Blog

This article has a simple—but transformational—message: Take the next right steps. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” (Lao Tzu) If circumstances, or your bad choices, are keeping you from living the life you want, take the next right steps. Do something. Do anything, but get into

What did Abraham Maslow—an atheist—and the Bible have in common? Both support that life is a journey of actualization as people strive to reach their highest potential. Maslow urged people to pursue their needs and be intentional about this growth process. If you plan on being anything less than you

The last STEPS blog article on “The Journey” was a parable of a man’s hike along the Appalachian Trail. This one outlines the underlying themes of that story—the meaning of the journey.   As a child, we move toward whatever fascinates us, naturally living in the moment. As we grow up, circumstances

Brian had been on many hikes before, but nothing like this one. His early walks in the woods were adventurous, each bend in the trail revealing a new animal, a creek, or a brightly-colored leaf floating to earth. He didn’t always know where he was going, and that scared him

I still remember the night times. In the darkness of early morning, I would wake to a feeling of dread. The next few hours would be clouded by fear and shame, with questions tossing in my head: “Why is this happening? What is going to happen to us? How can

We all yearn for something more than what we have. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. During my early adult life, I was searching for something, and I didn’t even know what it was that I was looking for. On the outside, life was going great: I was doing

There is a new normal for what life is like for many people today, and it is important for you to understand. Because then you can do something about it. Research from the American Psychological Association, Gallup, and other sources shows that: 8 in 10 Americans are stressed at times, and

Do you want to make your life better? More specifically, do you want to make life better enough to take steps to get there? Seriously, that is not a rhetorical question. It is potentially a life-changing question depending on whether you pause to think about if for a few moments or

Listen to the 3-minute podcast version Watch a 1-minute introductory video You can improve your life. That declaration is not meant to play to emotional and short-lived sentiments about self-help, resolutions, or will power. It is intended as a statement of fact. You can improve your life. Millions of people

Listen to the 7-minute podcast version Watch a 1-minute introductory video It sounds like a basic strategy question: “What business are you in?” Yet, when asked about their company, many leaders hesitate or offer conflicting answers.    Peter Drucker, described as “the founder of modern management,” was famous for helping

Listen to the 4-minute podcast version Watch a 1-minute introductory video  _________________________________________________________________ Nick Saban, the head coach at the University of Alabama, has won numerous national championships and become—arguably to Auburn fans—the greatest football coach in history. The guy must be doing something right. But what is it? When Saban

Listen to the 4-minute podcast version Watch a 1-minute introductory video I remember third grade as a series of adventures—do kids still have those? My friend Rob was my co-conspirator building tree forts and clambering around houses under construction nearby. I was the mastermind and Rob the test pilot, so

Listen to the 5-minute podcast version Watch a 1-minute introductory video Cancer! Accident! Layoff! These are words which strike fear into our hearts. Neither the strongest of character nor the most faithful believer is immune to the sudden dread that follows the hearing of those terms. These situations hit us

Listen to the 8-minute podcast version Watch a 1-minute introductory video Does your company care about its people? If posed that question, most business executives would quickly answer, “Yes!” And many companies do care, at least about the productivity of their employees. But what about having compassion for them as

Listen to the 6-minute podcast version Watch a 1-minute introductory video Nobody starts out saying, “I want to be a workaholic.” Or, “I think I’ll become a codependent parent.” Or a porn abuser, or alcoholic, or drug addict. But it happens anyway.    It’s often a gradual process. It starts

Listen to the 7-minute podcast version Watch a 1-minute introductory video Since founding a new nonprofit ministry focused on the prevention of addiction and life improvement, the reasons for doing what I now do have been profoundly validated. STEPS Ministries has reached thousands of people with social media, articles, and

Listen to the 7-minute podcast version Watch a 1-minute introductory video Do you consider yourself courageous? Do you aspire to be? Because reading this article may be one of the bravest things you have ever done. Or, perhaps, sending it—with love, grace, and compassion—to someone you care about. To set

Listen to the 6-minute podcast version Watch a 1-minute introductory video [Note from Steve: I wrote this a few years ago but remember those feelings well …] Family relationships are important, worth the investment of time and energy they require. But, sometimes, it’s hard to get them just right. I

Listen to the 5-minute podcast version Watch a 1-minute introductory video Is there anything you keep doing even though it has negative consequences? The answer is, “Yes.” Unless you are the first person in history to have absolutely no issues. As crazy as it may sound, it is actually a

Listen to the 6-minute podcast version Watch a 1-minute introductory video Drinking may not be a problem for you, but at one time it became an issue for me. So I decided to fix the problem—I became an expert on rationalization. Rationalization is when we justify our behavior with logical