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10 Life Lessons From The Highway (Part 7 of 10)

LIFE LESSON # 7

Sometimes you set out without any idea where you are going and no idea how to get there, and you have no choice but to rely on GPS.

When we set out on our journey through life, we generally begin with no idea what’s out there, what the pitfalls and dangers are. In our early years we tend to feel that we can afford to make mistakes because we are young and will have time to correct whatever goes wrong with our lives. So we set out taking unnecessary and dangerous risks.

As we grow older and (hopefully) wiser, we begin to think more long term. We start to think beyond the moment; beyond where we are now. We begin to think about where we would like to be 5, 10, or 15 years from now.

Years ago when my wife and I decided to move to Canada, we did so having had no prior visits to Canada. The whole journey therefore was new to us. We relied on knowing where we needed to end up; booking the right flight(s); and finally, we had arranged with someone to meet us and take us to our intended destination – an apartment which would be our home for a while.

Many things that we pursue throughout our lifetime is done with no guarantee of where we will end up. Yes we are most times reasonably sure of where we WANT to end up but one wrong turn can take us somewhere entirely different.

How many times have we heard others speak about being in their current career ‘by accident’? While in most instances they are enjoying their accidental vocation, one should not rely on that approach working out for them always.

Any destination that one seeks to reach should be carefully and deliberately planned, with appropriate guidance from others who know about the destination; persons who have travelled the journey and can caution you around the pitfalls; persons who can legitimately claim to have ‘been there, done that;’ and who can provide wise counsel around how to get there.

Some will choose to just ‘wing it,’ but even when we know where we want to get to, know how to get there and have made the best laid plans to get there, sometimes we fail to notice that the GPS is sending us down the wrong path, giving us the wrong directions, and we ultimately get lost.

“Uhmm…I think I missed my turn a few miles back!”

Which will be the topic of takes my next Life Lesson: “Sometimes our GPS gets it wrong.”

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inspiration

Comparison – The Thief of Our Joy

Focusing on the things you have control over – your choices, attitudes, and your efforts – frees up your mind to accomplish great things.

We are all made complete – with infinite capacity to achieve and to impact our world. After all, we have been ‘…fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps. 139:14)”

However, we often get distracted by others in pursuit of their own paths and goals. Sometimes we are inspired by them, other times becoming intimidated – giving up on our own dreams; or resentful – envious of what they have accomplished.

WRONG MOVE! While an appreciation of what others have accomplished can help to spur us on to recognize that we can also excel at what we do and what we were meant to accomplish, if not careful we can take the wrong lesson from such comparisons.

“Don’t read Beauty Magazines – they will only make you feel Ugly!” These are words from a famous recording. Does that reflect your response to someone else’s success?

If we are honest, we are very likely to admit that too much of our time is spent focusing on the wrong things and indeed the wrong persons. We have spent our time comparing ourselves with others:- our colleagues; our former schoolmates; our friends; etc. – based on what we perceive their circumstances and accomplishments to be like.

When we focus to much on others we limit our own progress and we are sometimes left feeling like failures and, at times, resentful, unappreciative, jealous, and ultimately ‘joy-less.’

Stop comparing yourself to others – except for the purpose of gaining confidence in your ability to achieve, and indeed surpass, that which you might have considered impossible. Focusing on the things you have control over – your choices, attitudes, and your efforts – frees up your mind to accomplish great things.

That might be one of the best ‘Life Resolutions’ you could make for 2022 and beyond.

#comparison #focus #goals