Focus on the Present

“Teach us how short our life is, so that we may become wise.” Psalm 90:12 TEV

In the middle of my busy days and overflowing to-do list, it’s easy to forget that today might be all that I get. My life’s race may be over in an instant. So, while I make plans and set goals and keep my eyes on the dream, I also need a healthy perspective.

I need to be where I am. Or, as someone said, keep your rear end and your mind in the same place. And the place where I am includes wonderfully priceless moments with my husband, children, and extended family. Moments to laugh when my six-year-old son tells me that waiters have to be handsome so that people will like to eat the food. Moments to savor when my thirteen-year-old daughter mimics my morning routine. Or my twelve-year-old son spontaneously gives me a hug. (Like that’s gonna happen again anytime soon!)

As I was reminded in my Bible Study this week, “Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity” ~Ephesians 5:15-16 NIV

The present is just that – a present. A gift. One I don’t want to squander.

What about you? When is it hardest to be “all there?” How do you keep the balance between focus on your dreams and focus on the people around you?

Focus on the Destination

""But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." ~Philippians 3:13-14 NIV

Long before I got married and had kids, I used to be a runner. Not a very fast one, but a runner. I competed in both cross-country and track during high school. I even won my age category in a half-marathon race in Utah. Using this vast experience (cough, cough), I later coached both sports.

One thing I do know about running is that it helps to keep your focus on the path ahead and the finish line. Once you cross the finish line, all the pain ends and you get to stop running. Not to mention that there are prizes waiting!

The journey of life is difficult. There are days I wonder why I even try so hard. And then I remember there is a prize ahead. A reward. A goal. A dream. And somehow I find the determination to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

How does this look in real life? Well, one of my goals for this year is to pay down a debt. So, I'm working extra hours with my part-time job and cutting back on spending. Each paycheck, I'm tracking how much progress I've made and watching the debt dwindle. And when I've paid it off? The prize is financial freedom. To have wiggle room in the budget again. To have the ability to save or invest. To maybe even cut my work hours so I can focus more time on my writing.

Speaking of writing, it's another place in my life where I'm keeping my focus on the goal -- publication of a novel. With that in mind, I'm growing in skill, working with two critique groups, reading other authors, pounding out words, networking through writer's groups, studying the markets, entering contests, and polishing pages. All while continuing to write and pursue publication in other lengths and genres. The prize? The achievement of a dream and the stepping stone to more.

What about you? What is the prize waiting for you at the finish line? How do you keep your focus on the destination?

Friday Focus - Lot

Today we're going to travel back in time. Way back. To the time of Abraham and his nephew Lot.

Now, Lot journeyed with his uncle from their homeland in Ur to the land of Canaan. They pitched their tents near Bethel and built an altar to God. After a famine drove them down to Egypt, Lot saw the consequences when Uncle Abraham lied to the Pharoah about Sarai being his sister yet also saw God's hand of protection. He had all the seeds for a heritage of faith and was blessed with flocks, herds and tents.

In fact, he was so blessed that the land couldn't support his living with his uncle any longer. When it came time to part ways, Lot looked around and saw the lush, well-watered plain of the Jordan River. Over time, the Bible says that he dwelt in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent even as far as Sodom.

At some point, Lot moved into the town of Sodom. In time to be captured by warring kings. His uncle Abraham came to the rescue and brought back Lot and his belongings.

Years passed by. Sodom and the neighboring town of Gomorroh continued to do evil. Until the outcry was so great that God decided to destroy them both. It took a supernatural visit from two angels to pull Lot's family out of that place. Literally, while he lingered, the angels took Lot, his wife and his two daughters by the hands and brought them out of the city.

Yet, even after being warned to escape to the mountains and not look back, Lot begged to be allowed to go to a nearby city instead. On top of that, his wife looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt. Only after the cities of Sodom and Gomorroh were destroyed did Lot finally obey and go up into the mountains.

Let’s learn our lesson from Lot who was distracted by lush surroundings and got sucked into a depraved society. Watch where we camp and where we linger. And when God supernaturally delivers us from destruction, don’t look back.

