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Here are 32 things I’ve learned from life, so far. You are not your thoughts. There is a “you” behind and above your inner voice/monologue/dialogue. Pay attention to what you pay attention to. Think about what you think about. We always only have the present moment. Focusing too much on the future leads to anxiety. Focusing too much on the past leads to depression. Wherever you are, be fully there, now! (Read The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle [affiliate link here and throughout] for more on this.) It’s OK not to be OK. Feeling anxious, depressed, angry, etc. is fine. However, avoid the trap of feeling anxious about how anxious you feel, feeling depressed about how depressed you feel, etc. (Learned this from The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris.) If you never make mistakes, you’re not learning/growing as well as you could be. Perfectionism is a deadly prison. Break free with “good enough” and “always learning.” You are stronger than you think you are. You are weaker than you think you are. Ask more questions. Ask better questions. God is not a thing among things. There is an “infinite qualitative difference” between God and everything that is not God, everything that exists. Jesus of Nazareth is the living Lord of all. ___ is not. Beware of overconfidence in what the Bible (or any other sacred text, for that matter) “clearly”does or does not say. God is devoted to the poor and powerless. Those who speak and act on God’s behalf should speak and act for the poor and powerless. To do better with people, ask them questions about themselves. (Read the classic How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.) You can’t out-exercise your appetite forever. Eat food. Mostly plants. Not too much. Get enough sleep. You probably don’t get enough sleep. Lift heavy things. Go outside. Take a walk. Open a Roth IRA. Invest consistently in low-cost mutual funds or lifecycle funds as soon as you can. (Learned this from I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi.) Reading is a superpower. You can learn from as many other lives and lifetimes as you want. Learn how to read. Then learn how to learn. Then, learn whatever you want! Always read with a pen or pencil in your hand. If you really want to learn from a book, buy a physical copy and annotate the heck out of it. You always have to earn and keep your audience’s attention. Before/while communicating, ask yourself “Why should they care? What’s in it for them?” Humans are incredibly good at misunderstanding each other. Before/while communicating, ask yourself “How might I be misunderstood? How might I be misunderstanding others?” Remember that you and your loved ones are all going to die. What do you want to be known for? Eulogize people BEFORE they die. Everyone should go to therapy for at least a few months. “Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.” Feeling nervous/stressed/angry/etc.? SLOW DOWN, especially if you’re in front of other people. Courage is a choice, not a feeling. No matter how nervous you are, you can always ACT courageously. Everyone is trying to figure it out as they go along. Do you often feel like an imposter? Join the club! Act like you’ve been here before. Act like you’ve done this before. Act calm, comfortable, and confident, if for no other reason than to help the people around you feel calm, comfortable, and confident. Leadership is service. Leadership is the willingness to make a decision for the good of the group even when it’s awkward or uncomfortable to do so. Focus on what you can control. Journal. What do you really want? What are you afraid of? What’s the most important thing you need to get done today? Get a notebook and write it down! In many domains, 80% of the outcomes/effects come from 20% of the inputs/causes. Find the “vital few” things that have outsized impacts, both positive and negative, on your life. Double-down on what’s helping you. Get rid of what’s hurting you. Use smoked paprika. You’re welcome.

Are you drowning in tasks, yearning for more hours in a day, or simply itching to supercharge your creativity? What if I told you that a digital sidekick exists—one that’s awake 24/7, tailored to boost your efficiency and spark ingenuity? No, this isn’t science fiction; it’s the transformative power of AI tools at your fingertips. Think AI is only for tech gurus and coding aficionados? Think again. AI is breaking down the ivory tower, becoming an invaluable asset for everyone from marketers and writers to busy parents. If you’re intrigued by the idea of harnessing AI to make your life more productive, more balanced, and yes, even more fun, then you’re in for a treat. ...

Introduction Online scams can touch anyone’s life. They don’t discriminate based on how tech-savvy you are or how often you use the internet. We’ve all heard stories—maybe from a friend, a family member, or even in the news—of someone getting tricked online, often with distressing consequences. It serves as a stark reminder of the darker side of our digital world. This is why it’s crucial for every one of us to understand online scams—how they operate, how to identify them, and most importantly, how to avoid becoming a victim. ...

Are you stepping into the exciting world of software engineering, or considering whether to take that leap? You’re not alone. This field attracts countless individuals worldwide, fueled by an ever-increasing demand for technological solutions, the promise of high salaries, and a keen interest in problem-solving. However, it’s essential to understand that coding and programming skills, while crucial, are just one part of a broader equation. Equally important is the bigger picture of how software development fits into the wider professional and business environment. ...

1 Peter 4:17 For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God; if it begins with us, what will be the end for those who do not obey the gospel of God? Isaiah 58:1–14 Shout out, do not hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet! Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sins. Yet day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments, they delight to draw near to God. ...

