It's Tuesday at 2:00pm! (PST Time: I live and work from Southern California)
STOP.
My daughter-in-law Abby got me this sign for my office for Christmas...
It's a great sign, and I've been wanting one for a while to hang in my office.
As I've looked at this sign over the past week, the word STOP has begun to "grind" a little in my thinking, so much so that I've decided to make this a word that I want to focus on over the coming year.
I know, you're probably thinking that this should have been the word for this past year because so much had to STOP.
Here's my thinking:
•In 2020, we were forced to STOP just about everything as we all faced multiple challenges. We couldn't choose what to STOP. I didn't choose to STOP traveling or choose to work from home. These choices were made for me, and I had to adapt to it.
•There will always be things that dictate or demand change, but as I look at this New Year, I'm trying to identify some things that I WANT TO STOP. Things that have crept into my life, into my routines and rhythms, things that have kept me from being the person I want to be. There are some things in my life that I want to STOP, that I NEED to STOP.
•When I STOP these things, it allows me to START other things, things that I have determined are more aligned with my purpose, my calling and my gifts. Things that I've been putting off doing or things that I just haven't had time for because of all the other stuff going on.
STOP.
What does that word mean to you?
Are there things in your life that you need to STOP doing? Are you running at a pace that doesn't allow you to STOP?
If you STOP doing some things, what will that allow you to START doing? What kind of space will it create in your life?
Typically when we start a New Year, we are focusing on all of the new things we're going to do. We write goals, we create resolutions, we make plans, we start filling our lives with activity. We do this because we want to get the year started off well by creating some new habits, new plans and a renewed energy.
I'm starting this year with this word: STOP.
Instead of just piling on a bunch of new things, I need to do some work in getting some things out of the way in order to create space to do the things that are the most valuable to me, or the most important to me at this time.
1 Peter 1 says this in the ESV version: "Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind."
I like the way the Worldwide English Translation says it: "So stop all the wrong things you do. Stop all the ways you cheat people. Stop fooling people. Stop being jealous. Stop saying wrong things about people."
JUST STOP.
I'm excited about the days, weeks and months in front of us. We're all still facing challenges, and we're a little uncertain about what is in store for us this New Year.
I want to encourage you to examine what the word STOP means to you. It will trigger different things in all of us.
Happy 2021 to each of you!
"It's only by saying "NO" that you can concentrate on the things that are really important." Steve Jobs
"The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything." Warren Buffett
"Stop the glorification of busy." Unknown
Things I'm Reading, Listening To, an Watching This Week:
We really enjoyed watching the Disney-PIXAR film, "SOUL". It's streaming on Disney Plus and touches on some great themes of purpose, passion and life! It was a fun film to watch!
I listened to this great playlist from John Mayer Essentials on Apple Music. His voice and guitar style are amazing. Great music!
Two of my favorite podcasters come together on this "How I Built This with Guy Raz" interview with Tim Ferriss. It's a really good conversation.
Another great gift from my daughter-in-law for Christmas (we draw names for Christmas gifts) was this book by Erik Larson, The Spendid and the Vile. We've been watching The Crown, and I've been intrigued by Winston Churchill. My friend Jim recommended this book and I'm just getting into it. It focuses on Churchills leadership during the Blitz on London during the war.
If you're a guitar player, I want to recommend these strings for your acoustic guitar: Elixir Bronze Acoustic Guitar Strings. They are long lasting and work great!
Thanks to so many of you who contributed towards this special project we were raising funds for with our friends, Oscar & Lori Aguirre and the Autism Service Dog for their 10-year old son, Oscar Andres. They are really close to meeting their goal and there's still time for you to join us in helping to provide this service dog for a great boy! You can give by CLICKING HERE, and in the box enter: Service Dog for Oscar Andres in Ecuador. Extreme Response will get these funds to this family ASAP! Thank you for joining with us to help meet this immediate need!