Living Wide and Deep

Often the most difficult decisions aren't between what's good and bad but between what's good, better, and best. What can be "best" in one season or situation might become "good" or "better" in another. Unfortunately, decisions seldom (never?) come labeled as "Good, Better, and Best." Instead, we rely on God's direction which can take many different forms. Today's episode will be the last for awhi...

Carbon is like purpose. The chemical backbone of all known life, carbon is the fourth most abundant element in the universe and the second most abundant in your body. It forms more compounds than all other elements combined. Carbon creates diamonds -- and pencils. Both have worth, but not equal value. Our purposes are similar. In the "You're in the People Business," series, I've used the six essen...

Nike's swoosh and Apple's logo are worth billions not because of their design, but because those companies intentionally created, promoted, and protected them. You have a brand too — as an individual, a family, a team, an organization. The question is whether you're being intentional about it. In Part 5 of the "You're in the People Business" series, I explore how individualism weakens identity and...

Hydrogen is the lightest, most abundant element in the universe — and the force behind nuclear fusion in the sun. In Part 4 of the "You're in the People Business" series, I explore hydrogen's relational equivalent: curiosity. First come the questions we ask ourselves. We only develop self-awareness to the degree we ask ourselves honest, deep questions — and answer them at the base level. Stopping...

Phosphorus is one of the most reactive elements in existence — so unstable that it's never found alone in nature. When bonded with the right elements, phosphorous gives us strength and energy. Expectations in relationships work the same way. We've long been told that poor communication is the number one reason relationships fail. I challenge that assumption. The real culprit? Misalignment of expec...

Let me know how today’s episode helps you! Today I focus on something smelly, sometimes even stinky. But success in every relationship requires this. Yep, every one. Between parents and kids, colleagues, businesses and customers, friends, and well, the list is as extensive as the types of human relationships. It’s like sulfur. Not exactly tasty or pleasant but incredibly healing and critical for l...

Whether you're a plumber, parent, or CEO, you're in the people business. This means you've got to know what keeps a relationship breathing. In Part 1 of the, "You're in the People Business," series, I explain what makes every relationship breathe. Whether it's managers and direct reports, businesses and customers, parents and children, spouses, friends, or family members, this trait is mandatory f...

Happy 200th episode! In celebration -- and consideration of the path forward -- I share the four questions only courageous people ask. Some people ask themselves one or two, but those who dig into all four are most likely to grow ordinary into extraordinary. What do I want? Often easy to ask unless life has knocked you down with enough disappointments that the willingness to dream seems like a pat...

What builds an extraordinary life? Today we'll look at four more practices in the "Stop the Splatter" series which are building blocks of "extraordinary." The "big" events and actions reveal extraordinary faith, character, and abilities, but they don't build these. Rather, extraordinary is built by faithfully completing the "ordinary." I address four specific practices: Writing -- to remember God'...

Holy Week in the Christian faith is a microcosm of life. One day everything is filled with sunshine and joy. Then things get a little “weird.” Then everything falls apart. We can draw strength knowing God is still always with us. When life is filled with joy, we don’t need to live in fear wondering when the “other shoe is going to drop.” These times are also ordained by God. When things get weird,...

The "ordinary" wrecks more lives than the "extraordinary." The "ordinary" builds more lives than the "extraordinary." Seldom does a big, transformative conversation, event, or opportunity come out of nowhere. Usually there is a trail of ordinary actions repeated through ordinary days that lead to success -- whether in relationships, health, or careers. Conversely, ordinary actions which aren't tak...

Nobody wakes up one day and says, "Today's the day I begin the journey to ruining my career, marriage, reputation, finances, kids, friendships, ___." Instead, small steps always precede big splatters. Always. Whether it's allowing small grudges to fester, inviting inappropriate flirtations, or justifying "losing it," small wrong steps eventually lead to terrible outcomes. The great news is small s...

