Your Paradigm (Audio)
I met someone last night who was working their “Friday” even though it was only Wednesday. They were headed to a 9-day escape to a buddy’s land in eastern Washington, out of Walla Walla. Somewhere in his 65,000-acre domain, they were spending the holidays off the grid, in the mountains, and away from it all. No power. No technology. No news. Sounds heavenly!
Along with that, I follow an Instagram account (cabinlife_alaska) of someone who has found their “happy place” and I can tell you that one person’s happy place is another person’s greatest fear. He lives, if my memory serves me correct from one of his posts, somewhere out of Tolsona, AK. Off the grid, and with some of the most beautiful scenery pictures you can imagine. I know it is hard work to live like this. I can hear you now, “Could you live out like this?” Yes! I’m sure of it.
But it also made think of a man I met back in the early 80’s at the Alaska State Fair who was told he would be dead in a year. So, he left his home and went on an adventure to Alaska, found his perfect existence and lived for another 25+ years, and wrote a book about his experiences. I have an autographed copy around here…somewhere in all my stuff.
I was thinking about the pathway we have taken in life, as my siblings and I all reach the age of 60+… In the short gestational time that a human will breath it’s first, my youngest sibling will hit the magic 60! Celebrate! Celebrate! For the first time, all 4 of us will be 60 and older! Are we where we set our sail to go? Probably not. Would we do things differently? Sure. And, since I cannot answer for anyone else, “Are you content with your life?” and my answer would be a shrug of the shoulders and “Yeanh… maybe. I guess.”
What I would mean this answer to be: I’ve done a lot of what I’m supposed to do in life and I find comfort and peace about my path, but I also see so much more of I would like to do and it all costs time and money. If both were equally available, then perhaps I would shift my paradigm, add both to my present path and spend them totally on the future!
Maybe, even just a single degree shift in direction would satisfy this hunger!
I feel it in my heart to be like Caleb. At 85, full of fire he asks for a mountain to conquer (Joshua 14:10-13), and Joshua gave him “Hebron for an inheritance.”
I feel it at the core of my being that now is not the time to slow down, rather it is a time to pick up the pace. Click To TweetNow is not the time to change direction, but cement more firmly the place I find myself in. Location, person, desire, completion, get’er done!
How about you? What do you do when you feel that a shift in your paradigm is needed?
One last thought.
Somewhere in your past, something happened to you to set you on your current course. Someone meddled or blessed your life and you took off in a certain direction. You can prescribe blame, or blessings, and accept that you are not what you should or could have been, or headed where you thought you would go, and then live with the regret of these choices…
Or, you can shake off the negative, make it a positive and finish your life with purpose and success.
I was thinking about Jesus calling his disciples to follow him. Leave your nets and responsibilities and “I will make you fishers of men.” (Luke 5:1-11) Though their new calling would be tough, and fraught with danger, there was a reward associated with their new paradigm. They began a worldwide effort and never lived to see the results of their paradigm shift. Think about it.
What you choose to do with your life may have a generational impact. Click To TweetChoose wisely the shift of your paradigm and the path you choose to live!