Out of Practice

There are good habits we build into our lives that don't always endure. Any number of factors can crowd that established behavior out of our schedule including those in and out of our control. I feel that way about writing for this blog. I went through a period of nearly three years where I wrote a daily entry and committed to creating content intended to help people. In the last twelve months, however, that dedication has wavered due to a crowded schedule, personal choices, and even writer's block. Even though I haven't been able to place the emphasis on writing I once did, it's something I want to add back into my regular routine.

We can learn to reestablish habits if they really matter to us. Even if we have started and stopped multiple times, it is possible to relearn the rhythm that once came naturally. It takes a focused desire to follow through, a willingness to set aside the time to make it happen, and some level of accountability. The decision to create and maintain these habits is up to each of us and the value we place on them.

Start Today

The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is now.

Chinese Proverb

There are many things I wish I had done earlier (or not at all) in my life. I can't change those decisions no matter how much I might wish to do so. What is within my power is the ability to resolve to live differently in this moment.

What changes can be made in each of our lives today? What new patterns can we begin? What new road can we start to travel down that will lead to a better destination?

We can continue to bemoan our previously poor planting skills or decide we will do what we can to create a future that is better than our current circumstances.

Tall Task

What do you do when the task at hand seems so overwhelming that you don't know where to begin? The mountain of problem(s) is larger than you are able to accurately evaluate and attack. You want to make changes and create impact, but it really seems too big to overcome. These are life circumstances that seem to overwhelm us at every turn.

• Your marriage has been ignored for so long that scars have built up that deaden your sensitivity. 
• Your addiction has such deep hooks in you that are scared to think about the innumerable steps in recovery.
• It's been so long since you spoke loving & encouraging words to your children that the wall of mistrust is bigger and stronger than your willpower. 
• Your passion for making a difference is tempered by the sheer volume of damaged, hurting people surrounding you and the deep strongholds that refuse to let them go. 

I'm reminded of a great quote from Pat Riley, general manager of the Miami Heat, who said (about the immense work in front of him), "I feel like a mosquito in a nudist colony. I know what I'm supposed to do-I just don't know where to start." The truth is that we can look at our circumstances in the same light. When faced with this mountain we get to choose one of two reactions: be so overwhelmed that we are paralyzed with the enormity of the task or choose a direction and start ferociously working to at least see some progress. I'd rather invest effort in trying something than finding failure through passivity and fear.