A second lesson I’ve learned this year is that insight is overrated (I got this line from a friend). Not unimportant, just overrated.
I have the kind of personality that craves insight from past events. I want to understand why things happened the way they did, why I responded the way I did, and what I could have done differently.
I have to be careful about getting so caught up in understanding past events that I stop looking to the future.
Part of my problem is that I’m tempted to believe that hidden in my past is a magical insight, some clue to my past failures, that if I were to discover it, would change everything about my life moving forward.
So far, after sending my inner Indiana Jones on a number of adventures into the past, I haven’t found the psychological Holy Grail that will fix what’s wrong with me.
Even when I have found what I consider to be semi-satisfactory answers to some of my questions, it’s been disappointing to learn that answers from the past do not contain enough momentum to propel me forward into a meaningful future.
I’ve learned that a more propulsive question than what happened? and why? is what am I going to do next?
The energy for moving forward isn’t harnessed by dwelling in the past, but by tapping into a hopeful future.
Yes, what I’ve just written is the product of insight.
Insight may be overrated. Irony is not.
Telling Stories, Asking Questions, Learning Lessons
We walk by faith, not by sight. But it’s a whole lot easier to walk by sight. Looking back, analyzing, mulling, working through all the issues and possible answers has value. But I wonder if the value is just in making us trust more in God as we press into the future?
Wade,
As someone who is a part of the ICOC (formaly BCC) and somewhat aware of the COC fellowships I want you to know that I appreciate your blog and your writing. Good luck.
Thanks Kevin!