The 4 Spires You Need To Get To the Top

There was a time when the local church spire was the tallest point in most towns.

They were impressive sights and could be seen from miles around.

If you climbed to the top of a spire, you literally were at the top.

Today, I want to share four other spires that can take you to the top of your field of endeavour.

Something Out Of the Ordinary

It’s easy to do ordinary work.

To go to an average job and just do what everyone else is doing, no more and no less.

To be just another anonymous sheep in a big flock of sheep that all look, act and speak the same.

But you have been made to change the world and to change the world requires something out of the ordinary.

A Pebble in My Shoe – A Story About Dealing with Problems

Tom and his mentor Dwyer were on their customary weekly walk through the forest when Dwyer sat down on a large rock to take off his shoe.

“What are you doing?” asked Tom.

“I have a pebble in my shoe,” explained Dwyer.

“What are you stopping for? I have a pebble in my shoe as well, but we don’t have time to stop, so stop slowing us down.”

“I can assure you Tom, me stopping isn’t holding us back at all, but will end up saving us time and probably pain further down the track.”

“Pfft,” said the young man as he turned and walked on by himself, leaving the old man behind to remove the annoying pebble.

A Dog Doesn’t Take Itself For a Walk

A dog doesn’t take itself for a walk. It needs the owner to assign a time, grab the leash and open the door.

A goldfish can’t swim outside of the confines of its small bowl.

A caged canary can’t fly to the sky above.

And a circus elephant does its tricks on command.

But that’s not us.

We’re not caged animals.

Hang Up On Your Hang Ups

We all have hang ups and insecurities.

There are aspects of our lives that we feel uncomfortable with and the voices inside our heads take great delight in reminding us of our inadequacies.

It’s time to hang up on your hang ups.

It’s time to stop focusing on your negatives.

You don’t have to allow your fears, your flaws or your weaknesses to hold you back any longer.

Let Us Sing As We Go

In the midst of his incredibly important document regarding the environment, “Laudato Si”, Pope Francis reminds us:

Let us sing as we go. May our struggles and our concern for this planet never take away the joy of our hope.

What a wonderful reminder that in the midst of serious challenges, hard work and extreme opposition, we still need to find joy in what we do.

Scratch Under the Surface

Late last year we did a lot of work on our garden and put in some new plants.

To help them flourish and keep the soil moist, we placed a layer of mulch around them.

Now every day, the local blackbirds can be seen hopping and scratching around them, looking for insects and worms to eat.  They are relentless in their search, not waiting for the bugs to appear, but seeking actively for them under the surface of the mulch.

As I pondered these persistent little birds, I couldn’t help but wonder how many opportunities we missed because we were waiting for them to jump out at us.

Do What You’re Meant To Do

Firstly a quick puppy update.

Regular readers of this blog would remember that a couple of months ago, I relented to my family’s persistent lobbying and we bought a golden retriever puppy, named Dusty.

Dusty is now 5 months old and she takes me for a walk on a daily basis.

Golden retrievers are a beautiful breed of dog that were originally developed to assist duck hunters by swimming out into the swamps of Scotland to fetch poor ducks who had the misfortune of being shot.

With such a background, our little Dusty is never happier on our walks than when she is carrying something in her mouth, and thankfully I don’t need to shoot it first. As we walk along she is constantly distracted by leaves blown by the wind, small sticks or pieces of paper. She picks them up and prances along with a skip in her step and her tail raised in joy.

She is doing what she is meant to do and she loves it!

Choose Wisely!

Today (and every day), we are confronted with a range of choices that can determine our future success and happiness.

So today (and every day), make sure that you:

Run towards your goals, don’t dawdle aimlessly.

Smile, don’t scowl.

Be generous, not tight-fisted.

Be inquisitive, not ignorant.

Be excessively encouraging, not excessively critical.

You’re Valuable

You’re valuable.

You really are.

There’s something about you that is unique and special.

You have something to offer.

You have something that we need.

You have something that is of significant value.