The First Step To Where You Want to Be

Going through the back pack there are numerous items of importance.  Hair brush and comb, tissues, aspirins, band aids, mirror, toothbrush and tooth paste, a deck of cards...

So, you are going on a hike, and suddenly find yourself in unfamiliar territory.  Now what would you want in your back pack?  Any of these articles?  All of these articles? Perhaps even none of these articles?  Some of these things could be helpful, but which ones, and would there be some other things you might add? You would probably add a compass and maybe even a map, a jacket, and there are other things you would find to be helpful. 

 I remember when I was in high school we were encouraged to take a test to determine what occupation we would be most suitable for.  By answering a number of questions on what we enjoyed doing, where our talents and interests lay, voila!  There is what we should pursue as our vocation.  

That sounds like a plan, and indeed throughout our long life of making a living we often asked ourselves (my husband and I) what do we want to do in life?  What are our talents, and what will make us happy as well as productive. 

Matthew 25:14  "For it is as when a man, going into another country, called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15)  And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to each according to his several ability; and he went on his journey."

For some folks this decision may not be hard .  Like the one talent person there is one focus in their life and they know what it is.  In our instance we had more than one area of interest and our focus became too wide.  Consequently, we went in more than one direction and we never really focused; and we were never successful in any one area. 

Now being successful is a subjective thing. One can be poor and appear unsuccessful to the world by not having lots of what society recognizes as success-items.  Another person can have all the signs of affluence, but be miserable and poor.

Spending all our life making a living and not having enough time left to live our life.  Life was difficult in the beginning because of the money factor, but the one thing we had was hope.  Hope that tomorrow we would find the jack pot.  The dream occupation that would fill our pockets with money, and also allow us the time to take time and enjoy life.

Tip number one:  first determine where you want to end up.   This is not about money...only.  Twenty million years ago when I was young and idealistic, my mother --who was no longer young nor idealistic--and I were having a discussion. 
"Marry a man with money," she advised.
"I plan on marrying for love.  You don't have to have money to be happy," I told her.
"Well, you just try living without it," she snapped back.

Who was right?  We both were.  Keep in mind that money is neither good nor bad.  It just makes you more of what you are, as Dave Ramsey says.  Yes, wealth of some kind is necessary, but wealth in and of it's self is not worth anything if our character is rotten. 

Luke 9:25  "For what is a man profited, if he gain the whole world, and lose or forfeit his own self?"

Tolstoy wrote in Anna Karenina:   “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” 

Many people come to the end of their days and find they have thrown away true happiness hand over fist trying to make money, without having made a life.  

We'll carry on more of the discussion on the next post.

Matthew 6:33  "But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."