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A man looked out over the desert and was troubled.
“How can anything grow here?” He wondered aloud and then looked to the heavens and pleaded, “God, why don’t you water the desert?”
He looked around to see if God was going to answer his prayer and saw a well nearby that he hadn’t noticed before.
The man looked to the heavens again and said, “That’s no good. How can anyone carry the water from the well?”
It used to be a badge of honour to have never failed, but I’m not sure that it is any more.
At least it shouldn’t be.
You see, the person who never failed probably also never really tried.
They didn’t do anything particularly challenging or difficult.
They stopped learning a long time ago.
I’m currently reading Kevin DeYoung’s Crazy Busy
They get our leftover time and our leftover energy, and I couldn’t help but be challenged myself that it’s time to change this.
I don’t want my kids to get whatever time I have leftover after all of my other activities. It infers to them that they aren’t important enough to prioritise.
It’s easy to say nothing, or at the most keep to trivial, inane subjects.
It takes no effort to do nothing, or nothing of importance.
To have no opinion or ideas (or just borrow the opinions and idea of others) is a simple task.
But the world doesn’t change that way.
You have something to say.
Let’s hear it!
You may never win an Academy Award, become a best-selling author or the most popular recording artist in the world.
You may never win an Olympic gold medal or break a world record.
You may never become the richest person in the world, or even on your block.
The smartest, the most talented, the very, very best… all elusive titles.
And in our world that is obsessed with being number one, too often if we can’t make it, we don’t bother trying.
When you were born, you were given a name, not a number.
There’s a very good reason for that.
A name implies identity, meaning and purpose.
A number implies an inanimate cog in a very large wheel.
A name is unique.
A number is ubiquitous.
When someone calls your name, you turn your head in acknowledgement.
Numbers are only acknowledged at the line in the deli or the bingo hall.
They won’t remember every word that you say.
Your most inspiring speech…
Your most encouraging words…
Your greatest words of wisdom…
Your most poetic prose…
They will forget what you say…
Are you hoping for a better tomorrow, or are you working for it?
Are you hoping to build a great career, or are you working for it?
Are you hoping that your relationships will get better, or are you working for it?
Are you hoping that your health will be OK in the long-term, or are you working for it?
How did I get here?
What did I do right?
What did I do wrong?
What could I have done differently?
What should I have done differently?
Do I like this situation that I’m in?
If so, how can I replicate it?
According to legendary actor Denzel Washington, “Dreams without goals remain dreams and ultimately fuel disappointment.”
He understands that if your dreams stay within your head, they won’t get done.
If all you do is think about them when you go to bed at night, they won’t get done.
Don’t let your dreams turn into disappointments.
Write them down and keep them in front of you. Read the rest of this entry »