Using the 1944 film Gaslight as a launching point, we explore the difference between interrogating a story and talking yourself out of one. Sorting this out often requires outside help, however, don’t confuse someone stockpiling evidence to support a conclusion they’ve already reached with someone gathering data to reach a conclusion. The first is confirmation bias in action. The second is what ge...

This episode tackles one of the trickiest territories in the story series: the stories we tell ourselves about other people’s motives. When someone doesn’t respond to a text on our schedule, doesn’t mention a couples’ event, or shows up with flowers after an argument, a story begins. This week we learn how to interrogate those stories — and what to do once we have. We unpack a familiar scenario in...

What you tell yourself about your spouse, children, family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors will make or break your relationships. These stories carry the most emotional weight and, often, have the most at stake. One of the most important reminders in this episode is intensity of emotion is not an accurate measurement of how true or false a story is. We tend to be far more emotionally invested...

Where does racism, sexism, and classism begin? With a story. The habits we build at the micro-story level directly shape how we think at the macro level. Macro stories tend to come in two varieties: Up close and personal — Stories about people and groups we interact with directly. Far away and impersonal — Stories about people and groups we’ve never met. Paradoxically, we can be more emotionally a...

We can cling to our stories like we keep clothes in the closet we haven't worn in six years. Why? In Part 2 of the "It's All In Your Head" series, we move beyond the labels of “positive” and “negative” and introduce a more useful framework: true, untrue, and unknown. Paying attention to our stories is work. But like exercise, it gets easier with consistency. Once you experience the benefits, you’l...

Every day we tell ourselves hundreds — maybe thousands — of stories. Some are fleeting micro-stories that last only seconds; others stretch into full narratives. This episode explores why those stories matter so deeply: because they quietly shape our beliefs, drive our actions, define our character, and ultimately determine the impact we have on the world around us. This Week’s Challenge Begin pay...

Stars have been guiding people for generations, from the wise men who followed it to the birth of Christ to mariners searching for land. Yet without the fixed north star, Polaris, navigation by stars wouldn't be possible. In the final installment of the Core Compass of Truth series, we look at the "North Star" which serves as the guide for all people today--Scripture. While the other points on the...

Discover a powerful, life-long lesson I learned one Christmas that began with a poem about a pig. Visit Stephanie Presents for resources, to book speaking engagements, and get the weekly newsletter, Hi(Impact) ! Click here to order your copy of The Great Brain Remodel of Adolescence or purchase from Amazon #spiritually strong #emotionally healthy #relationally smart #christmas

People. They can be hard to live with. They’re impossible to live without. God has created us to need people for many reasons, one of which is they can help guide us towards truth. Sometimes it’s the truth we need to see about ourselves. Sometimes it’s the truth someone else needs to see. Always it’s to know the truth about who God is and how we are made in His image. In this replay of Part 3 of t...

Have you ever played peek-a-boo with a child who thought if they covered up their eyes that you couldn’t see them? Sometimes that’s how we are with God and all He created. If we just close our eyes to the evidence of His existence, power, and goodness all around us, He won’t see us. But God is evident in Creation. In Part 2 of the Core Compass of Truth replay, discover how the physical world and u...

What GPS system does your life depend on? I don't mean the kind in your vehicle but the one in your heart signaling what's right/wrong, smart/dumb, and good/bad. Gratefully, God has given us a core compass of truth that has four parts just like the four cardinal directions of north, south, east, and west. Common sense is one point that helps to keep us on track. Listen and discover how common sens...

Gratitude. A virtue we love and sometimes wonder how to make tangible. Don't let gratitude get buried in the closet of good intentions -- in your life or in your family. Instead, choose a culture of great impact by adopting one or more of the buffet of practices you can choose from. Toss out "fake it until you make it" thinking. That mindset has a short shelf life. Rather, find creative ways that...

Ready or not, change comes! How do you keep from drowning when life hits you unexpectedly with great loss? How do you keep from spinning out of control when something positive comes your way? I unpack five A's to keep you on course, whether you're adjusting to painful or positive circumstances that caught you by surprise. You'll see how to: Act, not react. Accelerate goals, modify them, or let the...