Dale Carnegie’s timeless classic, How to Win Friends and Influence People, has been a bestseller for decades, offering insights and advice on improving interpersonal relationships. The book’s practical principles have helped millions of readers excel in their personal and professional lives. In this blog post, I’ll summarize the key points from Carnegie’s work and provide you with a solid foundation to start mastering your own relationships. If you find these ideas helpful and compelling, I highly recommend reading the entire book! ...

As a programmer or someone aspiring to be one, you’re always on the lookout for valuable resources to help you learn new languages and tools. Today, I’m excited to introduce you to learnxinyminutes.com, a must-visit website for anyone interested in coding. This site offers concise, code-focused tutorials for dozens of programming languages and essential tools, making it a perfect learning companion for beginners and experienced coders alike. Quick and Efficient Learning Learn X in Y Minutes understands that time is precious, which is why it provides: ...

Are you new to the world of computer programming? If so, learning Linux commands is an essential step in your journey. Linux is a powerful and versatile operating system used by developers across various fields. In this blog post, we’ll cover the most important Linux commands that every new computer programmer should learn to level up their skills. (Want to learn even more about Linux? Check out Linux Pocket Guide: Essential Commands and The Linux Command Line: A Complete Introduction.) ...

I’m posting my answers to these software engineering questions here, just in case anyone else finds them helpful! (Also, it gives me another link to share when I get asked these kinds of questions.) How did you become interested in software engineering? I wrote a bit about my coding bootcamp journey in a previous post. Part of my interest in software engineering is/was related to the particular path my journey took. That is, while studying Bible/religion/theology, I always knew that “bi-vocational ministry” (ministering in a church setting while also making money from another profession) was on the table. ...

When I changed my major from Mechanical Engineering to Bible shortly before my first semester of college, I realized that what I was studying was not going to make me rich. So, throughout undergrad, seminary, and into a Ph.D. program in theology, the notion of “bi-vocational ministry” (serving the church while also making money outside of the church doing something else) was on my radar screen. In fact, for a few months between finishing seminary and starting my Ph.D. program, I tried to teach myself the basics of web design (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) and Ruby on Rails. (I signed up for an account on Treehouse and on freeCodeCamp and I got to work!) ...

TL;DR: If you’re serious about biblical and theological studies, you should invest in Logos 10 Bible Software. Do so via my exclusive partner offer for Logos 10 here! If I could go back in time and chat with Joshua Steele when he was a Bible & Spanish major in college, there are a few things I’d tell my younger self: Quit laughing at How to Read a Book by Mortimer J. Adler and READ the thing. Baba ghanoush is superior to hummus. Study computer science sooner rather than later. Bite the bullet and INVEST IN A LOGOS BIBLE SOFTWARE LIBRARY. Don’t get me wrong. I love physical books as much as anyone, and I own quite a few (hundred)! ...

Note: Throughout what follows, I am heavily indebted to two books in particular: Unit Testing: Principles, Practices, and Patterns by Vladimir Khorikov (Manning Publications, 2020) and Effective Software Testing: A Developer’s Guide by Mauricio Aniche (Manning Publications, 2022). In fact, this overview of software testing should be viewed as a distillation of Khorikov and Aniche. Software Testing, Our Field’s Least-Sexy Superpower Coming into software development from a background in the humanities, automated software testing struck me as a kind of superpower. Until, that is, I had to write my first software test! ...

Are you considering a career in software engineering but not sure if it’s right for you? Here are just a few reasons why becoming a software engineer is a great choice: High demand and good pay: Software engineering is a rapidly growing field, with many companies actively seeking qualified candidates. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for software developers was $107,510 in 2020, and employment of software developers is projected to grow 21% from 2020 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations. ...

General / Thinking Untools: https://untools.co/ James Clear: https://jamesclear.com/ Farnam Street: https://fs.blog/ Your Logical Fallacy Is: https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/ Your Bias Is: https://yourbias.is/ Fitness / Health Darebee: https://darebee.com/ Reading / Writing QuillBot: https://quillbot.com/ 12ft Ladder: https://12ft.io/ Open Library: https://openlibrary.org/ Design PDF24 Tools: https://tools.pdf24.org/en/ Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/ The Noun Project: https://thenounproject.com/ Software Development Stack Overflow: https://stackoverflow.com/ O’Reilly: https://learning.oreilly.com/ roadmap.sh: https://roadmap.sh/ cheat.sh: https://cheat.sh/ DevHints.io: https://devhints.io/ Learn X in Y minutes: https://learnxinyminutes.com/ Baeldung (for Java/Spring): https://www.baeldung.com/ What would you add to this list? Let me know!

