"There will always be a part, and always a very large part of every community, that have no care but for themselves, and whose care for themselves reaches little further than impatience of immediate pain, and eagerness for the nearest good." Samuel Johnson
I walk with a dear friend of mine early in the morning twice a month, on average. As we walk, we talk about some deeper issues in life ...'Issue' is defined (click here) as a subject or problem that people are thinking or talking about... Weather and price of tea in China are issues we never talk about, unless weather cancels our walk. We discuss faith. We talk about our relationships with our wives. We pray for each other to be better stewards and men of integrity. We wax philosophical about God's plan for our lives. We contemplate possible life lessons in obstacles we are facing. We laugh, cry and encourage a lighter look on the world. We share nuggets of Wisdom we've gleaned from experience, reading and listening. We cherish time together.
I believe we all need a few people we can be real with. I'm not talking about the gossip and griping most of us do to make us feel better about ourselves. I'm not talking about getting someone to see our point of view to further our own agenda. I'm talking about some folks who will call me on my crap... keep me accountable , tell me "it's NOT going to be alright, it's gonna hurt for a while!" I need empathy and Truth. Keep the sympathy... Sympathy will kill me... (oh, you went out and and drank again? that's ok, just start over...) Forget it! I'd rather I be told to cut the crap, grow up and DO something about it, 'cuz you've been whining about the SAME THING for weeks now and haven't done SQUAT, Tim!!
So... one morning we're walking and I'm whining (LOL, I ain't perfect) that I can never get to a spot where I'm comfortable with life. I'm prayin', goin' to meetings, workin', trainin', studyin', readin', datin' my wife, callin' people, makin' money, spendin' money... but I can never get to the place where it's enough and I can relax! Know what he tells me? Tim, you gotta stay one step ahead of the 'Sweet Spot'. ... huh?!? He explains what the phrase means and it makes PERFECT sense! A few weeks later, I'm reading a book on leadership, or maybe it was the You tube video I watched by Napoleon Hill, some audio I listened to concerning my side biz, the book of Proverbs -not sure exactly- and I get it... Either we are green and growing, or we are ripe and rotting... (come to find out, Ray Kroc quoted it...) As soon as I get comfy, I start to go backward...
The 'Sweet Spot' is the place Samuel Johnson was talking about. (read the beginning again)
What road are you walkin' down? One you know will get you There? One that EVERYBODY else is walkin'? Well, why not? We're all going the same place, aren't we?
~aren't we?~
Probably... unless... what if there IS a narrow road to somewhere we dare hope exists? What if it IS the Way Home?
Start small, but out of your comfort zone... for some, the front door... GO!
Peace be the journey!
timlambert.travelspy@gmail.com
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