What is most important to you? If you listed the top ten things or people, who or what would be on that list? Are you on the list? This post is about identifying your why. What motivates you? What inspires you? What are your goals? What do you believe in? This may seem like a no brainer... discovering what is important to you. But, you know the old expression "Actions speak louder than words?"
Of course you have! Now, take a little time and make that list... what is important to you? Many people will start with some of the obvious things... Family, health, God, career success, happiness...
Go ahead, make a list, what things are most important to you? What do you live for?
This can be a sobering exercise... if the top three on my list are Health, Family, Friends, for example... and I take into account that actions speak louder than words.... how much time do I actually devote to the three things I just said were most important to me?
How many times have you skipped the gym, told your kid you didn't want to play (while you are staring at the tv). I am more guilty than I prefer to admit, of spending my time on stupid things and ignoring the very things that I say are most important in my life.
What do your actions say about your priorities? Are your actions congruent with your priorities?
Do you tell your loved ones hollow words? Do you say I love you, but then neglect them? How do you show someone they are a priority in your life? You determine what is important in your life, what are you doing to actually make it a priority?
Have you ever had someone apologize for something only to turn around and do it again? People will show you who they are, so pay attention. It is the actions that matter, not the words...
One of my father's favorite phrases, when I was growing up, "Do as I say, not as I do." Even when I was young, that line always irked me.. how can you preach about something and do the opposite? I always thought it was hypocritical of him.. but, as I sit here, thinking on my own list of priorities, without using such an irritating phrase, I have done exactly that with my own children. I preach good health and smoke, eat poorly and work out sporadically... NONE of these things leads to good health, yet health is one of my priorities..... That doesn't really make sense....
Mohandas Gandhi once said, "Action expresses priorities."
Keeping that in mind, make another list... write a list of a typical day... Do you spend quality time with your loved ones? Do you pray? Do you heat healthy? Workout? Work 12 hour days? Sleep all day? Think about your typical day... How much time do you devote to the things you said are your priorities?
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, :"What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say."
So, think about it some more... maybe, make a list of what is most important to you, then make a list of what looks to be most important to you... are they congruent?
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