When I was growing up, my dad taught me to listen to motivational “tapes”. He had me listening to Zig Ziglar, and the likes, on old school headphones. . . and I liked it. Zig was the kind of guy who talked to you through his books, like he knew you. He was talking straight to me through those headphones.
I thought today, I’d share a few of his pearls of wisdom with you.
He told me things like, “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” He reminded me that “Everything in life is a choice. That everyone has the same amount of time, but we each get to choose how we spend it.” He used to say, “Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem.”
The things Zig taught me through those headphones are part of the fabric of who I am.
Maybe this one most of all: “When obstacles arise, you change your direction to meet your goal, you do not change your decision to get there.” I’m not a quitter, I just don’t know how. I will fight to the death for something I believe in.
Sometimes, to my chagrin.
But this time of the year, I tend to always come back to his words of wisdom, while I’m reflecting and refocusing on how I want to live in the coming year. As I reflect on the year that has passed, I recognize my disappointments and my “victories”. When I do, I inevitably see this wisdom repeating itself, time and time again:
“The chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what you want most, for what you want right now.”
Anytime, I’ve traded my present desires for what I want in the long run, it doesn’t work. So every January, I refocus my mind and my heart on what I want most. Things like deep, connected relationships with the ones I love, raising confident boys who love God and others, and doing work that makes a difference in the lives of others.
Of course I won’t do it perfectly.
There will be plenty of mistakes. But I want to be a look back and say. . . “I’m so glad I did.”
I also want that for you, and I know you do too.
Let’s do it together in 2017. You in?
to more love,
Crystal
P.S. Zig is also known for saying that, “To a child, LOVE is spelled T-I-M-E.” I know this break from school is L-O-N-G, but put down your phone for a little while today and spend some focused time on the ones you love.
