As Christmas 2011 descends upon us, I would like to follow
up my previous post of the Rule of Three.
In case you missed it, this was the thoughtful and excellent homily on
the three types of friends in your life by Bishop TD Jakes.
In the 27 years I have been a professional sales person, I can count the
number of times I have missed my sales target on one hand. After this disappointing and challenging year,
I won’t be able to say that again. This
has left my head in a bad place where, like December, the days are short on
sunlight, and the nights are cold, wet, long, and dark.
Like most of the U.S.A. recently, we have
also had some unseasonably warm weather for December so I went for a long run
yesterday. As I was enjoying the fresh
air and invigorating feeling of my muscles working and blood pumping, I had the
overwhelming feeling of how great it is to be alive and healthy. Like any 51 year old, I have my share of
aches and pains, but for the most part I’m healthy. My mind quickly went to thinking about
friends and loved ones who are either no longer with us, or are struggling
mightily with significant life threatening illnesses.
When I was 16, I watched in horror as my
brothers best friend broke his neck in a hockey game, becoming paralyzed from
the neck down. Four years ago I helplessly
sat by my mom’s side while she died from diabetes related heart disease. Less than two years ago I carried the casket
containing my closest and dearest friend from my childhood, who also succumbed
to diabetes related heart disease. Just
this past year I witnessed my uncle, who at 70, was the fittest and healthiest
person I know suddenly contract a deadly form of blood cancer which has racked
his kidneys, leaving him depending on dialysis three days a week while he battles for his
life.
My point is simply this (and no one struggles with this as much as I do!): Intellectually I know how fortunate I am to have my health, however I
continue to let the fact I missed my sales target this year bum me out. How many of us let money, material things,
and petty arguments obscure what is truly important to us? I know we all have to have money to live, but
you can’t live if you aren’t healthy.
Money won’t buy back your health (think Steve Jobs).
Christmas and the beginning of a new
year is a great time to look back at how fortunate we all are for all that we
have, and all that we have achieved. The
birth of Jesus gives us the hope for a new, brighter tomorrow. Let’s all try and transcend our intellectual
understanding of what’s important to an emotional and spiritual one. Since our experience on this earth is a
physical one, let’s start by taking better care of our human bodies so that we
can free our minds and souls to pursue the limitless potential of the human
experience, never forgetting that there are others who are not as fortunate as
us.
I'll leave you with a couple of verses from the Red Hayes/Jack Rhodes tune,
"A Satisfied Mind"
'How many times have you heard someone say'
'if I had his money, I'd do things my way?'
'But little they know that it's so hard to find'
'one rich man in 10, with a satisfied mind'
'Money won't buy back your youth when you're old'
'A friend when you're lonely, or peace to your soul'
'The wealthiest person is a pauper at times'
'Compared to the man, with a satisfied mind'
This holiday season, count your blessings, hug your family & friends, stay
safe, and eat more fruits and vegetables!
Peace & Love,
Mark-
