“If you chase two rabbits, both will escape.” Author Unknown
Happy Monday!
I hope you had an amazing weekend! Hopefully, it was restful and you planned some time for self-care and relaxation. Many of us spend a good percentage of the weekend catching up on household chores and tackling the to-do lists. Meanwhile, others of us are completing work tasks or trying to get a head start on the upcoming week. These are all worthy pursuits, but don’t forget to schedule time to let your body and mind rest. You won’t be good for anything or anybody if you don’t take time to rejuvenate. It’s a matter of making good decisions that impact your overall health.
Making decisions can be tough sometimes. We face numerous good options daily and may feel overwhelmed, leading to decision paralysis. It can be intimidating to analyze and choose what’s best for us and our community, and we might be tempted to wait until things become urgent or we’re in danger of missing the chance.
Let me give you an example. Pretend we’re trying to decide whether to go back to school. We start weighing the pros and cons to find the best way to reach that goal. We need to identify where we can cut unnecessary activities to make time for studying. We’re running numbers to see if we can balance the budget by cutting work hours. We consider how we spend time with family and friends, wondering if we can cut corners there, even though we’d rather not make that sacrifice. Then we decide whether we can pay the fees while studying or if we’ll need to apply for a loan.
We strategize and analyze, usually trying to tilt things to our advantage, which can support or oppose the original idea. Then, we receive an invitation to do something we’ve always wanted to do. It might be a trip on our bucket list, some extra spontaneous time with family or friends, an act of service that makes a positive difference, but requires long-term commitment, or even a new job opportunity or promotion. At that point, we go back to the drawing board because now we have to figure out how to make everything work. Whew, here we go again!
Often, the pressure to choose the right path can make us feel stuck. Instead of making progress, we end up spinning our wheels, trying to do everything, and ultimately achieving very little because we’re too exhausted to decide. The key is to focus on one priority at a time, giving our full attention to move forward with clarity and purpose. It’s a challenging process that calls for us to stay present and intentional.
Here’s a quote that expresses the importance of focus in decision-making:
After all the effort we put into making good decisions, the last thing we want is the answer to slip away! Even though we often believe we can fit everything in and handle it all, sometimes that’s not possible. Sometimes we have to choose the right action, and frequently it’s different from what we initially planned. Then we have to find a way to be at peace with our decisions.
Here are a couple of inspirational verses from Scripture:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
“Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.” Proverbs 16:3 (AMPC)
These references help us to feel supported and directed when we’re lost and having trouble deciding the best course of action. If we get quiet and consider our purpose and general direction, meditating on these verses can help us get clarity and have peace in our process. It’s a wonderful and empowering way to arrive at the conclusion that will best suit us and facilitate the next steps.
So, what rabbits are you chasing this week? Are they about work or school? Are you facing tough financial decisions or challenges with your children? Is there a dream you’re chasing that seems elusive at the moment?
Take a moment to get quiet and do some deep breathing to clear the cobwebs and chaos in your mind. Contemplate the best possible outcome, then imagine what that could look like. As you press into the vision, imagine what positive steps you can take to realize that outcome. Write it down, ponder it daily, and then await opportunities to make that dream come to fruition (refer to Habakkuk 2:2-3 in Scripture).
My guess is you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the results!
Be Well & Be Blessed!
Lucinda
