There is a tug-of-war in me to DO AND CREATE versus to BE AND RELATE.
This year I had a thought that I may not doing something great in this life. That I would be average. That soul killing thought lasted less than a few hours and put it out of my mind and I will never have that thought again.
But I believe there is another killer to life’s potential in us other than the complacency of being average, it is the drive and anxiousness of a person striving to create purpose and action in his life without taking the time to create the foundation to do so.
Sometimes when reading motivating books, passages, and thoughts, I get an anxiousness deep in my soul to start doing.
To start creating.
The feeling is I am behind and need to do something and to be doing more. But this can be as dangerous as someone who has no vision, no purpose, no drive, and content with being average.
It is dangerous because in the desire to do something and be something, action is taken without purpose. Days are filled with busy work rather than things that truly matter.
There is a tug-of-war in me to DO AND CREATE versus to BE AND RELATE.
We need both and I think that our first step may be the later.
To be and relate is not my natural inclination.
For me, each day starts at ZERO.
Even my vacations have a plan to ensure an accomplishment each day. Sometimes the goal is to sit by the pool and read, or play with the kids on the sand, or run on the beach in the morning.
But, in the mindset of a doer, of one who needs to accomplish something, the greatest starting point may be to just be still and to just be present.
To be present is a skillset I am learning.
Im learning to enjoy what it means to slow down. To take time each morning to reflect and ground my heart, soul, and mind. This action of being present coupled with prayer/meditation and thoughts of gratitude and vision for the future help to establish an emotional capacity for my day.
To relate is also not my natural bent, but it has helped create much more of a rich life.
In seeking relationships and knowing others, we also grow. We grow in empathy, we grow in knowledge, we grow in the ideas we have, and in the convictions we hold.
We can start to see life in a different perspective. And these relationships will help our actions have more purpose.
So my conclusion is this.
Do not settle for average. However, in your drive to do something great, ensure that your life, your mind, and your soul take time to BE and RELATE.