Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Gems Along the Way

The first few days of my vacation were the hardest.  I had to find a rhythm, a new way of thinking, a different way of approaching the day.  The last thing I needed was to be overwhelmed, stressed, and hungry.  That would defeat the purpose.  Once my fridge and cabinets were stocked with the key players, we were golden.  Planning was vital.  Staying nourished and hydrated, equally important.  But what started as a mere body cleanse ended up being an incredible life lesson.

This vacation held a mirror up to my face, and I didn't like everything that was staring back at me.  But aren't those the best lessons?  The ones that put you through a little bit of fire. At the moment, it's uncomfortable, you want out, you don't want to hear it, but fire - fire reveals the heart, refines the soul, cleanses the mind.  And if we would just walk through it, we would find ourselves more vibrant and alive than ever.

Here are some of the gems I picked up along the way:

**  Life is not stagnant.  It is ever-changing, always moving, never stopping.  This doesn't mean that you should allow yourself to be tossed in every direction.  It only highlights the importance of being firmly planted in a strong foundation.  Contrary to what we might think, a solid foundation allows us to then be flexible - to embrace life's ebb and flow.  Don't be afraid of change.

**  Turn off the auto-pilot.  Have you ever driven from point A to point B and then thought to yourself, "Whoa.  How did I get here?"  Our minds are drifting.  Our attention is elsewhere.  We unconsciously shift into auto-pilot to get to our destination, to get through our day.  I understand.  Life can be busy, with everything and everyone vying for your attention.  I get it, but here's what I learned this week.  Do I really want auto-pilot to run my life?  Do I want her to read to my kids, cook my meals, talk to my husband, direct my future?  No way!  Those are my kids, my husband, my health, my life.  And you see, the scary part about an auto-pilot is that if it is even a few degrees off, miles down the road you will find yourself in a very unfamiliar place.  You never meant to be there.  You don't even know how you got there.  It was a gradual shift, a slow departure, and yet, you find yourself off course.  Turn the auto-pilot off and live your life.

** For the last few months I've been saying, "We shouldn't wait until we're dying to start fighting for our lives." I still agree with this statement but there was something about the word "fighting" that didn't really convey what I meant.  There was something a bit too aggressive about it, something that implied a winner and a loser.  Well, this week it all became clear.  It's not about fighting, it's about investing.  It's not just about our health, it's about everything we care about.

Don't wait until you're dying to start investing in your health.
Don't wait until your kids are rebelling to start giving them your time, your undivided attention.
Don't wait until your marriage is suffering to start investing in your spouse.
Don't wait until you are desperate, weak and afraid, to build your relationship with God.
Don't wait until you are all alone, to invest in your friendships.

None of these things will thrive on their own.  They are all worth fighting for, but more importantly, they are all worth investing in.  Investing means putting forth effort, giving of yourself, even sacrificing.  But it also means great reward, exponential returns, blessing upon blessing.  Don't wait any longer.  Invest. You can't lose.


As you can see, this vacation did more than change my diet, it changed my perspective and deeply moved my life.  Thank you, as always, for reading.  I am thankful for you.

Cleansed and Renewed,
Kim 

4 comments:

  1. My Kim... what can I say through eyes blurred by tears.... thank you. xo

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kim you are always so amazing and inspiring.
    love,rayna

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you for helping me open my eyes to what is really important in life. Your words have touched so many people! Love ya! Rob <3

    ReplyDelete