These are questions that are always worth asking yourself. For a list of questions I’m currently asking and investigating, see my /questions page. Five-Minute Journal Questions Morning I am grateful for… What would make today great? Daily affirmations: I am… Evening What are 3 amazing things that happened today? How could I have made today even better? Morning Questions (5 minutes) What’s one thing I’m grateful for? What’s one thing I’m excited about? What’s one virtue I want to exhibit? What’s one thing I’m avoiding? What’s the one thing I need to do? Evening Questions (5 minutes) What were my biggest wins of the day? Did I have any major realizations? What’s on the agenda for tomorrow? Bottleneck Breaker What’s the biggest bottleneck to achieving my next goal? Why aren’t I working on it today? 80/20 Analysis Where am I feeling satisfied? Where am I feeling dissatisfied? For each of the above, what are the 20% of places, habits, people, beliefs, etc. that are responsible for 80% of the positive and negative results? Compounding Projection If I repeated every action from today for one year, where would I end up? Is this the place I want to be? Course Correction Questions What do I need to spend more time doing? What do I need to spend less time doing? What do I need to schedule? What do I need to do? What do I need to be more mindful of? What unresolved issues am I overlooking? What opportunities are in front of me? What obstacles are in my way? Am I going in the right direction with my commitments? What do I need to add? What do I need to delete? What do I need to expand? What do I need to shrink? What have I done well recently? Source: The Productivity Project Forty-Nine Questions to Improve Your Results, by Josh Kaufman Do I use my body optimally? What is the quality of my current diet? Do I get enough sleep? Am I managing my energy well each day? How do I manage daily stress? Do I have good posture and poise? What can I do to improve my ability to observe the world around me? Do I know what I want? What achievements would make me really excited? What “states of being” do I want to experience each day? Are my priorities and values clearly defined? Am I capable of making decisions quickly and confidently? Do I consistently focus my attention on what I want vs. what I don’t want? What am I afraid of? Have I created an honest and complete list of the fears I’m holding on to? Have I confronted each fear to imagine how I would handle it if it came to pass? Am I capable of recognizing and correcting self-limitation? Am I appropriately pushing my own limits? Is my mind clear and focused? Do I systematically externalize (write or record) what I think about? Am I making it easy to capture my thoughts quickly, as I have them? What has my attention right now? Am I regularly asking myself appropriate guiding questions? Do I spend most of my time focusing on a single task, or constantly flipping between multiple tasks? Do I spend enough time actively reflecting on my goals, projects, and progress? Am I confident, relaxed, and productive? Have I found a planning method that works for me? Am I “just organized enough”? Do I have an up-to-date list of my projects and active tasks? Do I review all of my commitments on a regular basis? Do I take regular, genuine breaks from my work? Am I consciously creating positive habits? Am I working to shed non-productive habits? Am I comfortable with telling other people “no”? How do I perform best? What do I particularly enjoy? What am I particularly good at doing? What environment do I find most conducive to doing good work? How do I tend to learn most effectively? How do I prefer to work with and communicate with others? What is currently holding me back? What do I really need to be happy and fulfilled? How am I currently defining “success”? Is there another way of defining “success” that I may find more fulfilling? How often do I compare myself to my perceptions of other people? Am I currently living below my means? If I could only own 100 things, what would they be? Am I capable of separating necessity and luxury? What do I feel grateful for in my life and work? Testing the “Impossible”: 17 Questions That Changed My Life, by Tim Ferriss What if I did the opposite for 48 hours? What do I spend a silly amount of money on? How might I scratch my own itch? What would I do/have/be if I had $10 million? What’s my real TMI (Target Monthly Income)? What are the worst things that could happen? Could I get back here? If I could only work 2 hours per week on my business, what would I do? What if I let them make decisions up to $100? $500? $1,000? What’s the least crowded channel? What if I couldn’t pitch my product directly? What if I created my own real-world MBA? Do I need to make it back the way I lost it? What if I could only subtract to solve problems? What might I put in place to allow me to go off the grid for 4 to 8 weeks, with no phone or email? Am I hunting antelope or field mice? Could it be that everything is fine and complete as is? What would this look like if it were easy? How can I throw money at this problem? How can I “waste” money to improve the quality of my life? No hurry, no pause. Useful questions for reframing (Derek Sivers, Useful Not True) When something goes wrong What’s great about this? How can I use this to my advantage? Does this change the goal, or the path, or nothing? How can I reduce the downsides? When changing direction When I was at my happiest, what was I doing? What have I strongly wanted for the longest time? What’s the opposite of what I usually do? Which of my old beliefs are not serving me? Forget me. What would be most helpful for others? When stuck What is my one top priority now? How can I begin without waiting for anything? What advice would I love to hear from an all-knowing sage? What am I doing that’s actually a distraction? Instead of avoiding mistakes, how can I make more to learn faster? Who can help? To make peace with what’s out of your control What happens if I ignore it and do nothing? Should I learn a lesson from this, or just move on? How can I blame no one, and see this as nobody’s fault? How can I be OK no matter what happens?