Avoiding Tangents

On Monday, we saw that staying on course in life means requires keeping our focus. And focus requires discipline to zero in on the goal and only the goal.

But life pulls us in different directions, often at the same time. And it’s easy to shift our gaze to the side. Jobs. Chores. Kids. Neighbors. Things. Entertainment. Activities.

Every glance can slow us down or distract us from our goal. Looking to the right or the left of the path can even cause us to veer off course and end up further from our destination. Bogged down by busy-ness, we can forget that we were on a journey.

Another way we lose focus is by looking over our shoulder at our past. Either with regret over our mistakes or longing for “the good old days” when things were easier. How can I move forward if I’m looking back?

Staying focused is hard work and it’s easy to get off course onto a tangent. However, when you’ve drifted, recognize it. Shake it off. And get back on track as soon as possible.

What about you? Are you maintaining focus or have you been distracted? Are you more likely to veer to the side or look to the past?

Staying On Course

Focus is an important part of discipline. It’s when my mental attention is centered on what I need to do and nothing else can get into my head.

Focus allows me to resist temptation in the present in order to pursue a goal in the future. It requires total concentration and insists that I ignore outside distractions.

Absorption. Engrossment. Devotion. Intensity. Close attention. Pursuit. Zero in on. Convergence.

In order to stay on course in life, I need to maintain focus on the important things. And that may involve sacrifice.

For example, one of my goals this year is to write a book. I set weekly and monthly goals. How many words to write each week. When to polish chapters and send them to my critique groups. How to grow in my craft. Which contests to enter and which conferences to attend.

Every day I’m doing something toward that goal, even if it’s simply brainstorming the solution to a plot problem. This goal is always in front of me. And, in order to maintain this focus, I’ve made a few sacrifices (mostly TV watching) in order to find time.

What about you? What are you focused on? Do you think it’s possible to be too focused? Why or why not?

Friday Focus - Eric Liddell

The son of Scottish missionaries, Eric Liddell was born in China. At the age of six, he and his older brother were sent to a boarding school in England. As he grew, he excelled in athletics, participating on the cricket and rugby teams in addition to running track. Known as the "Flying Scotsman," he won the AAA championships in 1923 in both the 100 yard and 220 yard races.

Results of his races made the newspapers as he became known as the fastest runner in Scotland. Many called him a potential Olympic winner - big news since no one from their country had won a gold before.

Then came the 1924 Olympic games in Paris. Because of his commitment to honor the Sabbath and not run on Sunday, he withdrew from the 100 meters, his best race. As he went to the starting blocks for the 400 meter race, an American slipped him a note containing a quote from 1 Samuel 2:30 - "Those who honour me I will honour." Eric ran the race with the paper clutched in his hand. He not only won the race, but broke the existing world record.

In 1925, Eric returned to China to join his parents as missionaries. During the war in 1941, his wife and daughters left the country for safety and Eric joined his brother at a remote mission station. In 1943, the station was captured by the Japanese and Eric was sent to an internment camp. He died in 1945 from an inoperable brain tumor while serving the youth at the camp.

It was recently revealed by the Chinese government that Eric gave up a chance to be liberated from the camp. Evidently, as a famous athlete, he was selected to be part of a prisoner exchange. Instead, he gave his spot to a pregnant woman.

Eric Liddell ran the race marked out for him. A race that took him from China to England to Scotland to the Olympics in Paris and back to China. His choices will forever remain immortalized in the movie “Chariots of Fire”.

Or as Eric said it best: "I believe that God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast. When I run, I feel His pleasure."

What about you? What are you doing when you feel God's pleasure?

Race Courses

Since we all have different races marked out for us, I thought we’d take a look today at the wide variety of races available. And see if there are any resemblances.

First off, there are different modes of travel. On foot. In the water. On a bike. On skis. On skates. In a car. On horseback. In a boat (either sailing or rowing).

At different speeds. Slow and steady. Rabbit-like sprints. Pacing against the clock.

For varying lengths. One hundred yard dashes. One mile runs. 26 mile marathons. One day events or multiple stages over several days. Around a track or around the world.

Over different courses. Smooth and oval. Down an icy mountain. Cross-country with ups and downs. Steeplechase and jumping hurdles. Straight or curving.

