Hamster wheels and treadmills.

Those two thoughts are often used to describe life when it begins to develop a momentum of its own or fails to get the user to where they need to be or desire to be. Since my short few days at the hospital last week I have taken a long, hard serious look at my life and what I need to change or at least put under the microscope. So many thoughts run through my mind as to how I arrived at this place.

This includes listening to professionals like doctors, but also to my friends and family. Add in my own reviewing of my daily walk, and I have begun to come up with answers. Some of those answers are not so easy to look at or view. They poke at a life lived one way and what may well have to be changed.

[pullquote]All roads lead to Rome…[/pullquote]

I guess part of me looks at the obvious things, like more exercise or better eating habits. (I am not a junk food junkie but I know I could do better.) It is the hidden ones or the ones deemed to be “better” that are now under the microscope.

Over the next few weeks, I will reveal what I might discover or find out that I think might be helpful. (Or not. A hiatus may be on the table.)

Right now I am facing challenges that honestly, seem daunting and overwhelming. They have left me with the idea that life is changing and I need to discover some things.

Prior to the tanking of the economy I made the statement that “when there is money, people do not pay attention to what they spend or how they spend. But when there is no money there will be the need to change habits. These will surely include spending.” I think the same thing applies to difficult situations. When you are rolling along with a head of steam nothing seems like it is necessary to change. In fact it is easy to throw “more stuff” on, but when the momentum is lost, the need is to begin to pick and choose what is necessary to get you to your destination.

This surely is where I am and have ended up. Rather than come to a dead stop in the middle of the road, I need to look at what I “might have picked up” along the way. Review the capabilities and performance ability that I have. (It is one thing to quote Isaiah 40:31 and another to walk it out!)

I think yesterday, was my “okay, going to really take it serious moment”. At work we were coming to the end of 1st quarter and end of the month. My “best” efforts left me flagging. A particular sale I had worked on was seemingly going down the toilet. (And may well have by this morning.) Everything worked against me on this. I mean everything. I started to stay late last night to work it out. My head was in my hands. I realized that there was nothing I could do. It was time to leave. I got into my car with a headache that was nearing plus 10 in pain. I called a friend. He spent the next hour with me. He pointed out a lot of things. (Thankful for true friends.)

Many of us have heard or made the statement “all roads lead to Rome”. The point being that there is an answer and many things are pointing to it. For me the answer is not “Rome” but clearly an evaluation of what is being shown.

[tweetthis]Losing one’s focus makes it difficult if not impossible to fly![/tweetthis]

Ironically the business I was having a hard time with has a name that pretty much means “this is the answer”. Even as I was sitting there with my head in my hands I was getting it.

By the way, I am not looking for sympathy on this. I got here, I am the only one that needs to get out. Whether by my own decision making and/or the grace of God.

The hard part of being in “inventory” mode or evaluation mode is we want to see all the good. Sometimes “all that good” in fact, may be what is tripping you up. Being good at lots of things often makes it hard to be great or amazing at one thing.

I remember years ago a man said to me “if you are not doing it in 40 hours you are working too hard”. I knew he was saying “work smarter. Be more productive. Get your time under control.” Some how though I allowed situations and circumstances to move me off that belief schedule. Frankly there are lots of things I enjoy doing.  Going past 40 hours is “easy”. “Working smarter” and going past 40 hours may not be smarter at all for me.

But yesterday I read an article that pointed the top 10 things successful people do. Working 70 hours was NOT on their list. (As a matter of fact the article pointed out the reality that going over 55 was the cut off of performance.)

1 Corinthians 3:11-12 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.…

I know beyond any doubt Christ is my foundation. But as I look at this scripture, it is more to me. It is about what is being released. It is not about death or dying to me. Not about judgment. But it shows to me an attitude that one must resolve in one’s heart. Whether it is productivity, rest, performance, time or anything else.

Off the hamster wheel. Off the treadmill. He leads me to still waters.