Thoughts on Life - On being irreplaceable.

During Joel's funeral service at the beginning of June, I remember sitting there surrounded by sadness and realizing the unavoidable finality of death.  I sat there questioning the point of life and why we are given this time, this life.

And so this summer I have been thinking a lot.  Thoughts about living my life, knowing that someday I too will end my time on this side of eternity.

Here is one thought that have been thinking.

Where are you irreplaceable?

In certain relationships you are completely irreplaceable.  To your friends, your family and especially your children you are completely irreplaceable.  Invest in these relationships because it is where you will make the greatest impact.  Be intentional in what type of impact you will make.  Give them your time, your attention, and your best energy.  It is in these relationships that you will leave the biggest void when you are gone.

Prioritize these relationships above your career.  You are completely replaceable in your job.  There will always be somebody else to fill your position.  Even if you should accomplish something great in your career, it will eventually be forgotten, become obsolete, or overshadowed by the next best thing.  Besides, your coworkers will remember you for how you treated them and the memories you've shared, rather than the job that you did.  And your friends and family don't care about your job title or the salary you make.

For me, prioritizing my closest relationships over my career has meant saying no to potential job opportunities that don't fit well with raising my son.  It means setting limits on the amount of time and effort I spent in developing my own skills and knowledge.  It means that I make sure I am well rested,
and that I don't fill my days with so many tasks that I become stressed out.  I want to give to others all my good energy and patience, not my crabby, stressed out self.  It means me remembering that my actions influence those closest to me more than what I say or strive to be and that these actions are a result of where my focus is.  

I want the people closest to me to know that they are more important that the accomplishments I achieve.  I want to strive to become a person who lives out my values and beliefs, so that perhaps, these values will be imparted to those around me.  I want to be be remembered for my love of life, not the love of my work.



~b~