S#!T Donald Miller Says

Posted on February 15, 2012 by Dennis Gable

It is the evening of Valentines day, which also happens to be my dad’s birthday. I have been [successfully] fighting off some frustration and temptation for the last couple hours by re-designing my Twitter background, and multitasking on my oversized ‘to-do’ list.
But…
I almost gave up for the night.

You know the feeling; that overwhelming experience of loneliness, pain, lethargy, or any combination of the three. As if they had all three decided to jump me, I was successfully getting my ass kicked by the reality of being single alongside my desire to be a good husband and father, the memory of my father’s death, and a momentary desire to not fight for all the Lord has put in front of me.

While uploading the new Twitter background, I was surfing the waves of tweets over the last couple of hours, and as if God Himself decided to speak through Donald Miller [again] I read this, “Loneliness isn’t a destination. It’s just a place you pass through. Hoping a lot of folks keep moving tonight.”

Because temptation and frustration can be static at times, like a snowy TV [if you can remember the 90's] that has no reception, I was still fighting to be distracted amidst my multitasking. As I read …Hoping a lot of folks keep moving tonight, I thought, “fuck yeah, Don! Tonight is to fight, not retreat”

And so it is…

With a playlist on shuffle, and the obnoxious sound of cars spinning their tires trying to make it through the snowy parking lot of my apartment complex, I am asking the Lord to heal me. This is where the fight comes in; half of healing is white-knuckling it through the action[s] that have left you scarred in the first place. Loneliness, is one of my least favorite feelings, because it is the one I am the worst at managing.

If you don’t already know these things about me, then enjoy some insight…
I am a huge fan of attention, I’ll blame this one on only child syndrome.
Generally, I don’t have to spend much time alone if I don’t want to.
There is a reality of pain and loss that I refuse to separate myself from.

The three facts listed above often lead me into situations where I end up walking away bruised, or scarred. However, there is more to me, a self-worth I protect, proclaim and possess through every situation, but this one. Rather than giving in, I am in pursuit of healing from my attention addiction, which makes days like today difficult, and make me all the more thankful for S#!t Donald Miller says…

If you aren’t very familiar with Donald Miller, I suggest you start here.

Claim it. Be it. Explain it.

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Dennis Gable

This morning I updated my status w/ this statement: “If you’re going to claim it, be willing to be it. If you’re going to be it, be ready to explain why.”

It got more attention than I was anticipating, but I guess that’s the great part about words; they always have the ability to inspire!

Allow these words to inspire you however they may, but for the sake of conversation, here is what inspired me to write them…

This morning, I woke up with a wandering mind, which isn’t necessarily uncommon, but this morning it was revolving around some specifics.

Identities.

Whether they be sub-cultural, relational, spiritual, political, or professional, I often see a lack of conviction to the things that we claim. This observation has led me to think that people are far less of what they actually say they are; for whatever reason this is a lack of being. And unfortunately, when there is a lack of ownership behind the words spoken about ourselves, there is also a lack of explanation behind them.

This is a call to introspection and self-evaluation!

If you’re going to claim it, be willing to be it. If you’re going to be it, be ready to explain why.

•DG•

about.me/dennisgable

There is always crossover.

Posted on January 21, 2012 by Dennis Gable

Jeff Goins is a new friend of mine.

And he is brilliant!

Jeff is a writer who writes about life, by writing about being a better writer, a ballsy writer, and a writer willing to take the risk. Through our short, but intentional friendship I have learned a lot about myself, by talking about writing. He recently released two e-books that will likely change your entire life, if you read them.

He has been kind enough to let me share a coupon-code with all of you… Whether you are a writer, or an artist, or a barista, please take advantage of this, you will not regret it!

Check out his most recent post that has a link to these wonderful e-books HERE.

When you get there… use ‘stopstalling’ as your coupon code.

Stop Stalling.
Take a Risk.
Initiate.
Follow Through.

Was it Really Desire?

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Dennis Gable

If you step back and think of the hundreds if not thousands of things that you have internally thought, or verbally expressed as a desire, you might feel that heavy weight of failure…

Stop right there!

Your lack of discipline isn’t the reason you didn’t follow through with those “desires”, and it wasn’t your lack of drive either. You didn’t follow through because you didn’t actually desire those things.

They just sounded like a good idea.

And in the defense of the good ideas in your brain, they are likely beneficial things for your life. Now, in your defense, not all good ideas are the right idea; even the best idea at the wrong time in life can be disastrous.

Rather than going back and dissecting the last two, eight, even fourteen years of your life, just make it easy and accept that you’ve failed more than you’ve succeeded. Then move forward!

First determine what your true desires are during this season of life. It might be a desire and need to [re]organize your finances. Maybe the holidays put a few extra pounds around your waist and you want to get that beach body ready for June. Or, what if that idea for a bakery, a blog about your view of human interaction, or your plan to feed and clothe the homeless in your city is ripping you apart from the inside, like a tornado showing no mercy on a trailer park?

Fear can no longer be your excuse, because it’s not that you’re afraid; your level of desire just hasn’t reached desperation. When you arrive at this stomach turning feeling of desperate desire, then you must ignite discipline.

Desire and discipline must run hand in hand, if both are present. Allow discipline to guide your desire, while your desire fuels the discipline necessary to accomplish the task.

Dig deep.
Start fresh.
Create a routine.
Build a support structure.
And please…
DO NOT TURN BACK.