Tag Archive for: Priorities

Extremes

For those old enough, you will remember the summer of 1976, it was an absolute scorcher. Record high temperatures and a long period of drought. 😎
All year long our family wouldn’t travel far at all. But with dad being a train driver and free tickets, most summers we went as far away as possible. 1976 was one of those long train journey’s, all the way down to Cornwall and basically, that’s as far as you can go. Holidays together were a priority.
With the record temperatures and glorious sunshine, I have lots of fond memories of being on the beach that summer. I remember getting up to a lot of mischief, but most of all my feet being scorched on the hot sand! 😕
Only a few weeks later in typical UK fashion, the heaven’s opened and the country was hit by massive storms and floods which dominated the remainder of the year. It seemed as if mother nature was re-balancing.
𝐄𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬 – Life seems full of them.
Dry/Wet
Hot/Cold
Black/White
Feast/Famine
Doubt/Certainty
Freedom/Subjection
Happiness/Sadness
Like the hot dry summer, then wet autumn of 76, in life we must often chart a course between the two of them.
Finding a balance in life is a matter of setting the right priorities and establishing goals to provide direction.
How do you maintain balance in your life?

Are you OK?

How are you coping? Are you OK?

Whilst out for my exercise allowance yesterday, I really appreciated our local beauty spot, known in our neighbourhood as “the Glen.” As I was admiring the charm of nature, my thoughts drifted into thinking about all of the material possessions I had accumulated in life. All those things I had worked so hard to acquire….. just did not matter at all.

A scripture from Matthew 6, ran through my mind “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal….For where your treasure is, there will be your heart also.”

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁? 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁?

I recognised very quickly that 𝗮𝗹𝗹 that 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 matters is our family and relationships with others. Previously, I have recorded many thoughts about ownership and stewardship. We own very little and yet are stewards over much.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂?

These times of peril and adversity have a way of refocusing our priorities. The trials, hardships, difficulties and challenges of today 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 pass. How we choose how to act each day, will impact upon our family and personal relationships for generations to come. Please consider this counsel from a wise leader – Dieter F. Uchtdorf when he said “Why, then, do we devote so much of our time and energy to things that are so fleeting, so inconsequential, and so superficial? Do we refuse to see the folly in the pursuit of the trivial and transient?”

In these challenging times consider once again what really matters most, where does your treasure lie?

Priorities

3.33 am this morning. My mind was alert, in full flow. “Go to sleep” I said to myself. But alas, it wasn’t to be.

So here I am. Life is so designed that we constantly feel time……

Time’s pressure can often blur our focus…… and frequently do!!

Yet, as a consumer of time, I’ve realised that my management of time, tells me a lot about the management of myself.

So……, I know it is impossible to do everything, and yet I try, and try and try again!! That’s just daft! Or is that just me?

I have really enjoyed the first 2 hours of my early morning rise. I have been productive, focused on what matters most, eliminated the trivial (again) and recognised what is truly important – the essential things – as opposed to everything else.

So, now that I have my life in order again, I’m off to see my mum, go for a walk with my wife and enjoy the day ahead! How about you, what are you up to?