There is no better time than right now to live your best life
t was a beautiful sun-lit morning, as I strolled along the beach. I glanced out at the ocean’s blue waters, and I listened to the voice of seagulls greeting the new day. Step by step, I walked. And as I looked down below at the sand at my feet, I thought about a story that a reader had sent to me about a philosophy teacher.
One day, when the class began, the teacher told her students she was going to teach them an important life lesson. The class curiously waited. Soon, the teacher disappeared into her supply closet for a moment. When she returned, she was carrying a box full of items.
With her eyes twinkling, the teacher put the box on her desk. Next, she reached into the box and took out a large, see-through empty jar. After that, one by one, she took out some large stones. She put the stones into the jar and asked her students, “Do you think this jar is full?”
The student’s nodded. As a matter of fact, they all confirmed that the jar was full.
Then, the teacher picked up a bag of small pebbles from the box, and she poured the pebbles into the jar. The pebbles filled the open areas between the large stones. Once again, the teacher questioned the class. “Is the jar full?”
Uneasily, they all agreed that the jar was full. But perplexed, every few minutes the students glanced at the wall clock wondering, “What is this lesson?”
Lastly, the teacher took a bucket of sand from out of the box. She poured the sand into the jar slowly. And the students watched as the sand filled all the empty spaces in the glass jar.
The teacher’s mouth stretched with a wide smile. “Class,” the teacher declared. Her voice was cheery. “I want you to see that this jar can be similar to your life – the stones are the most important things; your values, your health, your faith, spiritual life, your family, close friends, and your heart’s desires.”
She took a deep breath and continued, “The pebbles are other things that matter – your career, your home and hobbies, for example.”
The class remained silent. “But the sand represents the small stuff,” the teacher uttered. “So if you put the sand into the jar first, there would be no room left for the pebbles and large stones.”
The moral of this story is to pay the most attention to the things that matter most. With the busyness of life, we need to prioritize our time. We must not let the less important things crowd out what’s most important.
Today, take a good, long look at your life and take the time right now to invest in discovering and pursuing your true life’s purpose. Where are you now, and where you are heading?
Assess your priorities. means the most to you?
Those things should top priorities. The rest sand.
Recently, while shopping at a department store, I saw a wooden sign with these words: “What you are is God’s gift to you; what you do with yourself is your gift to God.” Regardless of challenges, mistakes, disappointments of the past or the hurts people could have caused, your life is not over. Do not count yourself out. Set your sights high. God deserves your best. So don’t just settle. Dare to do more. Bounce back if you fall. Dream a little bigger. Go beyond what has held you back in the past. You can start anew and live the life you choose.
I read in the Old Testament that David ordained that his son Solomon become the next king. Soon after, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night and wanted to grant him one wish. “What do you want more than anything else in life?” (I Kings 3:5-14).
In other words, what was Solomon’s top priority? Solomon replied saying that more than anything else, he wanted wisdom. He What
be your is just… wanted to be able to think the way God thinks and to be able to make decisions the way God would make them. Solomon uttered, “Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”
Bible says that God was pleased with that request. And He granted it to Solomon. “Behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you.”
Thereafter, Solomon became Israel’s most magnificent king. And he lived a long, prosperous life.
Take into account the old adage, “Time flies, but remember, you are the navigator.” I recall a story about a prominent businessman. He told about the greatest gift that he ever received when he was a young boy. “It was my birthday and my father presented me with a small green box,” stated the businessman.
“Inside the box, was a note that read, ‘365 hours.’” Then, his father explained to him, ‘Son, I am going to give you an hour every night after dinner. This time is yours. We can talk about what’s on your mind, we can play whatever game you’d like to play or go where you want to go. It is your hour!’ The businessman said that his father renewed this same ‘365 hour’ gift to him each year. And reminiscing, he declared, “I believe that my peace, joy and successes in life are the result of the uninterrupted ‘time’ given to me by my father.”
Use your time to bring happiness to others. Listen. Offer genuine compliments. Do kind deeds. Express to your loved ones how much you care. Smile, laugh and add good humor into your day. Give encouragement. Take time to pray. Lift up those in need. Be bold and challenge yourself to try new things. There are untapped possibilities within you. Participate in a regular fitness routine and eat nutritious, quality food. And if you can, adopt a sweet pet and experience unconditional love.
This is a new day, so make the most of your time. Something wonderful is within your reach. Hence, there is no better time than right now to live your best life.