New Year’s Resolutions, Death Bed Insights & Our Human Nature

Disclaimer #1 (just in case there are more):  I write about this stuff to remind myself, to encourage myself to start / keep doing it.  I’m not “there” but I’m getting “there”.  As the saying goes, those who can’t do, teach! 

Disclaimer #2:  If you’re sick of my self-help examine your life and change themes, I’m sorry, but that’s what I think about, I need a reminder, and it’s MY BLOG.  You don’t have to read it :).    

So here we are.  Where is here?  Is here the rat race of life?  Over committed?  Never enough time in the day?  If you are living a life full of purpose, peace, perspective, etc., feel free to stop reading now (or better yet, respond below and tell us your secret!).  For the rest of us, to varying degrees of course, we are living in the rat race of life.  I think Lily Tomlin said it best: “The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you're still a rat!”

New Year’s Resolutions:

·         - Lose weight

·         - Exercise more

·         - Spend more time with family/friends

·         - Finish or start the project

·         - Learn to _____

Death Bed Insights:  I wish I would have…

·         - Worked less & played more

·         - Went barefoot earlier in the spring and later in the fall

·         - Not focused my time/energy so much on _____

·         - Spent more time/energy on ______

·         - Gone on that trip

·         - Told that person how much I loved, cared about and appreciated them

Human Nature:

·         - ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder)

·         - Distracted

·         - Never satisfied, always longing for more – could be for the better or the worse.  I actually think God wired us this way for a reason.  If the world gets the best of us, we can pursue worldly success (which in my eyes is a really fast gerbil wheel) OR we can apply how we are made to pursue higher causes (see Death Bed Insights) which in my eyes is soaring higher and higher, faster and better, but at the end of this life in worldly terms, no one may notice (that’s the point).  If you want to read more on this check out “Soul Cravings” by Erwin McManus. 

·         - Imperfect (sin)

Since this is a repeated theme in this blog, I will be brief and end with the PROBLEM, ROOT CAUSE & SOLUTION…

PROBLEM:  Some of us are stuck in the rat race (lack of peace, purpose, joy, etc.) and need help. 

ROOT CAUSE:  Human nature and this imperfect world we live in (capitalism, greed and not enough Mother Theresa’s and Ghandi’s).  The deceitfulness of riches. 

SOLUTION:  There are many.  There are many formulas/solutions/ways that people deal with the “root cause” and overcome the “problem”.  I’ll give you my solution:  (Disclaimer #3, it only kinda works some of the time.  If you have a better solution, let me know, respond below).  My solution has several variables, some that I’m actually doing and others that I’m not…

·         - Balanced life:  diet, exercise, sleep, work, recreation

·         - Go to church:  This is great for me.  Makes me sit still for an hour, listen, think and re-gain the perspective that I might have lost due to human nature and this imperfect world. 

·         - Try to journal daily:  This is great for me when I do it.  Very similar to church for me.

·         - Regular, consistent fellowship with like minded folk:  I’m in a small group/Bible Study.  We gather for food, chit chat, share our ups and downs, learn from each other, serve together, learn together, etc.    

·         - Force myself to Blog 12 times in 2012:  Again slows me down enough to reflect, examine and maybe even move forward. 

One requirement for me to implement these items is to “be OK accomplishing less” but what do I mean by “accomplishing less”?  Go back and read the death bed insights above.  I might have less in my bank account, fewer luxury items and an average job title, but what really matters?  The statement “be OK accomplishing less” should really be stated “be OK accomplishing less in this imperfect world’s eyes” because on my death bed, I think I will have accomplished very much. 

While you think about that I’ll leave you with this…

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming WOO HOO what a ride!"

Thanks for reading!!