Stuff I Learned Yesterday
About Stuff I Learned Yesterday
Stuff I Learned Yesterday is a podcast that aims to encourage, inspire, challenge, motivate, and improve the lives of those who listen to it. Stuff I Learned Yesterday is released each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Each episode ranges from 5-15 minutes long and contain short stories based on real events and lessons learned by the hosts. Friday episodes are called the Friday Forum and are filled with inspirational and motivational thoughts submitted by Stuff I Learned Yesterday listeners. Submit your story for a Friday Forum episode by calling 304-837-2278, visiting our feedback page, or click on the Send a Voice Message button on the left hand side of this page.
637- Do Great Stuff
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I love this podcast. In so many ways, I am the most boring guy in the world. I work from home. I don’t go out of the house much. I wear the same 6 or 7 shirts in the winter and another 6 or 7 shirts in the summer. Most of them are blue and some form of plaid. I like routine, sometimes to a fault. I have a spreadsheet for everything, and my life is pretty much consistent day in, day out. The only thing special about me is that I’ve chosen to take action by doing this podcast. Every single one of us has within us the ability to be world changers. Thank you for letting me be a part of your world. Now let’s all get out there and do great stuff!
636- Transitioning to Willoughby
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How many of us go to work every day to jobs that crush us and eat away at us. How many of us have bosses that yell or toss out insults? Maybe they are driven only by results, never pausing to think or care about the well-being of those in their employ. It can beat us down emotionally, psychologically, and even physically. Success comes in the preparation, and the preparation comes by communicating. Communication brings understanding and understanding brings patience and support. When you’re understanding and supporting what each other needs, that’s where serenity is found.
635- The Truth Exposed
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It’s not fun to be exposed whether it’s related to your receding hairline or your personal sin. Trust me. I know about both of these all too well. We humans do a pretty good job of convincing ourselves that we have our moral act together. We have a sin problem, every single one of us. And God is holy, morally perfect. Jesus teaches that the only way a perfect God and a sinful person can be reconciled is if we choose to humble ourselves before God and throw ourselves upon His mercy. And the way that God offers mercy and forgiveness is through the death of his son Jesus on the cross.
634- Jumping into Popularity
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A wise person once said that fools buy things they don’t want with money they don’t have to impress people they don’t like. This is the adult version of bungee jumping to try and be like your step-brother. Stop basing your decisions on what you hope or perceive to be the opinions of people who don’t even care about you. Base your decisions on those closest to you and put your focus on those people. Sometimes the change in focus will end up leading you to the same spot, but at least you’ll have gotten there for the right reasons and with the right people by your side.
633- Remembering Where You Are
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We’ve seen it depicted in countless ways for all of our lives. Families torn apart by a variety of things, most of which can be summed up by failing to be present. I will always be grateful to Sammy for teaching me this valuable lesson at such a young age: wherever you are, be there. It helped me establish boundaries that have protected my marriage, my family, and my career. Boundaries are incredibly important. When we fail to honor them, other things creep in, take over, steal us away, and leave a wake of destruction in their path.
632- Bishop Family Values
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That Greek phrase “Na einai kalytero anthropo apo ton patera toy” translates to “Be a better man than your father.” Being a better man than our fathers should be the goal of each one of us. Whether our dad set a low bar or a high bar, we owe it to our families to not only be the best we know how to be, but to learn from others so we can be even better than we could otherwise be. My dad heroically ended generations of alcoholism, abuse, and fear. I have tried very hard to be an even better man than my father, and I hope with all that is in me that my son is a better man than me.
631- Reflections of a Doorkeeper
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The Church IS full of hypocrites. That’s the point. The point of church is to help each other grow. To hold each other up, study together, pray together, worship together, and serve together. Warts, flaws, struggles, and everything. For you Christians, let’s be ever mindful of how our behavior affects others. We are called to a higher standard. Let’s do our best to uphold that, yet not act as if we’re perfect. We are called to extend mercy and grace. We are called to be known by love.
630- Shower Thoughts
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Of course, each of us have seen the glow of the city before, but this time it was different. This time it seemed much, much brighter. But the truth is, it had been so long since either of us had ventured outside the lights of the city or the major highways coming into the city, that we’d forgotten just how big the glow is when you remove yourself from it. It’s not just the lights or hustle and bustle of the city that we can become blind to. In today’s world of cell phones, tablets, mobile computing, and internet-enabled automobiles, most of us are always connected to the grid whether we live in the city or not.
629- The Last Best Hope
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I’ve seen countless photos and videos of the Lincoln Memorial, but seeing with my own eyes was magnificent. Many consider Lincoln to be the greatest president of all time, and it’s hard to argue otherwise. The details carved into every part of the memorial left me in awe. I felt like I was standing at the feet of greatness. It’s easy to see why Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would stand at this very spot and deliver his “I Have a Dream” speech 100 years after Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Four score and 7 years is equal to 87 years, and it’s exactly that number of steps from the top of the Lincoln Memorial to the nearby reflecting pool. Today I’ll reflect on those moments I spent standing at the feet of Lincoln.
628- Stop Chasing Cheese
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Rat Race. No, I’m not referring to the 2001 film starring Rowan Atkinson, John Cleese, and Cuba Gooding Jr. I’m referring to that trap many of us fall into. Wikipedia says a rat race is an endless, self-defeating, or pointless pursuit. The phrase equates humans to rats attempting to earn a reward such as cheese, in vain. Don’t get me wrong, this is not entirely bad. After all, our career is how we earn our income and our income is how we provide for our family. Providing for our family is honorable, right? Yes, of course it is. I think we all have a desire to create a better life for those we love that is better than the one we ourselves have experienced.