Two-phase living

We all feel the constant tension between finding contentment in the moment, and pursueing unmet desires in our life. Maintaining the necessary drive and tension to accelerate your goals and finding peace and contentment in the moment is not an easy task. Too much contentment can lead to lethargy and inaction while being single-mindedly driven can rob us of the joy of the moment.

The key to effective two-phase living is finding joy and contentment in the process of pursueing your goals. If you will allow me a personal example: There are certain financial goals I have set for myself that will allow me to pursue other passions in my life (more time hunting, fishing and exploring nature). I have choosen a couple of avenues to reach those goals (avenues that I enjoy). Advocare allows me to pursue my health and fitness goals, while writing is a welcome relief and catharsis. Each of these also provides some income opportunities that drive the bigger picture.

A few years ago a dear friend relayed a story to me. He was offered an opportunity to work with a very wealthy and successful individual with the promise of a huge payoff at the end. It was the kind of offer many people dream of. It didn't take long until he was earning a great salary and in few years could easily realize most of his financial dreams. There was only one problem - he had no life outside of work. His family suffered, his outlook on life suffered, and ultimately his health started to suffer. After about a year he realized there is more to life than money. Today he is living a modest lifestyle on an island in the South Pacific.

Balance, drive, desire, contentment and goals can sometimes all seem to mitigate against one another. It takes time, planning and a good understanding of self before you can find a healthy balance.

P.S. In a future blog I will deal with how to factor other's expectations of us into pursuing our dreams. No man lives unto himself, or dies unto himself.

What is in your hand?

• I don't have enough money.
• I don't have sufficient eductation.
• I don't get the support I need at work or home.
• Nobody would listen to me...

There are any number of reasons NOT to live the life we dream of, but why not look around and find reasons to achieve, excel and fulfill your dreams. I love God's interaction with Moses in Exodus 4. God has called Moses to return to Egypt and deliver his people from bondage. A pretty monumental task, especially since the old prophet left Egypt in a bit of a hurry (Exodus 2:11-15).

During their discussion Moses asks God, "what if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, the Lord did not appear to you?" (Exodus 4:1). God then asks the prophet, "what is in your hand and told him to throw his staff on the ground." Immediately, his staff became a serpent. When he picked it up again it returned to a staff.

A shepherds staff may not seem very imposing standing before the most powerful monarch in the world, but when God gets hold of it - that is a different story all together. The rest of Exodus 4 has Moses presenting one objection after another to God, until he simply runs out of excuses.

What is in your hand? We spend so much time looking at the obstacles, framing our objections or making excuses that we fail to see all the opportunities that life has to offer. I doubt Moses ever really saw himself as Israel's great deliverer. King David was a small, ruddy, pipsquek of lad when Samuel annointed him King. Gideon went into battle against superior forces with just 300 men.

Sit down tonight and turn all your excuses over to God. I promise you He has an answer for everyone one of them. Once you finish your whining and complaining look around at what is in your hand, or in your house, or best of all in your heart and mind - then go and live your dream!

The Greatest Memorial

I was standing in line at Target when I noticed a very elaborate tattoo on the arm of the young man in front of me. I couldn't help but stare at the detail when I realized it was a memorial to his grandfather. It was beautifully designed and executed on his right forearm.

I do not intend to diminish this man's memorial to his grandfather or any other expression of love and devotion, but for the benefit of my own children I would ask them to refrain from tattooing my name on their bodies, or pasteing the memory of my life in the back window of their SUV. If you want to erect a memorial to your father - be true to God and yourself.

I have a friend who lives in the shadow of her father's life. She is gifted, talented and has so much to offer to the world around her, but I fear she feels the constant pressure to "live up" to her father's achievements. Her life and actions seem more of an attempt to build a shrine to her father than to create a legacy of her own.

Most of us have heard Shakespeare's words from Hamlet, "to thine own self be true..." I would only add to that be what God created you to be. You are unique! You are fearfully and wonderfully made! God designed you like no one else - be who you were created to be.

When I am gone, what I have accomplished is my memorial. Somewhere, written on the lives of others is my legacy. People I may have crossed paths with for an day or known for a lifetime speak more volumes of how I lived than do statues and gravestones and eulogies. The people I touched, the friends I made, the small corner of the globe that I occupy - it is enough.

If you want to honor my legacy - go and live. Be different! Don't conform to the world, or to the ideas and subjective standards of men. Most of all, don't apologize for being who you are.