Still Not Enough

8:10 PM ispeakitboldly 0 Comments

There is a power in music that words alone cannot convey. Today in my church I sang in the choir and one of the songs was Jesus, My Savior. There is a line in the song that says “All of my life, yea, all my days, Still not enough to sing Thy praise”. And why is it still not enough? Because “what greater debt [is there] than mine to owe?” There was a time in my life when everything was going well as I wandered down the path of life, following the guidance I had received since I was young. Then there came a moment when I looked off to the side of the path and there was a broad way leading to bright lights, partying, and what seemed like endless fun. I suppose in many ways it was like looking at Pleasure Island in the Disney cartoon Pinocchio. Unfortunately, I did not stop at just looking. 
Many years after wandering down this path and discovering that all the fun and happiness were a facade for sorrow, misery, and loss, and I had reached a point where I could sink no lower, I came to the realization that I needed to return to the original path now. Today. Although I did start making my way back to that better path immediately, it took a long time before I finally had both feet firmly planted where they had once been. 
Every time I think about this - which almost seems like a dream or another lifetime - I wonder how it is possible I could be allowed to return to where we are all meant to be. How is it possible that someone such as I who has accumulated such an insurmountable amount of debt would ever be able to pay it off? But that’s the beauty of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I didn’t have to pay it back. I was forgiven. Completely. With the only condition that I don’t do it again. But that does not mean no one paid the debt. My Savior paid the debt. He suffered pain and humiliation beyond imagination. All for me and you. And simply because He loves with a perfect love and knew there was no other way for us. 
For this reason it is still not enough. I will never have enough days or words in all the eternities to say thank you and praise the One who was perfect enough and brave enough to rescue me, even though I so often stumble or am stubborn and allow my pride to get in the way of good choices. Forever I am indebted to Him for the ultimate sacrifice He performed for me, Timothy Holley, and the hope He gave me when all seemed lost. Even though it is not enough, it is all I can give; so as the last line of the song states, “ever I will sing [His] praise”. 

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The 5MJ Experiment

8:30 PM ispeakitboldly 0 Comments


Back in December I was listening to a Tim Ferris podcast and he mentioned one of the daily routines he has is to write in his Five-Minute Journal morning and night. I hadn’t heard of this product, but I am a big believer in journal writing. Unfortunately I am a little inconsistent when it comes to writing something down on a daily - or even weekly - basis. I decided to give this journal a try and see if I could stick with it for an extended period of time. 
There are six months worth of pages in each of the journals and I was successfully able to write every day - even though traveling and an irregular schedule made this difficult. I am now on my second journal, but I wanted to share some of my thoughts about this half-year experiment with you. 

Consistency - This was one of the most important benefits I was looking for when I picked up the Five-Minute Journal and the primary reason for making the purchase. I wanted something that would better incentivize me to write - if just a few sentences - every day for more than a couple of weeks before slacking off again. I followed their suggestions and left it with a pen by my bed, even when I was in a different country. It was the first and last thing I saw every day. As a result there is an entry for every date from the time I started. There is a special kind of confidence in yourself that comes from consistently doing something you have determined to do for an extended period. I know that if I can do something as simple as write in this journal every day for 6 months I can build any habit I set my mind to. 

Planning - This was an attribute of the journal I didn’t know about before I bought it. There is a space in the morning section to write 3 things that would make the day great. It forces me to think about what I need or want to accomplish each day. This doesn’t necessarily translate to action unfortunately (one of the habits I am still working to cultivate), but it provides a way for me to write down on paper what would make the next 12-16 hours amazing. During school it helped me think about assignments, on the weekend I would think about fun activities to do with friends, and on the Sabbath it would help me come up with ways for my day of worship to be more meaningful. This simple tool to organize and prioritize for the day made each one more productive. 

Gratitude / Positive Thinking - One of my characteristics I am constantly working on is being less negative. I have a tendency to look for the bad in people or events too often. My humor is more often than not self-deprecating or sarcastic. I have talked with many people and read a lot about positive psychology and how you can be happier if you focus on the blessings and good things that happen from day to day. This journal was a tool that helped turn this theory into action. In the morning I write 3 things I am grateful for. In the evening I write 3 amazing things that happened. Both of these sections can be either big things (thankful for awesome parents, I graduated from the MBA program today) or small (thankful for the sun shining through my window, I stopped and talked to a friend in the hall today). Regardless it provides uplifting thoughts to bookend my day. Without a doubt that has been the biggest reward for using this journal. It is not to say I don’t have bad days or sad things happen or failures anymore. It does mean that training the mind to focus more on the good - and less on the bad - makes me a happier person, someone people are more willing to interact with, and better able to face the trials we all go through in this life.

As I have already said I bought a second one and am working my way through it now. It is a simple thing, yet I have seen great benefits and the 5 minutes a day is more than a worthwhile investment in me as I continue to improve. I would definitely recommend you pick one up and try the Five-Minute Journal experience. 

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