In different conditions. Indoors or outdoors. Hot or cold weather. Gentle breeze or stormy seas.

And then some races are affected by the others around us. Jostling for position. A peloton chasing down the leader. Drafting behind another to conserve energy. Receiving and then handing off a baton.

My race? It’s a long one with unexpected detours over bumpy ground. I usually have a slow and steady pace but there are times my life feels like a mad dash. I received the baton of faith from my parents and am trying to pass it on to my children, holding it tightly so I don’t drop it along the way. Sometimes I feel like I’m running through mud in slow-motion. But other times I’m being carried along by a wind. And so it continues day after day after day.

What about you? What is your race like?

The Race Marked Out

“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” ~Hebrews 12:1b

I’m in training to run life’s race with perseverance and I hope to finish strong. But, which race am I running? The race marked out for me.

That means there is a road I should take to reach my destination. A path marked by the course official. Discovering that route can be a challenge and we’ll save that topic for another day.

But, for today, I’m recognizing that my race is different than yours. And that’s okay. Instead of looking at your path, I need to concentrate on my own. Comparing courses doesn’t help because the path isn’t as important as the destination. We’re headed in the same direction but covering different terrain along the way.

My path is unique for me and I accept that issues like chronic fatigue syndrome, my daughter’s Cornelia de Lange syndrome, and my son’s asthma are parts of my race. I’ve learned so much from those experiences.

There are different challenges in the race marked out for you. And, to be completely honest, I’m thankful I haven’t had to face some of them. I’ve got more than enough to keep me busy with my own race.

What about you? Have you accepted your race or are you wishing for another’s? Do you know the course?

Friday Focus - Jesse Owens

"We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort." ~Jesse Owens

The seventh out of eleven children, James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens was born in Alabama in 1913. Later, the family moved to Ohio. While working several jobs to help support his family, he discovered his passion for running. He went on to become a track and field athlete and won four gold medals in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany (as a black man under the watchful eye of Hitler).

In reading about this athlete's life, I realized he knew the meaning of self-discipline. Since he worked after school at a shoe repair store, his junior high coach allowed him to practice before school instead. By high school, he tied the world record in the 100-yard dash and set a new world record in the broad jump.

In college, he broke three world records and tied a fourth - all within a span of 45 minutes and all while suffering back pain from a fall down a flight of stairs. And all without a scholarship and while working several jobs around practices in order to support himself and his wife.

Can you image how much determination, dedication and effort his achievements took? Not to discount his own work ethic, throughout his lifetime, Jesse attributed the success of his athletic career to the encouragement of his junior high coach.

What about you? Are you pursuing your dreams with this much determination? Do you have someone encouraging you?

Training Partners

I remember in high school deciding I was going to try out for the cross country team. The only problem? I couldn't run one mile, let alone three.

Obviously, I needed a training program. And I never would have been able to make it through the fall season and beyond to run a half-marathon the next spring without my mother.

She became my training partner. And together we jogged/walked to the corner and back. Then three blocks further. Then to the park, around the park, beyond the park, and so on until I could run for half an hour straight without dying.

Could I have done it alone? Maybe. But being accountable to someone made the difference. She didn't let me skip a day and our gasping conversations as we limped along bonded our relationship. And started the rest of my family running.

That's the power of a training partner. Accountability and encouragement rolled into one person pushing you to transform your life one day at a time.

Today, I have several training partners. I email one member of my writing critique group every week to let her know how much progress I've made toward my weekly goals. (And I push hard on Saturdays to catch up just so I can email good news!) Other Bible study leaders push me to serve my group better. My budget and my husband keep us financially on track. (And exercise? Well, I'd do a better job looking for a training partner if I'd get off the couch.)

But, did I mention my best training partner of all? God. He's always by my side and promised to never leave me. He sees my potential and has great plans for my life. Plus, I can talk to Him about anything and He always listens.

What new habit are you forming? Is there someone else training in the same way? Could you journey together?

The Power of Routines

What was the first thing you did when the alarm went off this morning? The second? And the third? Would tomorrow's list be the same?

