My brother gave me a clock several years ago while I was still a bachelor and living with my friend David Hough. It was a Simpsons clock featuring a quote from from Homer every hour. The favorite by far of David and myself was one in which Homer says simply, with his characteristic salivating groan, "Mmmmm, something." For those needing a bit more scholarly of a quote source, Henry David Thoreau suggests that we "Be not simply good, be good for something." For good measure I'll add in the always cryptic old maxim "Idle hands are the devil's workshop." The goal in all these references is to warn against the dangers of coasting and inaction, and to encourage everyone to explore their potential. For those who may see these statements as judgmental, who else would write a message like this but someone for whom this is their greatest trouble.
This problem can manifest itself in many ways, from the person who is always in crisis but never seems to take the needed steps to get out of their situation, to the lazy guy who always dreams but never seems to take enough initiative to chase those dreams. The latter is evident in myself, and I speak from experience when I say that the cure for this is to do something... anything, just don't do nothing. The issue is usually that we tend to think and think and think and think about what to do next and how to solve the current obstacle, but for people like me, thinking is our greatest talent and action our greatest weakness. Most of the time we just need to pick something and go with it, and in this action, if something needs to be changed, then change it. I realize the biggest obstacle is a fear that we'll do the wrong thing, but I'm here to tell you that doing nothing produces just as many, if not more, regrets than making a wrong decision. It is a great tendency of God to make good out of bad situations, but even He can't make good out of no situation at all.
It is true that someone can lead a good life by merely "getting by." This person won't hurt anybody, they may be content with a decent job, they won't have a lot of hardships, but at the end of the day this person may look back and notice that, in staying in their comfort zone, they didn't affect anybody or anything. This is one of my own fears, so again, I speak from experience when I exhort you to write that book, learn the guitar, have those kids, invite that guy on the corner for dinner, start that business, and don't be stingy with the road trips or it may be that the only 'legacy' you leave behind will be that old Subaru.
Phillipians 4:8-9 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think of such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me - put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
This problem can manifest itself in many ways, from the person who is always in crisis but never seems to take the needed steps to get out of their situation, to the lazy guy who always dreams but never seems to take enough initiative to chase those dreams. The latter is evident in myself, and I speak from experience when I say that the cure for this is to do something... anything, just don't do nothing. The issue is usually that we tend to think and think and think and think about what to do next and how to solve the current obstacle, but for people like me, thinking is our greatest talent and action our greatest weakness. Most of the time we just need to pick something and go with it, and in this action, if something needs to be changed, then change it. I realize the biggest obstacle is a fear that we'll do the wrong thing, but I'm here to tell you that doing nothing produces just as many, if not more, regrets than making a wrong decision. It is a great tendency of God to make good out of bad situations, but even He can't make good out of no situation at all.
It is true that someone can lead a good life by merely "getting by." This person won't hurt anybody, they may be content with a decent job, they won't have a lot of hardships, but at the end of the day this person may look back and notice that, in staying in their comfort zone, they didn't affect anybody or anything. This is one of my own fears, so again, I speak from experience when I exhort you to write that book, learn the guitar, have those kids, invite that guy on the corner for dinner, start that business, and don't be stingy with the road trips or it may be that the only 'legacy' you leave behind will be that old Subaru.
Phillipians 4:8-9 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think of such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me - put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
