ANCHORS AWAY

August 14, 2011

One has to ask three keys questions to navigate successfully through tumultuous times. Where have I centered my life? What are my anchors to keep me centered where I want to be? What are my beacons to align and guide me to where I need to be?

You can't get to a destination without first knowing where you are. So how do you know you have arrived at that place you desire in life? One of the ways is to examine what you treasure above all else. Is it leisure, freedom to purchase things, time with family, or is it your church or special interest? You might have arrived at a place in your life where you feel uncomfortable having sacrificed other opportunities or centered on a failing cause that makes you question the path you've chosen. Perhaps it's time to examine where you've centered a majority of your thoughts lately. Are you spending your time and energy on what you truly want? Finding this center and determining if it is worth the value you have given it is so important! This is where your heart is and determines your ultimate destiny.

Yes, life is a blessing and many are living whole and happy lives centered about the very thing that matters most to them and others they love. However, finding that comfortable place in life doesn't mean it will always remain that way. Without an anchor, even the largest of vessels would find itself adrift in the current of a vast ocean, pushed about by gusts from the lightest of elements in nature. Even with anchors, we (like boats) can still drift if the length is insufficient or bottom too soft to provide support against powerful forces in life.

So what if we find ourselves wandering from a place or path to find our way home? Our choice of beacons for such guidance can not be moving themselves and provide adequate reference for directions or corrections we must make to stay centered where we belong. Even Polaris, the North Star, points to "true" north only occasionally throughout the seasons as our amazing planet wobbles around its center on its journey in space. If Earth, in all its grandeur, requires anchors like the sun and moon to stabilize its flight, can you imagine how much more we need the same influences in our own lives?

As glorious creations in a masterful design, may we find that center about which we revolve, anchored with strength on that which matters most, and chart a course to improvement with wise choices to light and guide our paths!

Anchors Away,

DEPOSITS

August 7, 2011


During this time of global financial turmoil, one might be tempted to judge where they stand in life only in terms of monetary measurements.  More importantly, are we checking where we stand individually in our relationships with friends, co-workers, and loved ones?  Are you deeply in debt or over-drawn emotionally with someone important in your life?  Has someone drawn against their positive balance or ruined their credit standing with you by taking more than giving?  Although financial management matters in life, this accounting of love is far more crucial to peace and happiness than money.

How can we build a treasure of good will with others in our life?  To cope with stress and challenges, we all need to fill our reservoir of good feelings and trust by having a positive balance or excellent history with others.  Every smile, every hug, every uplifting word, every act of kindness, patience, or thoughtful action is like making a deposit of love in your relationships.  Likewise, every hurtful word or ugly expression is a demand on your relationship and can cause a deficit over time.  It's no time to go to the well if it is already dry from overuse!


May we work diligently to fortify our emotional accounts with those we love and need by making steady deposits or maintaining a AAA+ rating where it matters most :).