Jesse Steele

Some opinions can only be understood in the context of a broader worldview. Maybe the reason someone wants gun restriction laws isn’t so much about guns in particular, but because the person thinks like a Democrat in general. Same with someone wanting to restrict abortion thinking like Republican. When that happens, we’ll get a lot more done—and keep a lot more friendships alive—by discussing party politics at large and the underlying opinions that persuade people one way or the other.

So, we really need a face-to-face to get much done. Underlying questions can’t be discussed through the mail.  · · · →

The purpose of the present never presents itself in the present. What we do now—what we go through, what we experience, what we witness, what avenues we pave—always achieves some purpose that we can’t see in the here and now. So, never judge the present according to the present. If you do, you will always be confused and frustrated.

One of the best ways through the quagmire of the present is to look for what you learn—how you grow as a person. Learning things, witnessing the unthinkable, gaining skills, going places—these prepare us. That’s worthwhile enough.  · · · →

Things don’t take as short a time as they might seem. We plan, project, expect, then the calendar disappoints. You might look at a project that should take a week, then it takes seven.

The scary part is how much that scares us. When we are five months behind a project, it seems the sky is falling. But, is it? When your house takes longer than expected to build, do the seasons stop?

Don’t get worked-up about how much longer projects take. Some projects take less time than expected. It doesn’t always even out, but life isn’t surprised; we are.  · · · →

Careful who you judge. It might be you who is actually on trial. One sure way to learn about others is to let others think they stand above you, then see how they respond. The person you disagree with just might be doing just that—letting you think you’re in charge and watching your reaction.

That might not be the case. You might actually be the decision-maker you think you are, until you’re not. Even if you hold the power seat today, tomorrow the tables could turn, then your entire history coughs up testimony about who you were all along.  · · · →