Life is a grind. Then you die. The end.
Does it ever feel like that to you? Yeah, me too. If we’re not careful we can allow our lives to become mind numbingly monotonous as we simply grind out one day after the next. Wake up. Work. Go to bed. Rinse and repeat.
In the fast paced society we live in, it becomes very easy to get caught up on life’s treadmill with tigers and lions nipping relentlessly at our heels! One day fades obliviously into the next until we look up and it’s Sunday night and time to start all over again.
“Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” – Psalm 90:12 NIV
So how do we ensure we are experiencing joy filled and meaningful “Days” instead of living out a zombie horror movie and stumbling around in a “Daze”?
Here are a few ideas you might want to experiment with:
- Have a “Big Why”: Finding your “Big Why” is the first step to climbing out of the haze of the daily grind and into your purpose. Your “Big Why” or your purpose should absolutely rip you out of bed in the morning. It will fuel your tank with energy all day long and when the going gets tough it will keep you from putting it on auto-pilot. It’s your reason for being and why you were created.
- Number Your Days: “Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” – Psalm 90:12 NIV. Life is brief and it’s a wise person that takes into account this brevity and works to make each and every day count. The life expectancy for men is 27,740 days and 29,565 days for women. I am 52 which according to the charts, means I have about 8760 days left. I intend to make every one of them count!
- Be Fully Present: This is the micro version of “Number Your Days”. Quick quiz. How much of each 24 hour day are you fully alive and present? Are you just going through motions or are you 100% engaged and focused during your waking hours? Are you eyeball to eyeball with your young children providing them your full attention when they ask you the same question for the zillionth time? How about your spouse or co-workers? No “phoning it in” allowed.
- Get Some Peeps: Everyone needs a community or a tribe to belong to. My wife and I have 3 other couples that we “do life” with. Every Sunday night we get together at one of our homes, share a meal together, and spend time enjoying each other’s company. When I’m hurting, this is the group I turn to. When I’m coasting through life, they are the ones that encourage me to get back on track – or even provide a swift kick in the butt if that’s what is needed. When I have a victory to celebrate, they are there to congratulate me and celebrate with me. No man (or woman) is an island. We were created for relationships. If you don’t have peeps, get some.
You were not placed on this earth by chance and you certainly weren’t placed here to stumble through life in a daze. Find your people, learn your purpose and commit to being present and alive throughout the rest of your life.