Where are you driving?

Lately my reading has landed me in the book of proverbs. I am trying to start the year right by spending time in the good book, and I decided the book of wisdom was where I would drop my anchor. I came across a particular verse, among many, that I found a good insight in. I found proverbs 10:24, which reads “What the wicked dread will overtake them; What the righteous desire will be granted.” I realized something very interesting about this verse that I think everyone can use in their lives. 

The takeaway is this: if you live your life avoiding your fears, they will eventually happen anyway. But if you overcome those fears by focusing on something you want to get, you will have more success. Let’s suppose I want to have a friendship that lasts ten years. If I center all my interactions around not losing them, this might work for a bit, but it won’t keep things together in the long run.

Every friendship, every goal, and every cause that you will strive for needs to have a goal to reach, rather than a beast to avoid. I think of it like I think about driving. If you get on the highway and keep your eyes glued to the rearview mirror, you won’t notice when the car in front of you slows down. Eventually this will lead to a mountain of trouble that you could have avoided if you had just kept your eyes on the road ahead. Take this a step further: if you got in your car with the sole purpose of driving away from home, where would you end up? You might get lucky and go somewhere worth being, but odds are you would wind up someplace pretty bad. You wouldn’t have any control over the destination because you didn’t put any effort into getting where you wanted to be. 

This is not to say, however, that you should ignore your fears altogether, trying to create independent goals for where you want to be. On the contrary! Your fears can tell you a lot about what you value. The example I used about friendship is something I have actually tried to set and keep. I kept getting bent out of shape when a friend would fall off the map for a while, or have to change their schedule. It made me nervous because all I had was a fear that my checklist box would remain empty. Instead, I have taken that fear and said “ok, what kind of person has long-lasting friendships? Someone who deepens their connections, someone who asks good questions, and sets good boundaries. Someone who reaches out, and is aware of when someone isn’t reaching out in return.” The list goes on, but I think you get the idea. Take those negatives, and turn them into positives. Maybe your fear is not having enough money. What kind of person do you need to be, and what steps do you need to take to have lasting wealth? Then be gracious as you get there. Often change doesn’t happen overnight and there can be setbacks in the process. It doesn’t mean you didn’t do enough. Just roll with the punches and stay on course. If you’re anything like me, you may discover your values and find the things you value most in life. 

I hope my insights have helped you grow in your journey of life. I pray you find your peace of mind, and your path to greater things. Until next time

May peace be with you.