Know Thyself
I'm a firm believer in having a brutally honest self-awareness of our own personal foibles, triggers, and weaknesses. For example, I know I can't gamble in any form. I dabbled in sports gambling when I was in college, and within just a few days, I realized it could easily get away from me. Thus, I haven't even considered gambling a single cent in approximately 25 years. I have a keen self-awareness of this nuance, and I act accordingly. I don't believe that makes me weak; rather, it makes me wise.
Some things in our lives are just unhealthy for us.....period. It doesn't mean those things are unhealthy in nature, but for whatever reason, they are unhealthy for us. Again, that doesn't make us weak; it makes us self-aware....and hopefully wise.
Here's another weakness of mine. This button right here:
This button lives on the summary page of every blog e-mail that gets sent into the world. For the last 1,400 days, this button has lived on my phone screen. And for the last 1,400 days, I know this button as the source of much heartache. With a simple click, I could unearth the names of those three people who no longer value this blog enough to receive it each day.
There's nothing like clicking on this button to realize one of the closest people in your life just went out of their way to terminate your work from entering their life. It sounds dramatic, I know! But for whatever reason, this one little button has the power to create unprecedented pain and suffering in my life.
Therefore, knowing this about myself, it's a button I'm unwilling to press. That doesn't make me weak; it makes me wise. For all I know, the three people who went out of their way to rid me of their digital life a few days ago could have been my wife, sister-in-law, and best friend. Who knows!?! Not me! I always know how many people receive and read my blog each day, but I couldn't tell you who they are. I allow that to remain a mystery to me (aside from the thoughtful e-mail replies I receive), and instead, simply focus on writing what I'm called to write.
Know thyself. There are things in your life that are unreasonably tempting, troubling, and risky for you. Things that might not be inherently bad or wrong, but bad or wrong for you. Have the self-awareness to recognize them and the humility to make the right decisions. Often, these little decisions free us up to live the life we're called to live. A life full of much more meaning and a lot less turmoil. Free yourself! Be wise! A few simple decisions could unlock the better you deserve.
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