This month – on YouTube and elsewhere – an athletic shoe manufacturer promoted the message: ‘Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.’
But, doing something bigger than yourself is not original. “Just do it”, is something that persons of purpose have done forever. We’ve seen evidence everywhere – from St. Mother Teresa to philanthropic billionaire, Warren Buffett. They represent people wanting to make a positive, sustainable change for the common good.
The first question that occurred to me was, “Who am I to match their noble efforts?” The second question was, “How do I find the time to do it? The first question was answered by St. Mother Teresa herself: “It’s not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving. ”
The second answer involved some practical techniques that I could easily incorporate into my own life. Time management guru Stephen Covey showed that even if our ‘To Do’ lists consist of urgent and important items, it’s only short-term. We often fail to invest time on equally important, but long-term, goals.
“People say I’m lazy/ Dreaming my life away…
When I tell them that I’m doing fine, watching shadows on the wall;
Don’t you miss the big-time boy, you’re no longer on the ball?”
~ Watching the Wheels by John Lennon
With US elections around the corner, how would this time management and planning work in politics? Many fine people work hard to try to improve things; and, are genuine individuals. But, responsible politicians also take time to find ways of working together – with mutual respect and compromise.
The late US Senator, John McCain, during a ‘town hall’ meeting in support of a run at the presidency, interrupted a supporter’s misrepresentation of President Obama as an untrustworthy “Arab.” Rather than let her remarks slip by for cheap partisan points, McCain gently showed great statesmanship by saying, “No ma’am. He’s a decent family man, and citizen, that I just happen to have a disagreement with on fundamental issues.” If politicians really want to stand out, they might want to emulate his personal courage.
“People asking questions lost in confusion
Well I tell them there’s no problem, only solutions”
~ Watching the Wheels by John Lennon
What about this time-investment approach working on a personal level?
At the beach, we returned from a stroll, to find that someone had left a beautifully hand painted, palm-sized rock, on our blanket – with a message reading: ‘Less Doing, More Being.’ How can one put a price on the mindfulness this represents?
No longer riding on the merry-go-round,
I just had to let it go.”
~ Watching the Wheels by John Lennon
Finally, “just do it”; but, don’t expect a reward, recognition or even a “thank you”. It’s a funny thing about human nature in resenting help: perceived charity is hard to swallow. Sometimes you stand alone – it’s okay.
Can we make our lives less busy and more meaningful? Maybe the 60’s Beatles were right when they sang about love being all you need.
Image Credits
All Images Are © Fred Parry
First published at Fred Parry
Guest Author Bio
Fred Parry
Fred Parry lives in Southern Ontario. He is a lover of people and a collector of stories, music, wisdom, and grandchildren. His newspaper column, Music in Me, can be found in ‘The New Hamburg Independent’ Metroland Media. His book, ‘The Music In Me’ (2013) Friesen Press is Available from Amazon and Indigo / Chapters.
Blog / Website: www.fredparry.ca
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