We all have routines. Our standard procedures or regular courses of action that become daily habits. Simply because we've done certain activities so many times they merge into our normal behavior. And there's nothing wrong with routines. (Unless you're stuck in a boring rut. But that's a topic for another day.)

So, what if I want to discipline my life and add a new behavior? Something like exercise, dedicated writing time, speaking kind words, or prayer? That's where routines become powerful tools.

By creating a routine and consciously practicing it for a few weeks, I can turn the struggle of discipline into a second-nature habit.

Take writing for example. I decided this year that I wanted to write one new chapter every week. I looked at my schedule and saw that I drive the kindergarten carpool twice a week. So, instead of coming home and being distracted by housework before I have to go back and pick them up, I decided to stay at the school and write. Two mornings a week, I sit in my boring car and pound out words. Know what? Ten weeks into the new year and I'm working on chapter ten of my new novel. And I can't imagine doing anything but writing on those mornings.

What other routines do I have? Getting the washer started before I get the kids up and the clothes into the dryer before we head out the door for school. A daily housecleaning chore. Praying while driving. Making Wednesdays a "faith focus" day between Bible study meetings and evening church services. Doing lunges in the bathroom while brushing my teeth.

What about you? What routines have helped discipline your life? How long did it take to become a habit?

Friday Focus - Olympic Training

Is anybody else going through Olympic withdrawals?

While I appreciate going to bed at a decent hour instead of staying up to see the final group compete, I miss seeing the athletes.

Athletes who skate, ski, and slide into the spotlight and show the world a few minutes of amazing athletic achievement. The pageantry and national anthems. The stories of triumph after injury and of individual’s carrying the hopes of their countries on their shoulders.

What we don’t see is the countless hours and hours behind the scenes. The sacrifice and discipline necessary to achieve such brilliant performances. What seems so effortless is the result of intense training.

How intense?

For example, short-track speed skater and multiple medal winner Apollo Anton Ohno practiced three times a day. Silver medal winning ice-dancers Davis and White trained together for 13 years before making their Olympic debut. Downhill gold medalist Lindsey Vonn trained for six to eight hours a day, six days a week including three hours of cardio.

What about you? Could you devote so much of your life to pursue your dream? Or only if you had an Olympic-sized dream?

Digging Deep

“Self-discipline is when you tell yourself to do something and you don’t talk back.” W. K. Hope

“It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through.” ~Zig Ziglar

There comes a point in training where the novelty wears off. Where I’d much rather procrastinate or find excuses. Where I lose sight of why I even started this crazy plan.

Those are the days when I need to dig deep to the core of my character. To find the voice that says, “This is important to me because …” The voice that nags until I get off the couch.

While there are practical strategies to help me train (and we’ll look at a few of those next week), I have to find a reason not to talk back. And some days that's harder than others.

What about you? What is it that keeps you going when you don’t really feel like it? Is it character? Commitment? Rewards? Or something else?

Spring Training

Last Friday, I’m sitting at my son’s baseball practice and hear his coach mention spring training. Spring training?

Okay, I’ll admit. I’m more than ready for spring. Especially since there’s still snow on the ground and baseball isn’t supposed to be practiced indoors.

But, training? Not quite as appealing.

Until I came across this quote:

“Those who work the hardest, who subject themselves to the strictest discipline, who give up certain pleasurable things in order to achieve a goal, are the happiest.” ~Brutus Hamilton, Olympic decathlete and coach

The happiest? Through discipline and hard work?

I took a closer look at the word discipline. The definition of discipline is training that is expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior.

Training for a desired result. For example, (purely hypothetically speaking, of course) what if my desired result was to run a marathon or maybe a 5K race? My desire is to finish, preferably without dying or embarrassing myself with a time a two-year-old could beat. So, I develop a plan of action and commit myself to pursing that goal through a lot of hard work. And every day I find myself a little bit closer.

Would that make me happy? It should. Because I have a goal … and a plan … and I’m making progress. I’m in training.

What other patterns of behavior might I (really) pursue? Loving my husband through his love language of words. Healthier eating habits. Spending one-on-one time with each of my children. Writing on a consistent basis with weekly word count goals.

What about you? Are you in training? Do you think those in training are the happiest? Why or why not?