humility. But if we are going to embrace the unique gifts we each have and use them to serve people, we need to find a way to let others know about them.

In this episode, I continue sharing my thoughts on what it was like to film a commercial. From a creative standpoint, it’s thrilling to see something through. However, sharing what you’ve made with others is the real test of resolve and character.

Have you ever had an idea to do something but didn’t follow through because you were afraid that it might fail or afraid of what others might think? In this episode of the Output Habit podcast, I wrestle with these fears in real time.

“Don’t be such a show off!” Have you ever heard that one before? We know pride goes before a fall, but is it ever OK to show off your abilities? Is it possible that “showing off” is sometimes a helpful thing to do?

You never know how people are going to take it when you try to serve them. They might not appreciate it. They might not understand what you’re doing. They might question your motives. So what do you do? Do you withhold your service from others out of fear? Or do you go ahead and do it anyway?

Do our hobbies serve others in any way? Should they? If everything is supposed to be about service, how should we think about the time we spend on our hobbies?

The ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes is a valuable skill. It will change the way you see the world and interact with other people.

All of life is played by the same rules: love your neighbor as yourself, put others before yourself, humble yourself to be great, etc. These same rules hold true whether you are parenting, serving customers, or sharing your faith.

From family, to business, to ministry, to politics, everything is meant to be about serving others. Output is all about taking what we consume and using it to produce things that will benefit others.

The only way to do anything great is to get started…even if it doesn’t look great at first.