Keep Asking Yourself "What's Really Important?"

The following is the start of a series entitled "Live, Learn and Pass It On" which will appear in this Blog. The purpose of this Blog is simply to reflect on life and the lessons we can learn along the way.

"If you make the mistake of setting your schedule to somebody else's agenda,
you will always end up being late for your own destiny." – Jamal Bryant

Last year I worked with the Queensland Cancer Council where every day I came into contact with people who are facing enormous challenges: people who have been diagnosed with cancer and their carers and loved ones.

This was a very sobering and humbling experience, which reminded me on a daily basis to keep asking myself “What is really important?” It is very easy to get lost and overwhelmed in “stuff” and tempting to forget about and postpone that which is most near and dear to our hearts. I would recommend as part of your daily routine to take a few minutes to ask yourself this same question to help you keep your priorities straight.

Despite our many responsibilities, we do have a choice of what is most important in our lives and where to put our greatest amount of energy. This might sound overly simplistic, but it is still a great strategy to keep yourself on track because you become more ‘present-moment’ oriented. Without this conscious reminder it is easy to lose sight of priorities and again get lost in busyness – you rush out of the door, work late, lose your patience, skip exercise and do other things that are in conflict with your life goals.

To a large degree, the measure of our peace of mind is determined by how much we are able to live in the present moment. So, regularly take a minute to check in with yourself – you may find that you need to re-align your actions with your goals. By making more conscious decisions you will be more likely to follow your own agenda, rather than that of someone else’s and thus be the master of your own destiny. Practice keeping your attention on the here and now and your efforts will pay great dividends.