Tracks In The Dust

A Father's Advice About Learning the Mission of Life

Archive for the category “Doing Things That Will Change Your Life”

22 Mar 2012

The Lighthouse Keeper

Are you a lighthouse? Standing on the rocks and warning others to steer clear? You could be the ship at sea, heading for the destination ahead- tossed by the storms and reeling against the waves that may hold you back.

Being a lighthouse taking time to shine out to all around, you have your feet planted on a piece of rock that is jutting out into the sea. There are so many ways you can look and they all have water surrounding you. But you feel like you have a service to provide, and that you can stand on solid ground forever. In one place, never moving- always there. Still – will you wonder about the ships gone by?

Can you save everyone alone? Will you work to shine harder and make sure every boat at sea heads away from your dangerous ground. Still, is that what you want? IS that who you are? Or do you want to take your chances on the sea- heading from one port to another, stopping to discover the world around you. Do you wish to share the good news and get busy charting courses for the next adventure.

There may be times when safe harbour is needed, it’s a comfort that lends you time to recharge your batteries- wait for the tide heading out. At some point the time will come, to head back to sea- take your favorite memories and head out on the compass toward a new place. Don’t be afraid if you can see the lighthouse you will know it’s there to help you. To remind you that you are steering in safe waters.

Hold on for the storms, there are likely calmer waters are ahead. Take care to watch the rudder and make sure the course is true. You have the chartbook to show you the way, it sits on your shelf waiting for you find the maps we have been given by the master chartmaker. Take it in your hand, and grab your compass and go! Wave at the lighthouses as you sail by.

Seems like some of the people I know are content being the “lighthouse”- standing comfortably on solid rock- warning others as they sail by not to crash. Others people seem to be charting a new course every day, some are risky with storms and deep water, but they look forward to the journey ahead and the opportunity to share the words and world while we are here on Earth. Who are you? Which do you want to be?

Posted in Doing Things That Will Change Your Life and tagged Doubt, God, Grace, Lighthouse, Self-Awareness, tracks in the dust

17 Mar 2012

In A Hurry

Being in a hurry seems to be standard practice these days. Everything moves so quickly, like a high speed connection on the Internet, a picture or a comment becomes instantly shared with the world.
We seem to be asked to grow up so quickly, get on with things and be fast about it. Be sure what you want and go get it before someone else gets it.

We make split decisions about so many things, some are not so important while others are critical… But there we go. Like a speeding car on the highway, zooming ahead like we are in a race. If we stop to look too long, will someone notice our indecision? Will we be accused of lingering, running behind?

In slower times we may have had time to contemplate the road ahead. We may have taken time to imagine the consequences of our our direction. instead we are told “just go for it”- carpe diem. Later we ask the questions that may often be too late. Things we may not even noticed before. Regrettably we missed them, those valuable clues to the quality of life and living.

So now we move ahead, trying to get by. Taking things as they come and showing our bravery by dealing with it. But how much have we missed? Take care to take a moment and breathe it in, sample the surroundings and admire the shear beauty of the simple things that are there. They remain the landscape of our life in which we exist, in this moment until the next-never to return again to the moment we are in. Except to remember it as best we can, hopefully not in a blur but in a panoramic image of wonderful memories.

Posted in Doing Things That Will Change Your Life and tagged cherish, Life, Memories, moments

15 Mar 2012

1 Comment

You’re Not Alone

It’s ironic that sometimes you can be in a room full of people and still feel alone. There are billions of people in the world, and still you can feel like you are the only one there- alone.

You’re not alone. I think everyone has those times when they may want “alone time” – You know you need it -just finding that place that you actually feel comfortable in your self. Even wandering among the busy city streets can actually feel like a wonderful by-yourself moment sometimes.

Then there seems like those times with friends, maybe out on the lawn by the grill with a cold drink, or laying back at a local pub, or walking in the park and just spending time talking about the rest of the world – like the world is somewhere else and you and your friends or family are at the center of it.

But in the end that shadow of “alone” can often lurk- somewhere behind the front door of your home, or in the car on your way to an appointment. Surrounded by thousands of things that should remind you that there are millions of people who feel just like you. Millions who are also feeling alone in a huge world of people and things. But there you are.

I realized years ago when I was diagnosed with cancer that I am never alone. I have the best family and wife one could ask for, but I knew also that I had more. Someday when I arrive in heaven, I know I will not be alone. I am not sure if I will see all of you there (that would be another blog entirely)- but honestly I pray I do.

Appreciate your one-ness, you are unique. No matter where you are however, you are not alone. You have choices, you have more ways than ever in history to reach out and find out that there are so many others, waiting alone together.

Posted in Doing Things That Will Change Your Life and tagged Alone, Being Alone, More, Self-Awareness, tracks in the dust, You Are Not Alone

07 Mar 2012

1 Comment

A Combination of Reflections

Something I always wanted to tell my kids, and didn’t get to enough. Personal reflection, like a mirror, is not always easy to look at. You are a combination of so many things that came before you: your family, your friends, your lovers,your teachers, your spritual mentors, even your enemies. And when you stare into the mirror, what do you see?
There are days to see your successes, days where you wonder how you got “here” and times when the only thing you see looks like a stranger. Days when you don’t like yourself very much, and others when you can’t believe you could be happier. No matter what you see you have to be ready to put your life & your reflection in perspective ( sort of like moving closer to the mirror or standing way back). You are the person you are now. You can choose to accept it or choose to change it. You can look for small things to do, or make sweeping changes that could effect the entire direction of your life.

Accept change, embrace the unknown future with hope. Someone once said that life was like a roller coaster, or it could be more like a merry-go-round. Either way it is moving and you are in it- made up of everything that you have experienced since the day you were born. Take joy in that, make a difference in all you do… while you are here on Earth, and share the mission of the tracks you are making.

Posted in Doing Things That Will Change Your Life and tagged Acceptance, Change, Joy, self, Self-Awareness

04 Mar 2012

Speed Bump Ahead

I was walking through our wooded park in the neighborhood when I walked by road with a sign that said “Speed Bump”. It occurred to me that we all come up against speed-bumps in our lives. It doesn’t mean to stop or back up (I could just imagine all of the cars along the road stopped behind the speed-bump with nowhere to go). It means to slow down, take it easy over the bump, and keep your course ahead but be aware there is something in the road that is going to slow you down. It’s put there for a reason to keep us from going to fast.

It seems like we all have some speed bumps in our lives. Some of them come up really quickly and we don’t entirely notice the signs. We run into them full speed and it just shakes us very hard. We have to slow down for a bit, compose ourselves and make sure everything is okay. Other times we see the sign, we prepare for the speed bump a head – slow down and watch for it and slowly drive over it.

There are going to be bumps in the road, some we see and some we cannot see or others we choose to not see. We have to look for the signs ahead, be thankful that someone put them there to warn us. Some other times so many people have ridden that same road that there are pot-holes that have come with so much traffic, perhaos they are damaged roads and we don’t see them- or we follow others as they speed there way into them.

Either way, once you realize that you should expect some pot-holes, some speed bumps, some things that will slow you down; you can keep your eyes wide open. It makes you aware that everything you do (even the little things) can make a difference. Slow down as you look. You can slow down, and recognize the opportunity to move foward (over the bump) and that once yoy get over it you can move on.