Tag: Mark Joseph

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Weekly Blog

Do You Ever Feel All Alone?

Have you ever felt like you’re running the race of life alone? You may be surrounded by lots of people every day. Or maybe you’re lucky enough to have several good friends. But still, you feel alone. You feel isolated, unable to turn to anyone who truly understands what you’re experiencing.

Yea, I hear you…because I’ve been there.

Not long ago, I read a study that indicated that 50% of adults complain of loneliness. Can you imagine the numbers for teens and young adults? Some observations. First, with social media, our smart devices, the internet, and other technology, while we’ve never been more connected, we’ve never been more isolated. Statistically speaking, people have fewer friends today than decades ago.

When things get challenging, we often are most isolated, doing it to ourselves. That was true for me. I was surrounded by all kinds of people, but felt all alone. I was an island unto myself, not sharing with anyone what was really going on. I remember after the fact, talking to an old buddy, explaining what occurred during my tragic times. He apologized for not being in touch, to which I responded that it probably wouldn’t have mattered in that I wasn’t really willing to communicate the real truth to anyone.

Sharing our true feelings, our challenges, our “secrets”, takes vulnerability, which leads to trust, the foundations to authentic relationship. You know…we’re not meant to go through life alone. We’re meant for community. We’re meant for relationship. With the exception of my wife, where that vulnerability and trust exist, the only place I’ve been able to find it is in my men’s group, where I get tother with the same 3 guys every week to learn more about our faith and grow in fellowship…sharing real life. I’d encourage you to find or start a small group. For ideas, visit https://steubenvilleconferences.com/discipleship-quads/.

There’s another way I’ve found authentic relationship. Can you guess who or what it is? Can you say JESUS? In John 15:15-16, Jesus tells us “I have called you friends…it was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you”.

Jesus wants to be your friend and is there for you. That may sound strange for some, but it’s true. It’s been true for me for the last 15 years. Fortunately, by God’s grace, I learned some critical things that allowed me to leave the loneliness, now being surrounded by the best people I ever have, including JESUS.

If you’d like to make the same transition in your life, I have a message for you today. It’s never too late to become the person God made you to be.  I invite you to attend this free webinar to see how you can accomplish the same things for your life. It starts here.

 

REGISTER NOW

 

As always, feel free to contact me at [email protected] with comments, questions, concerns, challenges, or prayer requests.

God Bless you on your Path to Peace, Joy, and Fulfillment!!!

Remember: God made you for GREATNESS!!!

Mark Joseph

 

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Weekly Blog

There’s More to Life

How long have you known, in your heart and your gut, that there has to be more to life, that you were meant for bigger things? (BTW, the above applies to just about everyone regardless of whether they’re struggling, wildly successful, or somewhere in between.)

Yea, I hear you…because I’ve been there.

In reading my weekly posts, you know my story. I had some relative success, building a business from me and a part-time secretary to over 100 employees. From the outside, it looked like I was on top of the world. On the inside, I was struggling. My life was running me as opposed to me running my life. The question became, “why”. Why continue doing what I was doing? It wasn’t making me truly happy. Can you relate?

There’s an expression that may ring true to you, that is “you can never have too much of what you don’t need”. Regardless of what I had achieved, it wasn’t enough. And I’m not just talking about the material things. It was doing things too. I refer to them as the 4 Ps…prominence, possessions, pleasure, and people. I was at a place where nothing was going to fill that God sized hole in the center of my chest.

As the story of my life continues, during a particularly challenging time, absolute tragedy struck, which forced me to my knees. Emerging from that experience, I learned several lessons, not the least of which is that in understanding the unconditional love of Jesus Christ, the unimaginable is achievable.

The statement immediately above may be difficult to comprehend, or even believe. I’m here to tell you it’s true. I found that there’s a different, better way to live….a life of GREATNESS. Having found it for me, I want it for you too. In understanding my God given gifts and identifying my purpose, I’ve learned to live the life God designed for me, the only way of life that was ever going to provide me with peace, joy, and fulfillment.

It’s time to go big, to be all that God has called you to be. I invite you to attend this free webinar to see how you can accomplish the same things for your life. It starts here.

 

REGISTER NOW

 

As always, feel free to contact me at [email protected] with comments, questions, concerns, challenges, or prayer requests.

God Bless you on your Path to Peace, Joy, and Fulfillment!!!

Remember: God made you for GREATNESS!!!

 

Mark Joseph

Categories
Weekly Blog

Why is Prayer So Difficult for So Many?

Why do so few people truly pray? Why do we pray in bad times, but not the good times? Why do people struggle in establishing a prayer routine? 

Growing up Catholic, I’ve gone to Mass every Sunday for as long as I can remember. Now approaching the age of 60, I’ve been on a serious faith journey for 15 years. With strong intent, I’ve struggled with prayer. We all struggle with prayer. But why? I think there are 3 primary reasons:

  1. We live incredibly busy lives; we just don’t fit it in
  2. It’s challenging to do, especially in quieting our minds and being still 
  3. We’re not convinced it works (or does anything for us), so we don’t give priority to it

I heard long ago that if you want to know what’s important to people, look at how they spend their time and money. It’s interesting to me the discipline I show in other areas of my life. As an example, I’m an exercise enthusiast. I never miss a workout, doing so 6 days a week (I take Fridays off by design). 

