Madeline
My wife has developed the habit of writing down funny things our children say over the years. No matter how much things make us laugh at the time they’re said, we find we don’t remember them later unless we record them.
My middle daughter — Madeline — is now four years old. My wife created a post on our family blog the other day in which she was sharing Madeline’s list of funniest sayings. I came across this gem, offered by Madeline after a less-than-positive interaction with her younger sister, Savannah.
I don’t think Savannah knew I wanted a cup. I think she thought I wanted a slap in the eye.
I got a good laugh from the memory. But Madeline’s statement also made me think. How often have I been unhappy with a part of my life when I haven’t taken the time to clearly define what I wanted — haven’t set expectations, turned my desires into goals, and chosen to pursue what would bring success in a given area? I was jogged along the same line of thinking when I recently saw this quote: If you don’t know what you want, you render yourself incapable of being fulfilled.
So true. It’s easy to drift through life with only vague impressions of the type of person we want to be and the results we hope to achieve. We feel disappointed when our days and weeks don’t turn out the way we want. And too often, when facing discouragement, we do the most terrible thing — we lower our standards.
We redefine a lousy day or a lingering wound. “It wasn’t really that bad. No big deal. Nothing to get upset about. It didn’t really bother me all that much.”
Soon, we’ve shut down a part of our heart that we desperately need alive. Desire is the strongest force in your life to bring about change. Don’t push it down. Listen to it; learn from it; write it down.
Here’s a simple exercise that can have a huge impact. Tonight, just before you go to bed, get out a notebook and tell life what you want. Write down a dozen goals or dreams you desire to see fulfilled in the near future. Think through what each one would mean to you. Then go to sleep. When you get up the next morning, take 3 minutes to read through your goals before starting your day.
Repeat this evening/morning habit each day for two weeks and see how it affects your thinking, your attitude, and the progress toward your goals. It’s a tiny step that can make a huge difference. And it’s certainly better than a slap in the eye.
