The question is… Does your life get in the way of your living? By that I mean – is your life so full, so busy that you don’t have any time for… living? Yes, I am specially defining both ‘life’ and ‘living’. These are extremely important concepts and questions and no, this isn’t word games. My opinion is that we are missing the joys of living because we are too involved with our life. Stop for a moment and remember a time when you were fully involved in whatever was happening and you felt such an intense… satisfaction? How long ago was this time? Perhaps the question should be – is this valuable to you? Sufficiently so that you will begin to create opportunities for (fill in your blank) to be repeated?
Responsibilities or the lack of our acceptance of them will always influence our day. And while they should influence, should they rule? ‘It depends’ is the usual answer. However how we define, determine, and decide what ‘responsibilities’ are, those we need to be committed to is the issue. Specifically, definitions, primarily by operational adjectives – Living: intentionally alert, fully engaged, based in your personal standards, fruitful, growing and learning – Life: the observable results from your living, good and bad, effective and counterproductive.
If those ‘definitions’ appear unspecific – probably true. The point is that YOU need to appreciate the observable and operational components in your definitions – it can’t be only those mind thoughts. The reason is that it is very difficult to make changes without knowing what the results, ramifications from what ‘Life’ and ‘Living’ means for you. Our lives, whether or not we acknowledge this, is our lifelong learning lab. We can choose how we respond to the stimuli that impacts our lives. But we don’t live in a cocoon. Thus, we can grow from our learning or stubbornly refuse… to our own detriment.
I wonder why it seems to be that we tend to shoot ourselves in the foot when it comes to our own living? We tend to also defend our status quo rather than to reach for our best. Living seems, in my world of definitions, to be defined in terms of ‘stretching’ ourselves or to venture outside the box in order to continue to become all we’re intended to be and do. This was not said in criticism or condemnation – it tends to be what is. However, once we are aware of what is happening, how we are living then we can choose to expand our living and experience a more vibrant (individually defined) life! I hasten to add that this will never occur outside a relationship with the Lord. He is the One who will encourage and empower us to… live.
