Taking a Break

In the past few weeks I've been bothered by some pain in my right heel. I'm not sure what has caused it, but I noticed it after one of my running days. I took a week off in hopes of giving it some time to heal, but it didn't get completely better. Since I'm stubborn (and perhaps a little addicted to running) I decided to get back on the streets in spite of my discomfort. It doesn't hurt too much when I'm running, but I have to concentrate to make sure it isn't altering my stride which would lead to other problems.

I was talking about it with a friend over coffee this week and came to the conclusion that I should take some extended time off to allow it to properly heal. I don't want to do something so damaging through my stubbornness that will cause me long term damage. As much I don't want to stop running, it's in my best interest to adjust my habits to give me time to recover. I will have to ramp up my gym time and use other methods of keeping my fitness levels where I want them.

Sometimes we've got to make difficult decisions that aren't the most appealing in the short term, but make better sense for our long term health. This takes an understanding of life goals and the willingness to make temporary adjustments that will eventually bring greater benefits. Success in life isn't just about what's happening right now, but how the present is setting us up for a better future.

Benefits Package

When my wife and I travel to Arizona (which we love to do) we have certain routines we stick to. While our airline will vary depending on the best possible price, we always rent our vehicles from National Car Rental. I have a contact there who always takes fantastic care of us from the reservation all the way through our return. In fact, he usually makes sure our vehicles are pulled forward and waiting for us when we arrive and expedites our check-in process. There are certain benefits from knowing someone and being a consistent customer.

We all like to receive benefits whether it’s a perk from our employment, privileges from club membership, or other positive results from our relationships. I think most of us look through this lens of personal fulfillment to make decisions about relationships, opportunities, and where we invest our energy. Before we engage in something we usually want to know how it will personally benefit us.

What if we shifted our perspective on this idea and spent the same amount of energy determining how we beneficial we are to other people? How much richer would our personal relationships be if we asked two questions: Am I adding benefit to the people around me? Are others enriched by my presence? I believe this focus will not only strengthen our key relationships, but will radically transform the way we view our community. Actively looking for ways to help other people adds value to all of us.

Do What You Want

Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial.  1 Corinthians 10:23

This is a verse I think about and quote often. It's a great reminder of the freedom we have to act, think, and speak as we wish, but also of the consequences of our choices. What we choose to do and say will affect people around us and may create a rift in our relationships if we aren't careful. 

While we may be comfortable with our lifestyle and faith decisions, others may not recognize the balance we maintain. I don't believe we need to over-think or fret about every decision we make, but we should at least be respectfully cognizant of other people. A healthy respect for the choices of others reveals our maturity and our willingness to engage in dialogue without immediately alienating people. It's not a responsibility to take lightly if we truly value our potential to generate positive influence.

Just because we can doesn't mean we should. 

More Than a Feeling

There are some days when you run farther than you ever have before and feel fantastic during and after it. Then there are the days when you struggle through a normal run and pray that your legs make it all the way back home. Regardless of the difference in feeling, there was running on both days.

Everything won't always be easy no matter how much I might desire it to be. The key to long term success is being disciplined enough to do the right thing even when it doesn't flow smoothly. Day to day focus on good choices and actions will deliver long term positive benefits.

Personal Return

What's in it for me? 

No matter what we are offering to people they want to know the answer to this question. If we expect people to make an investment in a relationship, to be part of a church, or to purchase something from a local business, they want to make sure it brings some level of personal reward. If we believe there is personally redeemable value in the next step we are more willing to take it. If we don't see how it brings us benefit we will walk away or refuse to engage.

The Right Thing

Dean Smith is the former head men's basketball coach at the University of North Carolina. He is retired now and is still highly respected throughout the sporting world. He has influenced thousands of people through his coaching and most importantly, through his personal life and character.

The story is told of how he helped to bring about social change in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and the home of the university. Desegregation was still part of the society in North Carolina at the time that he began his coaching career-especially in local restaurants. Dean apparently chose to fight this wrong in a very quiet and respectful way. After church one Sunday he invited a member of his church who happened to be black (and a personal friend) to have lunch with him after services. They dined peacefully at this local establishment and their efforts started the process of rectifying this wrong. Even though Dean was not the head coach at the time, he was respected enough that his quiet stance spoke about what was important.

One of the outstanding things about Dean is that when he was asked about this incident he responded by quietly speaking a powerful truth. He said, "You should never be proud of doing what's right. You should just do what's right." This is not only a testimony to his character, but a poignant reminder for each of us. We can do what is right while looking for the spotlight to shine on us or we can just do what should be done for the betterment of us all. Learn to look for ways to do the right thing just because it's the right thing to do. The rewards will be found in an improved society of like-minded people pursuing a mutually beneficial higher calling.

Wasted

We all have ways of wasting time by doing things that distract us from our purpose and derail us in pursuit of our goals. Some are deliberate while others are only recognized after the time is gone. It can be confusing sometimes as we may mistakenly mis-evaluate things as interruptions and distractions when they are actually pushing us in the right direction. These are things we do where we might feel we are being wasteful when they are actually beneficial to us. 

It's never a waste of our time when we:

• Have seemingly directionless conversations with our children. This is time that can not be recovered once it is gone and we should value even the silly moments while we have them. 
• Have quiet moments with our spouses. There doesn't always have to be a conversation for time together to be renewing. 
• Invest in someone else. We should have someone that we are pouring energy into through prayer, conversation, and accountability. Immediate results may not be seen, but we need to be faithful to the intention of developing others. 
• Rest. When this is used as justification for laziness we have missed the real meaning of taking a (brief) break. Rest is essential if we are going to operate at full strength and use our gifts & talents wisely. 
• Practice silence. I have learned the hard way that you don't always have to speak to be heard. You can gain more insight and often offer more wisdom by observing & choosing the best time to interject. 
• Praying. This seems fairly obvious, but when we pray without seeing the results we are asking for it can be frustrating. Know that even if you don't receive the response you think you should, the discipline of prayer is building you up spiritually. 

Tomorrow's blog will examine the ways that we actually waste our time and how we can limit those negative practices.