What’s Overrated or Undervalued in Your Life?

For the first time in days, maybe weeks and months, I slept 8 hours without waking up till my normal time. About 5:30 a.m. Looked at the clock and I was shocked. Literally. Just knew I was dreaming! My jaw is still sore from the surgery last Monday. My cheeks are swelled, but reducing. And sleeping in my own bed was heavenly, no more recliner for me!

But find 8 hours of restorative rest in my world?

This made me think about the simple things in life we think are overrated. So, we undervalue them. Like sleep. Have you heard the cliche, “Sleep all your cares away!”   That’s a lie…

I seldom struggle with getting to sleep, but ever since I started following my calling, then sleep was often interrupted with dreams, worry and concern, even fear of decisions being made that I believe are eternal and struggling with my part in the decision. Middle of the night prayer would help, but the subconscious keeps on pounding. During the day, I can shrug my shoulders and keep on marching, and let the subconscious handle the load. At night, the subconscious wakes up and begins to work as the brain rearranges it’s memory into different storage banks.

Peaceful sleep is fleeting and restorative rest flees.

I’ve learned that stress is bad for sleep, and the loads of stress are not chased away by taking a sleeping pill. Forced sleep is not true rest. Handling stress when awake can make it easier for the night to be enjoyed. Learning this is a lesson we all need to grasp.

It’s not just with sleep. There are other things we often take for granted. We overrate, or undervalue, the experience and shrug it out of our world.

I do not take some things for granted… You know. Happy wife, happy life… Don’t leave the house without kissing the spouse. And it’s good to call parents every so often.

But there are other things on the edges of my mind that I’m beginning to rethink and revalue. We often think these thoughts standing at the edge of a casket, or visiting a hospital room, feeling guilty that we let precious time slip through our fingers. Guilt leads to a rapid decline into stress as we attempt to recreate a better world. And stress will lead to all kinds of issues that are not profitable to your soul.

Maybe like Solomon, we need to think through what we value in life the most. There’s nothing new under the sun…(Ecclesiastes 1:9) Because of this thought, we should rethink and revalue our world.

So, think it through with me a moment.
Rethink.
Revalue.
These things should not be overrated.
Nor undervalued.
Beauty of nature.
The importance of the circle of family, friends, and loved ones.
The pleasure of meeting and engaging with a stranger.
Reconnecting with someone from my past.
Sharing, caring, conversation and loving the experience.
Holding Hands.
A good book that engages my mind,
Poetry (of all things),
More history and less future,
How we got to where we are, instead of where we are going,
And simple stories instead of complex machinations.
Hugs for my family and friends.
Comfortable chairs,
Fire on a cold night,
Less noise and more silence.
Balladeers with a story to tell.
Simple Needs.
Good neighbors.
Healthy habits.
Take care of yourself.
There’s only one of you!
Spiritual as well as physical.
Prayer that keeps me connected.
Quiet times of devotions and reflection.
Quiet times of His Word.
Journaling my journey.

Oh. My list of overrated stuff has grown so huge! I’m thinking that there’s plenty of time over the next 30 years to get reconnected with a simpler life and value the needful and necessary things.

 

By Michael Gurley

Making Sense of Life, One Thought at a Time!