Monday, October 4, 2010

things i do and things i don't do

A friend emailed me a link the other day that shared part of a chapter from Shauna Niequist's book Bittersweet. (http://www.winchesterchirowellness.com/2010/09/excerpt-from-bittersweet-by-shauna-niequist/).

In the excerpt, Shauna writes an "I do" list that describes that which she is willing to do in order to live into her life's passions and calling, and then she asks the all important question, "What am I willing not to do in order to do these things which I believe in?"

God wants to order our lives which will require some discernment and discipline in our lives both in the "do" category, but also in the "lose this" department in order to make space for those important do's.

I haven't actually written the lists, but I've been thinking about them and doing some of this over the past years in order to be able to focus my life better. I've discovered two things about this process. You have to ruthlessly stay on top of the sorting...kind of like laundry...opportunities/options pile up continuously, and so the "I do" and "I don't do" must be sorted continuously. The other learning is that some things are easy to do and not to do, and others are SO hard!

I do read books, lots of them. I find this important to do and very easy. I don't watch television. I find this very easy not to do. If only our whole "things I do" and "things I do not do" lists were this natural and easy, but there is discipline and the grace of God needed for many items on my lists. I believe in exercise, but it takes a lot more work for me to keep it on my "things I actually do" list and not just on my "things I want to do" list.

How about you...have you ever considered your values, passion, calling and made these lists of things I do and things I don't do?




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