07.13.19 - week 11
so, i’ve been losing weight. the last few months, the combo of stress/free-time/less social stuff has helped me eat better and work-out more. my clothes are a little looser for sure. and i’m feeling better. and you can too. for only $49.99 i will help you achieve lasting results … jk.
so the other day i’m walking along and what do i suddenly notice: MY WEDDING RING IS GONE. so i do what any husband would do, freak out so my wife would know this is a very troublesome turn of events for me. she was sweet and understanding, gracious to the max as always. as best as i can figure, i was out in the ocean swimming with the boys and it slipped off my slightly smaller finger without me realizing it.
as this kicked around in my head, it reminded of the difference between symbols and reality. symbols are meaningless unless backed-up by a truth:
the ring isn’t important if the commitment to the marriage is strong.
the juice/crackers are empty carbs without understanding of the sacrifice they picture.
the flag is just colors and patterns unless you gave your life to defend its people.
(for a popular example, when kramer is holding a tony award for scarsdale surprise, he hadn’t actually won anything).
it’s easy to confuse the two. jesus’ message to the pharisees in matthew 23 hinges on this. don’t focus on symbols / externals / noticeable acts, focus on the realities they back up. the longer you have been in church, the harder this tends to be. let’s be about the realities and then we can truly enjoy the symbols.
Book Review
we tend to buy the myth of the hyper-focused savant. those who pick a lane and stick with it and reach the mountain tops. but data supports a different kind of success story. someone with range is more likely to triumph. the van gogh / abraham lincoln type tinkers with various pursuits and ultimately lands on something to poor intensity practice into.
that’s the point robert epstein is trying to make in range. for sports parents or those still trying to find career niche past 30, it’s quite freeing. try things. experiment. build a varied network of people/experiences/skills, and you might be surprised how they all pay off in your ultimately chosen field. a good read, recommended.
~thoughts~
have you ever met one of those couples who to your eye weren’t much to look at but treat each other like swimsuit models?
contentment is a mindset with little relationship to ‘how much’ or ‘how good’.
envy is a self-induced slavery making MORE causal to happiness.
someone always has it better and someone else always it worse. but more specifically, i can always find someone who seems like they have it better and someone who seems like they have it worse.
wanting what someone else has to point of disliking them and what i currently have, is a surefire way to be miserable.
envy can be like watching 4 minutes of an nba game without knowing the score and with the announcers muted. just because 1 guy had a sweet dunk, do we know he’s the best guy on the court or the one winning the game?
3 Things I Really Liked This Week
1. i’m trying this jim collins productivity system, super interesting (if possibly banal 😊) we shall see.
2. taking my boys to see their heroes this weekend. if you aren’t currently engaged in tween culture, dude perfect are everything. this is their most popular vid, the fellas have probably watched this 100 times.
3. this little clip really encouraged me, great reminder of what jesus has done for us