What Do You Meditate On?

Did you know that everyone spends time in meditation?

Wait - I can probably guess what you're thinking: "I don't meditate" might be your response. Another popular one is "meditation is hokey - I don't believe in it." Well, guess what.

Everyone meditates.

The problem is, most of the meditating we do runs counter to a productive, happy life. Most of us meditate on the things we don't have (lack of money or relationships). Many of us meditate on things that can lead to painful family situations (things like pornography or extreme anger). Some of us literally spend hours every day meditating on revenge or how badly we've been hurt.

So you see, everyone meditates.

In Richard Foster's book "Celebration of Discipline" he talks about Christian meditation:

"The Hebrew words that convey the idea of meditation...are used some fifty-eight times (in scripture). These words have various meanings: listening to God's word, reflecting on God's works, rehearsing God's deeds, ruminating on God's law, and more. In each case there is stress upon changed behavior as a result..."

Meditation leads to a change in behavior. This makes sense - if you spend every waking hour contemplating revenge, your behavior will begin to reflect this. However, if you take some time every day and try to meditate on positive thoughts, this will also affect you, but in positive ways.

But how do we meditate?

You can try picking out one verse in the Bible that means a lot to you and repeating it over and over again, sitting somewhere with your eyes closed, or while taking a walk.

Another method Foster recommends is the "palms down, palms up" method: "begin by placing your palms down as a symbolic indication of your desire to turn over any concerns you may have to God. Inwardly you may pray, "Lord, I give to you my anger toward John. I release my fear of my dentist appointment this morning. I surrender my anxiety over not having enough money to pay the bills this month." Whatever it is that weighs down your mind...release it...After several moments of surrender, turn your palms up as a symbol of your desire to receive from the Lord...I would like to receive your divine love...your peace about the dentist...your patience...your joy."

A third kind of meditation can be done by simply observing creation and reflecting on it.

You will meditate today - what will you meditate on? The noise and concerns and commotion that the world forces on you? Or will you be more deliberate and direct your mind for good?

Determined to set and reach your mental goals? Try reading Richard Foster's "Celebration of Discipline" and applying some of his other disciplines to your life.

Making Time

How quickly this life passes! The days turn to weeks turn to months and suddenly another decade is gone. If you're not careful, you will live life without even realizing it.

We all get into our routines: wake up, eat breakfast, go to work, come home, eat dinner, watch tv, go to bed. Day after day. And suddenly time is passing, and we don't know what's become of it.

This is why making time for your family is so important. Trust me - as the parent of grown sons and a daughter-in-law, with one grandchild, I can tell you that your family will be grown and gone before you know it! Making time for your family is one way to ensure you are making the most of the time that's been given you.

Vacations - extended ones, or long weekends, or even just a one day adventure - pull you from the craziness of life and let you spend extended time focusing on those who are most important to you.

Check out this video of Zac Smith - it will motivate you to make time for your family, while you still have it:



Zac passed away in May. But you can bet he made the most of the time he had. Are you?

What If You Did What You Love To Do?

Sometimes people aren't sure where to begin when it comes to setting career goals. I think my career goal might be a good place for some to start:

Wake up everyday doing what you love to do and actually have people pay you to do it.

As I see it, there are three steps to this, and the first is probably the most difficult.

First, you have to figure out what you love to do.

I know that sounds easy, but for a lot of people it's not. "What do you love to do?" I ask, and usually I'm greeted with a blank stare. The problem is that many of us spend so much time doing things we don't like doing, or things we kind of like doing, that we run out of time. Many of us never do the things that we love, so we forget what they are, or never even discover them in the first place. But figuring out what you love to do is the first step.

The second part is doing it. You can't just know what you love to do - you have to begin making time for it. The more time you spend doing the things you love, the better you get at them, the more potential value you will have to offer.

Finally, the third part is getting people to pay you to do the thing you love. This might sound far-fetched . . . you might think about the thing you love to do and come to the conclusion that no one would ever actually pay you to do that.

All I can say is that the folks I know who 1) knew what they loved to do and, 2) did it passionately until they were better at it than almost anyone else, were soon getting paid to do that very thing.

There's no set formula for how this comes about, and everyone's path is a little different.

So how about it? Are you ready to set some career goals? Are you ready to change your life?

Your Car and Your Soul

Sometimes, after a lot of hard work and discipline, you can get your physical goals and your financial goals in place. You work hard and meet these goals, and you're feeling pretty good about life. You look good, and your check book looks pretty good, too.

Don't stop! There are some internal areas of your life that need attention, too. Don't forget to set some spiritual goals.

It's kind of like washing your car - you can spend the better part of a beautiful Saturday soaping down the outside of your car, rinsing it off, waxing it, cleaning the tires and wheels. Soon the outside of that car looks amazing.

But what about the inside?

If you only ever cleaned the outside of your car, the inside would start to stink. The carpets would get mud and gravel and maybe some food or spilled drink ground into it. The seats would get that crud in the deeper places.

And what about under the hood? What if you never changed the oil or sent your car in for a tune up? What if you never put gas in your car?

You could go on cleaning the outside of your car every Saturday, but if you never addressed the interior issues, the cleaning and maintenance stuff, eventually the car would stop running. It might even fall apart.

Spiritual goals are important because they keep your spirit healthy. Don't forget about them.

What good is an attractive body and sound financial status if your soul is falling apart?

The Happiness In 5 - 10%

Here's something no one wants to talk about:

Money.

I heard someone say once that most people spend 5-10% more than they make, and it's that 5-10% that makes their life miserable.

If your financial life isn't where you'd like it to be, here are some thoughts:

1) check out Dave Ramsey's book "Total Money Makeover". One of his recommendations is that the first thing you do is get $1000 in an emergency fund. This may sound like a lot, but having that money there can keep you from going into deep debt over something relatively minor, like unexpected medical or auto expenses.

2) get rid of those credit cards! The interest rates are predatory, so get away from the predator! Cut them up and close the accounts.

3) create a plan. Almost everyone can get out of debt, no matter the situation, if they make a plan and stick to it.

Are your finances out of whack? Need to set some financial goals? I'd love to coach you, not only out of financial trouble, but to financial health.