Was It Worth It?

Year-End Reflection

I still remember thinking when I was a teenager that people born in the 1800s were born in the “old days”.  15 years into the 21st century, I’m one of those born in the 1900s.  Now when my children talk about “the old days” they talk about when I was young!  Isn’t it shocking how quickly time has gone by?

A few days ago I read a quote by Steven Furtick, which shocked me to the core.  The quote was:

“Most of Us Aren’t in Danger Of Ruining Our Lives.
We’re in Danger of Wasting Them.”

This quote got me thinking about my life.  If I live to be 80 years old, I’m done with half of my life. What have I done in the first half of my life that made a significant impact on this planet and its inhabitants?  Did the first 40 years of my life actually made a difference in the lives of the people around me or have I just wasted 40 years of my life?  Off course not every single day of my entire 40 years were wasted, but I can assure you, even if this is embarrassing to admit, I have wasted many hours of my life and should all those hours be put together, it will certainly be a few years!  What a horrible thought!!!

In his book “Today Matters” (or new title “Make Today Count”), John Maxwell teaches that everything you do every day actually matters.  Think about this truth for a moment.  You are continuously building or breaking down your relationships.  Your contribution to your relationships, according to what you are busy with, is either positive or negative.  You are constantly building or breaking down your own life.  We can blame others for the state of our lives, but once we sit quietly for a moment and reflect on the time-wasting-moments of the past year, we might think differently about who is to blame.

What are some terrible time-wasters we as human beings allow in our lives that actually make our time on earth irrelevant or murder our dreams for our future?  If we could identify moments when we’ve spend time on trivial things instead of getting down and busy with our priorities, we could make different choices in the new year that could end up changing our own lives!

I would like to challenge you to ask yourself the following tough questions and answer truthfully:

  • How many great books have you read in the past year?
  • How many great speakers have you listened to on YouTube or CDs or DVDs that have genuinely changed your life in the past year?
  • How many theater shows, movies and other forms of entertainment have you paid to watch this year and how many seminars or courses have you paid for?
  • What new skills have you learned during this year that could be your game-changer next year?
  • How many times a day do you say “I’m tired”, and then end up watching TV until 23:00 or later?
  • How many hours have you spend on social media or playing games, forgetting about the people sitting next to you in your own home?
  • How many times have you wished your life could change, but you have never changed anything you do?

There is nothing wrong with any of the things I mentioned above.  We all watch TV or enjoy a great theater show now and again.  We all like settling down for a quiet peaceful evening at home after a hectic day of work and stress.  I’m not here to point fingers at anyone, but I believe we need some focus and perspective in our lives.  If we honestly want great futures, great marriages, raise amazing children, financial freedom and everything else we forever hope for, we need to take responsibility for how we use our time and money.

But there are also other time-wasters that hurt and murder our better tomorrows.  Although these time-wasters are often invisible or done in secret, they are in many ways the worst kind ever!  They waste our time, they destroy our relationships and they literally make our bodies sick.  What are they?

  • Unforgiveness
  • Hatred
  • Low self-image
  • Destructive secrets (i.e. pornography, cheating on your spouse, etc.  Also read “My Secret Prison”.)

None of us have to be slaves of any of these things.  We can all live fulfilled lives BY CHOICE.  And that’s the key:

  • we have to CHOOSE forgiveness when others don’t deserve it (in fact forgiveness is always undeserving if we think about it);
  • we have to CHOOSE to love instead of hate;
  • we have to CHOOSE to see value in ourselves and believe that we can and are good enough to lead great lives;
  • we have to BELIEVE that we are more valuable than the things we do in secret, which keep us locked up in fear, regret and failure.

In conclusion, may Andy Andrews’ quote be your quote for this coming year and may you see more success in your life than ever before!

“I Will Lay My Head Down On My Pillow
Each Night Happily Exhausted,
Knowing That I Have Done Everything Within My Power
To Move The Mountains That Are In My Path!”
May 2016 be your #BreakThroughYear!
Debbie

For a life-changing seminar to motivate and get you into action in 2016, book your seat at “2016: #MyDeurbraakJaar” today!  (This seminar will be presented in Afrikaans.)

If you would like to find out about the English seminar “#MyBreakthroughYear“, or to have any seminar presented at your event and venue, please click here.

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