Ever really think about the saying “Finder’s Keepers?”… Because the rest of it is exactly what you don’t want to happen. You are upset because you lost it… whatever the “it” is.
Did you ever lose something that you thought you would never find again? Or maybe you thought it was lost and all along, it was right in front of you. You didn’t even realize it… But there it was, right there. Sometimes the things that are the closest are the hardest to find. And sometimes, once you realize you lost it, you don’t believe you will ever get it back. And then there are those things that you lose that aren’t even things… but more intangible, like your drive and desire, or your heart, or your love for something or someone. Those are the things that are the hardest to lose, and even harder to find.
Have you ever searched for meaning in something, or maybe searched for an answer when you felt lost? What about that desire, the drive that makes you want to do something in your life? That burning desire, that fire in your gut…that feeling that makes you want to get up even when you feel you can’t or you are too tired to finish what you started… When you find that, make sure to take good care of it and it will take good care of you.
So how do you keep the desire you have, the fire in your belly? How do you keep that strong and true?
Easy…. Make sure it’s always what you love. Check it when you need to, but always make sure you surround yourself with people and things that bring joy to your life. Do what you love…. love what you do. Find that first, and always keep that a priority.
I am sure you have heard the story of the mayonaise jar and the professor? If not, it goes like this…
A professor of philosophy stood before his class with some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a large empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks about two inches in diameter. He then asked the students if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was full.
So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly and watched as the pebbles rolled into the open areas between the rocks. The professor then asked the students again if the jar was full.
They chuckled and agreed that it was indeed full this time.
The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. The sand filled the remaining open areas of the jar. “Now,” said the professor, “I want you to recognize that this jar signifies your life. The rocks are the truly important things, such as family, health and relationships. If all else was lost and only the rocks remained, your life would still be meaningful. The pebbles are the other things that matter in your life, such as work or school. The sand signifies the remaining “small stuff” and material possessions.
If you put sand into the jar first, there is no room for the rocks or the pebbles. The same can be applied to your lives. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are truly important.
So pay attention to the big rocks in your life. Pay attention to the things and people that matter most. Find them first… and make sure you keep them happy.
What are you looking for right now? Was it lost, or have you never even found it yet?
Take a few minutes to really think about that. The cycle of life allows us to lose, find and lose again, only to realize that the things we thought were lost really weren’t… and the things we thought we had, well…. those maybe weren’t ours to begin with. If your life’s deepest desire is a big house and a nice shiny BMW, I am not going to tell you that’s wrong… If you have goals and dreams like that, go after them, by all means… But just make sure there is more to life than possessions. Make sure there are things without a pricetag…. because those are the things that are the most precious.
You will know when you find them…. Because you will do whatever it takes to keep them.
