FEBRUARY 20, 2020
In our past Elevator Guy remarks, we have discussed many ways to live a prosperous life because that is what God, along with friends and family, want for us. Yes, there is no free lunch and life is often difficult and complex for all of us. It is up to each one of us to discover our purpose in life and live it out. We will need to make sure we meet our responsibilities to our Faith, our Family, and our Careers. But, if you have an ounce of optimism left in your body after you have completed your tasks in these areas, look to the future. Be curious as to what comes next because, if you are going through tough times right now, tomorrow has brighter days ahead for you. That is a GUARANTEE if you choose to think that way.
I love those people who can look forward and see this fact. Those people have a curiosity and drive that moves them forward rather than getting hung up living in the past. The past is gone. MOVE ON! Reflect on this for a moment. “TODAY you have a choice. You can either think about the past and mourn your losses, or you can embrace the future and live in HOPE. That doesn’t mean you cannot reflect and honor your past. Just don’t get stuck living a destructive life of sorrow and pity.
I look at HOPE as a virtue. I also look at ENERGY as a virtue because it takes energy to get things done in this world. These two virtues belong together because they both point toward our flourishing or prospering in life. How is YOUR Hope and Energy level? You just might choose to work on both in preparing for YOUR future in accomplishing those activities that are most important to you.
We have to hope and believe in the fact that our future will be better than our present and that we have the ability to make it so. AND, we must be WILLING to do whatever it takes to make it so. If we are willing, then we all need to grow by being disciplined in our daily habits. If we truly want to grow, we may just need to change our habits. John Maxwell, in his book “The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth,” reminds us “You will never change your life until you change something you do daily.” That means developing great habits. Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments, and that bridge must be crossed EVERY day. Over time, that daily crossing becomes a HABIT. Ultimately, people do not decide their future, they decide their HABITS and their habits will decide their future.
Habits can be either good or bad for us. You know which ones are good for you and which ones are not. If you have a goal, maybe your bad habit is impeding you from fully reaching that goal. Bad habits can be hard to break and it is often easy for us to justify them or we can procrastinate by saying that we will CHANGE things after a certain date. Try working on something TODAY. Do something very small that is easy. Then work on something else. Reward yourself mentally but move forward with discipline because the end result will help decide your future.
Lots to unpack here as we look at wanting a better future for ourselves and the impact it may make on others. Many times, we tell our children what to do and then don’t model the correct way ourselves. Get some courage and follow through on changing and growing yourself into something better. It will be a game changer for YOU and those you love.
What habits can you change today?
Elevator Guy