Everyone gets 24 hours in a day / 7days a
week. Why do some seem to get so much
happiness out of that 24? And so much done in that 24? Is it luck?
Is it consequences? Observe
carefully and you will see there is not a correlation between wealth, health
and happiness. And all hours are not
created equal, some hours are definitely better than others. The best news is
you get to decide. You don’t need to get a life, you already have one. Make it count for something.
Make it count – now.
Stop living in future happiness. Be content, be happy now. It is a sad thing
to look back at any time and see moments or see years you have lost to wishful
musings. To see the time lost while
waiting. Waiting for more money, waiting
for better health, waiting for the right person or the right opportunity, time lost waiting for more time! (One of our more ironic exercises) Be here
and now. Be present in your life and in
the lives of others. Be happy with others. Forgive them for what they are not and love
them for who they are. Accept your life
as is, grasp it and make the most of every opportunity. Live the life you have
instead of wishing for the life you want. This is life stop trying to cure it and start appreciating
what you have.
Make it count –
with encouragement.
Surround yourself with people who truly love
you. People who encourage you, smile at
you and laugh with you. Be with those
who can be honest with you if necessary but do not use truth as a weapon. Love is patient, love is kind, love does not
insist in getting its own way, love is not jealous. Do you know this person? Spend time with them. If you don’t know them--find them, they are
out there but probably not hanging out in the ‘hot spots’ and probably not one of the beautiful people. Beautiful people invest in themselves while loving
people invest in others. People who
truly love you will expect something from you, they will expect your love and
effort in return. You see love is not
lazy either.
Make it count – without all the baggage.
Lay down your pain and
your anger. It is your right to have them, you may have been injured and truly
wronged. You can use pain and anger as
a shield to protect you from future hurt.
But carrying them around makes living harder and less
fun. And soon that shield turns into a
shell then it turns into a cage. It gets
heavy and you begin viewing life from behind bars. Choose to give away the anger and the pain,
let go of your right to be hurt. Accept
an apology that was never given because your life will be better for it.
Make it count – pick your battles.
Don’t argue about things that you don’t really care
about. Unless there’s some real threat, let the folks who have something to
prove, prove what they need to. Ask
yourself “Is this the hill I want to die
upon?” There are very few issues worth
our blood, worth giving up freedom, friendship or precious time and energy
for. When you come to one of those “do or die” issues then by all means stake
your claim on that hill and stand firm.
But for the minor issues in life, the personal opinions and pet peeves, let others win- let the losers win. Even let them gloat if it matters so much to
them. Find your peace and move on, you
have a life to live.
Make it count – look for the best.
Most
conclusions we jump to are not only wrong, they’re negative. Negative conclusions
lead us to prepare a defense. Being on the defensive isn’t living, it’s
exhausting. Often we have arguments
inside our heads without giving the other guy a real opportunity to
participate. We are mad before the confrontation
ever begins. STOP. Give the benefit of
the doubt, assume the best in others. Jump
to forgiveness and love, then figure things out. Let the people you care about come first, and let
everyone know that you do. Value and protect the people
and the places you love. The harder you are
working the less energy there is left over for resentment. Invest in what matters. Invest your money, your time, your sweat into
others. Give more than you ever expect
to get.
Make it count with God.
God is present, God is now. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and
forever because Jesus simply is.
Looking back is depressing, looking ahead causes anxiety. Hold on to Jesus, live today with Him and for
others. No wishing for a different (aka
better) life. He gave you this life with
plans, fulfill them. God loves you. He is the ultimate encourager, He knows you inside and out and loves you
completely. Spend time with God. Let go of your pain, give it to God. He will fill the void, help you and heal
you. God gives us the peace and security
that allows us to let go. Let others
have the hill and win the argument. As you
learn to look at the battles and at the people through God's eyes, the colors of your
world change. Being right is more
important than winning. Being kind is more important than being right. People matter more than things. Things have
value only for how they can be used in service. The choice of what to do with
your next hour comes down to this;
What
can I do for God, what can I do for another in the next hour? Answer that and
you will have an hour that will count for something.
