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In my book, Zebedee and Sons Fishing Co., I wrote how Jesus, as He began His earthly ministry, recruited the senior management away from Zebedee and Sons Fishing Company and left Zebedee alone on the lakeshore with boats full of fish, nets waiting to be hung, and nobody to help. Yet, even with this setback, Zebedee is the epitome of the American Dream.

Some call it grouchy, irascible, slow burn, sour, grumpy, funk, or conniption. Most commonly it’s just called a bad mood.

It’s easy to think all customer service is bad.

Wouldn’t that be great? To be able to see all obstacles in our way and to have all the bad feelings disappear. It certainly would be a bright, sun-shiny day.

Do you remember the days when we all carried flintlock rifles and had a horn full of gunpowder slung around our necks?

“I know how you feel.” I have said those words many times while trying to connect with someone and understand the pain they are experiencing. And even though I said those words sincerely, they were a lie.

I think I’ll take (yawn) a nap. Can you picture saying this to your boss or your business partner at 2:00 on a weekday afternoon? The answer is probably “no.”

From Jesus’s declaration of forgiveness in Matthew to today, the concept of forgiveness has evolved into meanings not originally anticipated by the Bible; but these evolving ideas are not entirely un-biblical.

Everyone else has gone home, why are you still working?

Always be in beta mode. Michael Hyatt has often referred to being in beta mode as a metaphor for not waiting to be perfect, but be in the mode of continually improving.