I am always encouraging you to do some introspection. Unfortunately I have really never shared with you tools for doing this great exercise. TODAY--it dawned on me--two very valuable tools I use annually - my Calendar and my bank and credit card statements. Two things which we definitely have a limit on are our resource of time and money. How we use this limited resource is a good indication of what we consider important.
It is that time of the year to prepare my annual income tax return. This requires going through all of my bank and credit card statements looking for deductions. I am not really fond of this necessary chore, but it does give me an indication of my priorities during the past year. What could say more about where you place your value than in how you use your financial resources. Most of my purchases are put on credit card. The credit card company gives you a category break down after year end. Talk about an eye opener! That pie chart will get your attention! In the past two years my eating out has taken a nose dive--but my grocery bill is at new highs. My travel expenditures in the past two years have been non-existent, but my purchase of books, movie channels is at an all time high. You know how you spend your time and what your priorities are by how you spend you money. It is a great tool for introspection and always prompts change.
I LOVE my paper calendar. Those who keep all their appointments and commitments on the electronic calendar will never know the great satisfaction and tool for introspection a paper calendar gives. When transferring annual reoccurring anniversaries and commitments to my new paper calendar, I refer to last year's calendar. As I flip through those pages, I see how I spent my most valuable resource-time. What I felt was important is directly reflected by the way I spend my time. Am I mired down in personal satisfaction, am I using a portion of my time to help others? Just what was important enough to use the dwindling supply of time? In my quest for introspection--this, my friends, is perhaps the most eye opening.
Finally I will add--one more tool. A shocking tool for some. Look at the history on your computer and electronic device and see how much time you are spending staring at the tiny screen and what you are looking at. You are probably going to be shocked at how we now waste hours of our limited supply of time browsing the WWW.
I had a flashback when proofing this for the final time. There was a day when if you stayed in a budget motel that the television was coin operated. If you wanted to view, you had to feed the coin box. I began to think---if the same were true in my own home, would I turn on the boob box even less? As it is, I do not turn it on until dinner time. Is anything I watch worth paying for--beyond the time I use watching? Think THAT over!
There are other ways to spend time in introspection, but this is a simple way to get started. The book I recently spoke of, The Stranger in the Woods has me thinking over introspection. I recently read the scriptures of Jesus in the wilderness for 40 days and Moses on the mountain for 40 days. How much time am I spending searching for God? Where are my priorities? Our latest Bible Study addresses coming up with a plan for seeking God. Not trusting your good intentions, but instead putting down on paper your commitment to seeking Him. That should cause some introspection!
"Make me know Your ways, Oh Lord;
teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
for You are the God of my salvation;
for You I wait all the day long."
Psalm 24:4-5
These are great tools to evaluate how we spend our time and our money, Lulu. It also reveals our priorities, both good and bad. You have me wanting to do some serious introspection, my friend.
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I have always benefitted from time spent doing this, Martha!
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