Every day, with my angels, I start off talking about the calendar. We always go over the date, and talk about what makes today special? How is today unlike any other day we have lived… Sometimes the kids get it and are profound, and others days… Not so much. I guess kind of like me!
One of the things I emphasize to them (EVERY morning) is that today is special because they have the power to make it the best day possible. We talk about making wise choices—and how those wise choices will help us as we go to sleep tonight. We won’t be up worrying and wondering “What if…” I also remind them that there will never be another September 15, 2008, so they need to work hard at making today worth remembering—for positive things, for doing their best, for giving 100%.
I know—it is pretty heavy stuff for 6 year olds—because it is pretty heave stuff for this 32 year old. How do I go throughout the day making wise choices at every turn? I don’t know if it is possible.
I always joke that I have been known to be wrong—but it was just that one time, back in 1988 when I was 12. Hmm… But in reality, I am wrong every day. But what is the common denominator with my “wrong choices?”
I heard a quote recently that I have modified to make “my own” that says "The number of its supporters doesn’t measure the rightness of a decision." How hard is that in our ever-growing secular world? It is so hard!
We are bombarded day in and day out with images, slogans and all manner of outside pressures that encourage us to look at our hearts—do what your heart says. If you want it, buy it! If you don’t like her, divorce her. If you don’t want it, toss it. We live in a disposable world.
There was a band that I used to really love—they were called The Paul Coleman Trio. They have a song called “Run. The song starts off like this:
Sometimes you gotta run into the arms of danger
Sometimes you gotta be the sacrifice
Sometimes you gotta say things that don't come easy
They say just follow your heart but what if it lies?
Hmmm… They say just follow your heart but what if it lies? Any of you who know me, know that I am a strong believer in choosing how you feel. My heart is as imperfect as my soul. Things that feel so right to my heart, are all too often so wrong. There are some feelings you can’t choose—gut instincts, reactions and other feelings are totally natural. But choosing to continue to feel them is another game altogether. I can be hurt by someone’s actions, but I can choose to either forgive them and try to move on, or allow that hurt to remain. Make sense?
We, as humans and “herd animals” want to be accepted by others. We eventually begin to measure the rightness of our choices by looking at what others say and think about our lives or us. That is where I get into so much trouble.
My heart just wants to be accepted—and so as I go through each day, I often ask myself “Will this choice please my colleagues, students or peers?” Why do I do that? The answer is simple—because I want to feel accepted. My decisions, when I am in that mind set, are made with my heart—which I know to be faulty and untrue. My heart lies—and all too often it lies to make me feel at home in the secular world…
So, how do I keep my heart from lying to me?
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