It is a cold, sunny November morning as I write these words. It will be January before this post is published. Another month, another year.
Three things are on my mind as I contemplate 2022:
- I write these words precisely one year after our friend’s daughter lost her battle to cancer.
- I write these words two weeks after attending a conference where one of the exhibitors did not get out of bed in the morning.
- I write these words as I enter my fifth decade.
Time moves quickly. And there are no guarantees we, or those we love, will be here tomorrow.
Time will march on nevertheless.
So, the question then becomes, what are we going to do? Are we going to celebrate because “life is short but sweet for certain?” Are we to hunker down and do work that matters? Or, are we to leverage the time we have with the people we love?
Yes.
I point out the brevity of life to invite you to contemplate what matters.
There has been a lot of STUFF infecting the limited time you and I have the past two years.
Political divisiveness.
COVID-19 commentary.
Mandates.
News.
Social Media.
Entertainment.
Alcohol.
Drugs.
Consumerism.
The list goes on.
No lecture forthcoming. But, what jumps out to you? Has any of the above robbed you of the necessary headspace to live intentionally and well?
What is important but not a priority?
What is both unimportant and emotionally taxing?
Do any offer a positive ROI on energy spent?
No lecture. I trust you to decide.
I have discovered that most of the items I have gotten worked up about are not worth getting worked up about. Further, most of the “fixes” do not offer the ROI required.
And I have discovered that time marches on regardless.
So, here I am back on that November morning. I’m aware of the brevity of life. I am aware of the pain around me. I am aware that the clock is ticking for me too.
I feel alive.
I feel hopeful.
Scroll back to the top. What did you notice in the first sentence? November? Cold?
Or, did you notice that the sun was shining?
The sun is shining.
It is still November, which means it gets dark too early in these parts of the country.
It is cold, which is self-explanatory.
So, 2/3 of the equation is negative.
I am seeing the sun regardless.
Are you?
The clock is ticking. So, this month I am going to share thoughts on intentional living. Whether it is our individual lives or our leadership lives, intentional living is paramount in its importance.
Intentionality starts with setting a direction.
Next week I will dive into that.
In the interim, choose to see the sun.