The author, Dr. Travis Bradberry, goes on to outline these 10 truths that we easily forget as being:
1. Being busy does not equal being productive.
I can relate to that one, both at work and personally. Sometimes we are going through the movements of activity and at the end of the day when we look back, may question what we even accomplished. In my job, there are days when I know I have been doing my job but tasks on my own to do list of what needs to get done are not getting accomplished. It is important to ensure that efforts are dedicated to tasks that get results.
2. Great success is often preceded by failure.
I remember my band teacher in school telling us that if we are going to make a mistake, make it loud enough for others to hear. Advice that allowed us freedom to make mistakes because in those mistakes, you experience success in embracing failure. As a teacher, I have always encouraged my students to make mistakes because it is part of the learning process. For those students who have perfectionist tendencies, this was always a difficult lesson to learn. Bradberry states that, "The biggest breakthroughs topically come when you are feeling the most frustrated and the most stuck. It's the frustration that forces you to think differently, to look outside the box and see the solution that you've been missing." Success can come through making mistakes and often teaches us more about who we are and helps us see our character. It means being patient and remaining positive even when the path to success (goal achievement) can be a long one.
I recently heard a couple of quotes on Sirius XM The Message that are applicable:
"It is not what you get in achieving your goals but who you become."
"Don't let who you were talk you out of who you are becoming."
3. Fear is the #1 source of regret.
I am sure we have all been there before, when we have reflected on the past and lamented over chances we were too scared to take that have left regret. I want to live life fully and in order to do this, there is no room to live with regret. Our regrets are often what teaches us what truly matters in life, so we need to keep in mind the above and learn from mistakes made so we won't continue to live a life of regret.
4. Your self-worth must come from within.
I would agree with this from the stance that we shouldn't constantly compare ourselves to others. However, I believe that self-worth comes from my faith and relationship with God. To me, it is more about my worth based on who He created me to be rather than who I can be without Him. I am who I am because of my faith and the strength that comes from Christ. He is my rock and my redeemer.
5. You're only as good as those you associate with.
I remember my parents always saying, "Guilty by association," which is really the non-example of this point. I was fortunate enough to have a good support of friends in my teen years. Later in life, as relationships have grown deeper, I have been blessed to be surrounded by friends who speak truth into my life and who inspire me. People who make me want to be a better person and who lift me up and encourage me.
6. Life is short.
There are no guarantees in life. I think there have been many times when I have re-learned this lesson. When Ayden passed away, it was another reminder at just how short life can be. It is times of grief that cause us to take stock of our lives. We reflect on what's really important, how we spend our time, who we spend our time with, and how we treat those around us. Loosing someone we love is a reminder of how frail life is. Each day is a new day and a gift. We should remember the blessing we've been given in each day and live our life in accordance.
7. You don't have to what for an apology to forgive.
As we said above, life is short, and it is too short to hold grudges. An unforgiving heart leads to negativity and allows events from the past and past hurts to have power over today's happiness. The negative emotions of unforgiveness (if that is even a word) can create undue stress to your body - emotionally, spiritually, and physically. Forgiveness doesn't mean you condone someone's actions but simply gives you freedom from it. Forgiveness allows you to show God's love as you begin a journey of restoration of relationship. And in the end, life is about the people we love and the relationships we have with them.
8. You're living the life you've created.
Every decision we make has a consequence. We can't live life not being accountable for the decisions we have made. We need to see that our decisions need to be made based on our values, beliefs, and aspirations. We have created the circumstances in which we live and the decisions we make tomorrow and the day after will either move us forward to achieving our goals and living our dreams or will lead us further away. In the end, the choice is ours. Many recent devotions have focused on decision making and the importance of making biblical decisions that keep you on track to live a life God planned for you. As such it is important in making decisions to pray for guidance, get the facts, ask for advice from people you trust, calculate the cost, prepare for problems, and face your fears. All wise counsel in helping us live the life we want. After all, life is not about what happens to you, it is about how you react.
9. Live in the moment.
I know I have struggled with this one in the past. It is about not being all present where you are. We allow our busy schedules to often distract us. We allow our devices to distract us. We can't reach our full potential if we are living life in the past. We need to learn to live life in the present and look toward our future. In order to live in the moment, Bradberry reminds us that we need to accept our past and make peace with it and we need to accept the uncertainty of the future and not worry about things we don't know about or can't change. Mark Twain once said, "Worrying is like paying a debt you don't owe."
I have to admit that I had some worries over two small things this week. Remember the book, "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff?" Well, this week was busier than others with the start of baseball for Jaret and soccer for Kirra. Throw in a birthday and a birthday party and it amounted to being busier than we care to be. And in that, I worried over some of the small stuff. What was I worried and a little stressed about? Don't laugh when I tell you…I worried over icing for birthday cupcakes for school and doing Kirra's hair and make-up for dance pictures this morning. I know, silly worries. And worrying didn't help the situation. I had expectations that I put on myself over what the cupcakes should look like. I borrowed icing tips and a recipe from a friend. Kirra helped me and the cupcakes turned out fine. No need to worry. But, I did buy some Betty Crocker icing as a back up just in case. And regarding hair and make-up for dance, I don't do anything fancy with Kirra's hair and had no idea how I was going to get her short hair into a dance bun. And how do you apply make-up such as eyeliner and mascara to a six year old's already beautiful face anyway? In the end, all turned out fine and I knew that the worrying was all for nothing. And did the stress impact me negatively - a little as I spent today with my body shutting down. It had indeed caught up to me - a headache, sore throat, and a little achy. Rest certainly helped but also taught me that the worry is so not worth worrying over.
As I snapped these pictures, a lump formed in my throat as I had a glimpse of my little girl ten years from now. She looks so grown up hear and as I saw older girls at the studio getting ready for pictures it just reminded me again at how fast these years go. However, that being said, after pictures we washed Kirra's hair and washed the make-up off her face and Kirra told me she doesn't like wearing make-up. Loved having my beautiful, innocent, little girl back!
Experience each moment and live life with gratitude and purpose. Choose contentment, joy, and gratitude over living a life of judgement and a discontent spirit and heart. Being grateful each day helps me focus on the blessings in my life and helps me live a life of joy. When I allow the little things to bother me, I feel an unhappy spirit and that is not how I want to live my life.
10. Change is inevitable - embrace it.
Change is never easy for any of us. I remember years ago when I first began teaching, there were some teachers who had taught the same grade, at the same school, for so long. I remember thinking how I didn't want to be like that. That I saw change as part of growth and learning. However, when I thought that and prayed, I also didn't want as much change in my own life as I have experienced. LOL! But, in all that change, I do feel I have embraced it and have learned from it. And when you are in a season of your life when things are going well and you are in that comfort zone, it is important to enjoy it because you never know when change is coming to shake life up a bit. There is no point in life to searching for something more or something better. It is an important lesson to appreciate what you have. To appreciate all the blessings that are right in front of you.
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