I sat down and typed out my reflections on the lessons I’ve learned this year just as fast as they would come. Here are the the Top 10. If you don’t like em, go learn your own!
1. You don’t really know who your friends are until you’re in trouble. Then they come out of the woodwork to help. I’ve got some great friends.
2. Life is too short to spend too much time trying to shore up your weaknesses. The ROI is minimal and usually goes unnoticed. Play to your strengths. God gave them to you for a reason.
3. The truth can hurt, but it is the kind of hurt that leads to healing. This year I have squared up with the truth of who I am and who I am not in a way that is bringing much healing to my heart.
4. One of the most freeing things one can do is fail publicly. I am more willing to take risks now than ever before. Public failure hasn’t been nearly as bad as I thought it would be. The hardest part about it is wondering what other people are saying or thinking about me behind my back. The truth is they’re not thinking about me nearly as much as I am!
5. My faith is the result of God’s perceived absence, not his presence. The more absent God appears to be, the more my faith grows. On my best days, my faith runs just a smidge ahead of my doubts. On the dark days, my doubts pull ahead by a nose. I’ve accepted the likelihood that they’ll run neck and neck for the rest of my life.
6. My biggest battle is against cynicism. It marched in under cover of night and laid siege to my soul. It meant to starve out the last of my dreams, but with the help of my friends, we beat it back far enough that I can begin to reclaim my innocence and learn to dream again. It’s still out there though, looming.
7. The old saying is true: Hurt people, hurt people. Those who have caused me the most pain have done so out of the unresolved pain in their lives. Pain that is not transformed, is transmitted. I’m hoping to transform my pain into something beautiful.
8. Most of my wounds have been self-inflicted. I have very rarely been the victim, mostly the volunteer.
9. My dream for what my life could be hasn’t changed in almost 20 years. My happiest days have been when I was pursuing it with all my heart. My darkest days have been when I let it get hijacked by the vision others had for my life. 2011 will be the year when I give myself fully over to (what I hope is) the God-given desire of my heart and chase it with abandon.
10. My wife is my best friend and my kids are my biggest supporters. If I ever lose their respect–no matter what other people think of me–I’ve got nothing!
Telling Stories, Asking Questions, Learning Lessons
Thanks for sharing. Your vulnerability is admirable. I
would love to hear to you expand on #3 and #5 – well, any of these
really but particularly those two.
Good thinking…and writing. Blessings on you and yours.
Wade, this is a very good post. Good reflections and such a reminder of what is really important. I appreciate you.
Thanks guys. I really appreciate it.
Casey–I may dig deeper into some of these in future posts.