Monday, November 23, 2009

Cure your common life

I've been reading a book by Max Lucado called "Cure for the Common Life".  I picked it up randomly at a second hand store.

It's an interesting book full of parables and scripture.  I'm not big on religious banter, however I am really enjoying this book.

In Cure for the Common Life the author talks about how God has for each of us filled a tool bag full of skills.  And for those who are miserable in their life, job, relationships he explains that most likely we are not using the proper tools in life and that we need to explore the tool pouch that God filled for us and make adjustments accordingly.  Maybe we're working in a profession because someone told us that would be a good fit without checking in with ourselves first?  We are trying to use someone else's tools!

I found this to be a great way to explain the imbalance that goes on with many.  Many are working in jobs because the pay is good, or it is close to home.  They are not working in their jobs because they absolutely love what they do and are really good at it, they are doing it out of necessity.

Someone with a talent and love for baking is going to be miserable sitting behind a desk in a cubicle filing papers and answering phones all day.  And vice versa.

One thing the author mentioned really hit me.  That was the extreme importance of motherhood and being a full time mother.  The words he spoke with regards to this subject resonated deep in my heart (and I know would resonate deeply with every full time mother).  I have been a full time mom for 12 years, and for most of those 12 years I yearned for something "more".  Mothering couldn't possibly be a "job" after all, let alone an important one, could it?  I rarely enjoyed my time at home with my kids (I'm a little ashamed of this fact), because I was worried about money all the time, worried that I wasn't contributing to the highest good of the household (money), worried that my husband wasn't satisfied with my efforts (money), worried that my time at home would be wasted (money).  Ah the joys of living in a society run by money!

Of course now after 12 years and seeing my children mature and grow, interact with others and listen to their thoughts and ideas I realize my time at home was for the greatest and highest good of my family.  Without me being home how would my children know what they know about the importance of family and choosing the highest priority (well being of children) over a lesser one (money)?  I see now that my tool pouch was filled with love for children, my children, everyone's children.  I recognize that I have been using the skills in my tool pouch my entire life.  I had unfortunately just not recognized it.  But I recognize it now and that's important.

EVERY job is of top importance in the eyes of our creator (whatever you want to call he/she/it).  Every job is important because God created us to do just that job!  God didn't say "oh well, I suppose if you really want to do that boring, useless job go for it, but don't blame me if you hate it".  No, he gave us specific tools to use in life and those tools directly relate to our jobs, our relationships and our entire life purpose!  But we do need to recognize what our skills are and move ahead from there.

But what if you don't know what your skills are?

Remember back to when you were a child and you used to play make believe.  What was your role when you were playing school, hospital, house?  Were you the teacher or the student?  Were you the doctor, nurse, custodian?  Were you the mom with a career outside the home or were you the mom that stayed home and baked cookies and kept the house tidy?  What you wanted to be when you were 5 years old tells you alot about what skills are filling up your tool pouch.


I was always the teacher when we played school and the full time mom when we played house.  Hmmmm.  I have always loved working with children, I stayed home with my own, volunteered my time at the school, scouts and coach soccer.  I now teach children energy healing techniques and mentor them in self empowerment and self awareness.

So dig out your tool pouch and take a look inside.  Find your skills and find your sweet spot....

1 comment:

  1. We believe we are what we have been told we are. We try to do what we believe we are supposed to do. We don't try to do what we believe it is impossible to do. The natural self is obscured by the false self. Simple, though perhaps not easy.

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