“A long while ago, a great warrior faced a situation which made it necessary for him to make a decision which insured his success on the battlefield. He was about to send his armies against a powerful foe, whose men outnumbered his own. He loaded his soldiers into boats, sailed to the enemy’s country, unloaded soldiers and equipment, then gave the order to burn the ships that had carried them. Addressing his men before the first battle, he said, “You see the boats going up in smoke. That means that we cannot leave these shores alive unless we win! We now have no choice-we win—or we perish! They won.

“Every person who wins in any undertaking must be willing to burn his ships and cut all sources of retreat. Only by so doing can one be sure of maintaining that state of mind known as a BURNING DESIRE TO WIN, essential to success.”

The warrior Hill refers to was Hernando Cortez (or Cortes), the Spanish conquistador who defeated the mighty Aztecs. The burning of the ships was apparently done with the full knowledge and support of at least those of Cortez’s unit who faithfully supported him. Nevertheless, it was a motivating decision, to say the least. For Cortez, there truly was no going back. They would conquer or they would die.

Do you have that kind of determination?

Pilate’s question is still with us today. Most people try to ignore it, but they face situations and decisions everyday that require them to settle (at least temporarily) on some kind of personal compass or worldview. And when that happens, they are confronting this age-old and all-important question: What is truth?

Based on surveys and everyday observation, most people would prefer not to live their lives according to some external, imposed “Truth.” According to a 2002 Barna Research Group survey, approximately 64% of American adults believe truth is relative to one’s circumstances or situation. Only a third of the respondents cited agreement with the concept of “absolute truth.” Clearly, people today prefer to shape their own lives and determine their own values. And more than a few academics and philosophers over the years have defended this human impulse. The late Frederich Nietzsche famously declared: “You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.”

Popular though it may be, this kind of relativism falls short in credibly confronting some fundamental challenges to its philosophical integrity. The most powerful challenge stems from life itself. Quite simply, relativism cannot be logically lived out. “An individual will live his or her life almost entirely on a nonrelativistic true-false basis,” writes Winfried Corduan, a religion and philosophy professor at Indiana’s Taylor University. “Either I missed the bus, or I didn’t miss the bus. Either this is Friday, or it is not Friday. Either I have eaten lunch, or I have not eaten lunch.”

No sane person approaches life in a purely relativistic sense. If you apply for a job, you will either be hired or you won’t. If you get the word that the job went to someone else, and yet show up for the job, expecting an office and a paycheck, what do you think will happen? When your would-be boss reminds you that the job went to another candidate, are you going to say: “Well, that’s your truth. My reality is somewhat different.”

Not only is relativism logically untenable, but it can have disastrous consequences for society in general. Without some kind of fixed moral standard, society has little with which to effectively or credibly judge child molesters, rapists, identity thieves, or greedy corporate embezzlers. We are instead left with conflicting and ambiguous standards of utility and tolerance.

It’s good to search things out, explore possibilities, and to not let yourself be trapped or manipulated by others. Skepticism can be healthy. But we mustn’t go to the extreme of thinking that truth itself is relative. Don’t build your life on flimsy hopes and wishes. You need a healthy dose of realism to survive and prosper in today’s world. In fact, you need more than a dose of realism, you need a solid foundation of reality.

As Winston Churchill once said: “The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end; there it is.”

That said, if you’ve seen my name around the Internet, you might be thinking: “You’re one to talk!” And you may have a point. After all, I’m a pastor, former high school teacher, former association management professional, etc. I’ve had experience in several lines of work. If you Google my name, you’ll find that I’ve written on Christian living, theology, American history, making money, stress, personal development, public speaking, and much more. You’ll also see that I have a pastoral blog and an American Revolution blog in addition to this one.  Oh, and I have a blog and newsletter on marriage.

While there are people out there much smarter than me in these things, I don’t think it’s wrong to spread yourself out a bit. You only have one life and it’s too short to pigeonhole yourself into simply one or two things. I enjoy history immensely, for example. And while I don’t have a PhD in the subject and I don’t (at present anyway) work full-time in it, I’m still passionate enough about it, that I’m not going to let my life go by, without writing on the subject.

All that having been said, I do think it’s important to pick one or two professional lanes to MASTER, even if you dabble in others. For me, my primary calling is that I’m a pastor.  I therefore devote most of time and energy in that direction, which includes extensive study of the Bible, preaching and teaching, counseling, leadership of a local church, etc. Secondarily, I’m a writer (and occasional speaker) on the topics of personal development, communication skills, handling stress, and overcoming adversity. The latter is the focus of THIS blog.