My wife and I eat a very healthy, disciplined diet. Did I say very? Believe me, it’s “very”. I’m in disbelief as to the number of foods I have a sensitivity to and can’t eat. It takes incredible discipline on both our parts. We do it because it’s important to us. 

I’ve always been very disciplined when it come to my work life. I literally think I was knee-high when I first heard my Dad say, “plan your work and work your plan”. I’ve been heeding that advice ever since. I’ve always had a plan, organizationally and individually. I’ve historically worked with others in accomplishing the institution’s plans, in addition to their own, plus mine on a weekly and daily basis. Requiring discipline, there’s also a sense of accomplishment. 

Here’s the good news. Although I don’t have it completely figured out (my sense is that very few truly do), I’ve made significant progress over the last year. I consider it one of my few gifts of COVID. So, let’s address each of the 3 impediments I identify above. 

First, our busy lives. The pace that most live is ridiculous. It’s exhausting. And for what? What are we doing? What are we really accomplishing? I like to say, “my life used to be all about the pace; now it’s about the peace”. In slowing down, in learning to say “no” (which can only come from having a stronger “yes”), life is more enjoyable. You might not see how you can do that right now, but please start thinking about it…pray about it (no pun intended).

Second, it’s difficult to quiet our minds. It sure is. Part of the reason is because we’re so busy. Another reason is that one of Satan’s primary strategies is distraction. Yet another reason is that it takes discipline, not unlike diet, exercise, and work. And just like those things, for us to get good, it takes practice. 

Lastly, and I think the major reason so many are challenged to spend time in prayer is that they aren’t convinced that it works. I’m here to tell you (charitably), you’re wrong. It does work. In last week’s blog, I laid out a prayer process that works incredibly well. As part of my upcoming course, we talk about prayer and its merits. We even have a “bonus” giveaway on prayer. Pst, don’t tell anyone but if you email now, I’ll send it to you now. 

Regarding the three impediments I list above, prayer helps us to overcome each. Spending time in prayer will help slow your mind. You’ll find peace in the quiet. It will uncover for you where your priorities should be, what your greater “yes” is and what you need to say “no” to. Lastly, as referenced in last week’s blog, it will help you in making the right decisions. It works. It really does.  

Resource: Matthew Kelly, one of my favorite authors and speakers, does a great job on prayer. It’s the subject of his “Best Lent Ever” program, which you can access at https://www.dynamiccatholic.com/lent/best-lent-ever.html. 

As always, please contact me at [email protected] with comments, questions, concerns, challenges, or prayer requests. 

God Bless you on your Path to Peace, Joy, and Fulfillment!!!

Remember…God made you for GREATNESS!!!

 

Categories
Weekly Blog

Why Do You Second Guess Yourself? 

Why are you unsure of some of your decision? You second guess yourself. You sometimes even beat yourself up over a decision. Why? What’s up with that? 

There are two reasons why the above occurs. One is from our past. While that may imply that there’s nothing to do about it, that’s not the case. The other we can have control over as soon as today. 

The first, first. Not sure if you’re aware of it, but you most probably experienced conditional love when growing up. If you’re like most, you grew to believe that you have to earn the love of others. I like to say, “the more or better you perform, the more love you perceive that you receive”. Make sense? Can you think of an example in your life?

Although I know it occurred throughout my youth and adolescent years, it was really punctuated my senior year of high school, when I played football for our championship team. I can’t imagine how players feel on the collegian or pro level, given my experience as a 17-yearold. My fellow players and me were made to feel like gods…being celebrated on and off the field, individually and collectively. That senior year, I really internalized this…the more praise I got, the more I felt loved. Think about it in your own life. It’s:

  • Not done intentionally
  • Not done with malice
  • Just what happens

My brothers and I couldn’t have had a better upbringing. Yet I walked away from my youth believing for me to be loved and accepted, I needed to perform, to win.

The reality is that we all want to be loved…we want to be accepted. That being the case, as indicated above, we act in ways such that people will affirm us. That includes our decisions. If we don’t receive that affirmation, we second guess ourselves. We may even beat ourselves up. Unfortunately, there’s not the space here to understand how to overcome this. As such, we’d suggest you watch the free webinar we’ll be doing next month. There you’ll get the answer. Promise. More info to follow. 

The second reason why we second guess ourselves is in how we arrive at decisions. I’d suggest that taking such things to prayer changes everything. What? How? Here you go. Try this. It works. 

  • Identify to God whatever is on your heart that day…whatever the issue you’re dealing with or decision you need to make. It could be a current or long-term challenge. It’s your choice. God is interested in whatever you bring to Him. 
  • Detail the situation to God. What is the challenge or opportunity? What are your ideas to address or resolve it? What do you see as the pros and cons to your ideas? Talk through every aspect of the situation with God. 
  • Then just sit in silence, listening for the voice of God to speak to your heart. Be patient. Wait on Him. See what comes to you.
  • Journal as much of the above as you would like, especially how you believe God is speaking to you. 

You want to be sure of your decisions? Take your issues to prayer. Talk to our Lord about them. 

As always, please contact me at [email protected] with comments, questions, concerns, challenges, or prayer requests. 

God Bless you on your Path to Peace, Joy, and Fulfillment!!!

Remember…God made you for GREATNESS!!!