MSI Press Blog

  WORDS MATTER “If I speak with human tongues and angelic as well, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong, a clanging symbol.” --I Corinthians 13: 1   My three brothers recently visited from afar. We spent a week together crammed into my small apartment. We exhausted ourselves talking about our lives and our favorite subjects--religion, psychology, and politics. I daily used up my quota of words. Many family and friends avoid talking about these subjects to avoid conflict. But we relish the give-and-take of debate. Coincidentally, the Republican National Convention was televised each night. We watched it diligently and exchanged views. Our convictions ranged across the political spectrum. So our conversations were animated, our disagreements passionate. However, at the end of the week, we learned something from each other and parted friends. Words matter. They have power. Our traditions attest to this fact. For example, God created the world with His word. He began, “Let ther...

  How Expectation Affects Inner Peace Expectation is a double-edged tool. It gives direction, but it also creates tension. We expect from life, from others, and from ourselves — and when reality doesn’t match, peace trembles. In 2026, when achievement and comparison fill every screen, learning to hold expectation lightly has become a spiritual skill. 1. Expectation defines the horizon Without expectation, we drift. Goals, dreams, and standards give shape to our days. They motivate effort and sustain hope. But when expectation hardens into entitlement — when we demand rather than aspire — peace begins to fracture. The horizon becomes a wall. 2. Expectation breeds disappointment The gap between what we imagine and what unfolds is where frustration lives. We expect fairness, recognition, reciprocity — and life, being life, delivers something else. Peace grows when we stop measuring reality against fantasy and start meeting it as it is. Acceptance is not resignation; it’s release. 3. E...

  Rationals and Irrationals rarely clash over goals — they clash over how to get there . Rationals trust structure and closure. Irrationals trust flexibility and flow. Each believes they’re being responsible; each feels the other is being careless. Offense arises when order and spontaneity collide. How They Offend Each Other 1. The Rational’s Control Rationals (Judgers) plan, organize, and decide early. They feel secure when life is predictable. To Irrationals, that control can feel suffocating — as if the Rational doesn’t trust them to adapt. When a Rational says, “We need to decide now,” the Irrational may hear, “You’re unreliable.” How it offends: The Irrational feels micromanaged or judged. The Rational feels ignored or disrespected for their effort to create stability. 2. The Irrational’s Flexibility Irrationals (Perceivers) keep options open. They feel alive when life is spontaneous. To Rationals, that flexibility can feel chaotic — as if the Irrational doesn’t car...