What are your lanes? What are your specialties? What are your areas of expertise?

Again, life is too short to limit yourself exclusively to one or two things, but it’s also too short not to let yourself go as far as you can in what you’re best at!  Don’t let life go by without discovering your gifts, talents, and passions. They will give you a clue as to what direction you should head.

According to researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Plattsville, the five biggest causes of college stress are: peer pressure, competition, separation from family, freedom, and choosing a major/career. If you’re a college student and are faced with anxiety related to any of these situations, then take heart that you’re not alone. You can also take some encouragement from the truth that KNOWING the source of stress is half the battle in defeating stress!

So, how can you handle (and ultimately defeat) stress?  Here are some quick tips…

• Get a physical — Make sure you’re on top of your health and that you know your body. Get professional, individualized advice on how to best take care of yourself.
• Drink plenty of water — Keep your body hydrated with healthy fluids, and nothing is healthier than water.
• Get plenty of rest — There may be times you have to pull all-nighters, but you want to establish healthy habits of getting plenty of rest, probably 8 to 10 hours a night. If this is not possible, take a “power nap” during the day.
• Practice breathing exercises — Taking control of your rate of breathing can ease muscle tension, keep your heart rate down, and help your overall health.
• Plan ahead — Surprises are often the cause of stress. With careful planning and self-discipline, you can anticipate much of what may come from around the corner. As the old saying goes: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
• Eat right — Your body will be better able to handle stress if you put good stuff into it! Go easy on the grease, ice cream, etc. Get plenty of fruits and vegetables.
• Exercise — Take a brisk walk or jog each day. Talk with your physician about a personal exercise program. Exercise can help relieve tension in addition to burning off extra calories.

College need not be as stressful as some students make it. With the right habits and advanced planning, you can succeed at college and still have lots of fun!

Related Reading

“Five Simple Ways to Reduce Anxiety“

So, if you’re feeling down, take some time to laugh and enjoy life. Your health will thank you for it.

Sorry I haven’t posted to this blog much in the last several weeks.

Just wanted to remind you that my primary MINISTRY blog is PastorTubbs.com. That’s where I post anything pastoral related, ministry related, etc.

While this blog also has a Christian flavor to it (how can it not, since I’m a Christian! ), it has a much broader audience in mind. And I will be updating it more regularly from now on.

God bless!

Lincoln himself once said: “Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.”

Lincoln’s story is one of perserverance and triumph. And it’s a lesson to us all.

Coach Jim Zorn is a Class Act

Yes, Jim Zorn’s record as coach of the Washington Redskins is a disappointing 12-20. Yes, this year’s season was particularly painful, with Zorn’s Skins finishing 4-12. And, yes, Redskins fans and football observers alike have known that Jim Zorn’s days were numbered, that he was a lame duck coach waddling his way through his last season. We all knew that, and sure enough, the Redskins made it official, sacking Coach Zorn just as he got back to Redskin Park after a long plane ride back from San Diego.

Even though it’s understandable that Jim Zorn had to go, the fact is that the Washington Redskins are losing one of the classiest guys in professional sports (let alone the NFL). Despite the mistreatment, disrespect and humilitation Zorn endured from owner Daniel Snyder and former Redskin higher-up Vinny Cerrato, Coach Zorn kept the high road. As one columnist said, he “owned the high road.”

And even now, with his official ties to the team severed and marching with the army of the unemployed, Jim Zorn refuses to grind any axes or offer any public criticism of the Redskins organization. Instead, Zorn says he’s thankful. Interviewed by The Washington Post, Zorn declined to bad-mouth Snyder, new Redskins GM Bruce Allen or Allen’s predecessor Cerrato.

Zorn said: “I was hired to do a job. And it wasn’t my job to have a philosophical reflection on what that might be. I would choose not to answer that, but I think for the right reasons, not because I’d want to say something controversial. That’s not my place.  There’s a lot of opinions about that on every NFL team, but the truth of the matter this year is we were 4-12. Period.” (see Washington Post article “Zorn Says He’s Thankful” by Svrluga, Jan 5, 2010).

A solid answer and a great attitude from a Stand-Up Guy! Jim Zorn, we will miss you!