Focusing on Priorities

For the very first time I have been struggling with writing my next post. I do have two full pages of great topics on following your joy that I am so excited for and can barely wait to write about! But this week I had a hard time finding the inspiration to put words together. Really, it’s a quite simple task, but I was making it too complex and got lost in my head.

And then my dear friend, Liv, magically sent this picture of her adorable little angel toddler, Truman (“Tru,” we call him), in his “JOY” outfit…and everything became clear.

First off, Tru is our godson (lucky us!). The last time Bill and I were with their family, we watched in amazement as Tru went about his little world…full of wonder, curiosity, and awe; in full-out exploration of everything in his surroundings. He threw his head back with full-body giggles when the dog did something goofy. He studied his big brother’s every movement and “Star Wars” poses as though he were learning a new trade. He gazed adoringly at his mom and dad with eyes that said “I love you” like nothing else in the world mattered.

Tru inhaled each breath slowly. He was alert and awake to everything around him. He stopped what he was doing to Read more »

These two guys were pretty special in my life. And as we all know, life is fragile; and any of us can make the transition—at any moment—to the next place in life. Uncle Tom died at age 42 of cancer. Cousin Tommy died at 7 of a rare disease of the immune system. Tom was my godfather; Tommy was my godson.

When I lead classes on effective time management or uncovering life purpose, I pass around a framed version of the photo above. Many of the class participants seem to struggle with just how, precisely, to identify what’s most important in their life with all that they have going on, tugging at them. I always say that when you get down to it, though, it’s not as tough to figure out as one might think.

The sweet picture of my two special guys always drives the message home.

At the core, we all do know what’s important to us. But life gets busy, and Read more »