Weekly Thought Archives > Making Good Choices
Making Good Choices
I am always
interested in going back to basic truths. Theories come and go ---- one
is popular until replaced by the latest and greatest. I remember the
detergents used by Mary Alice --- they were always “new and improved.”
Fundamental truths never have to be bigger and better --- they are real
from the git-go, as they say in Tennessee.
One of the basics I enjoy studying is the question:
“Where is your ego based?” I find with many men, their ego is satisfied
more by their business than by their family. This motivation drives
them to spend way more time at work than at home. Somehow they feel
they have stronger possibilities and authority in the office.
I asked a friend why he didn’t retire. He said, “At
the office I have seventeen buttons on my desk. I can push any of them
and something happens. Fred, at home I don’t even have one!” This is a
pretty honest statement of ego. I am not advocating this kind of ego
control --- but it exists and we need to look at the facts.
Ego drives production. For me, it took a long time to
understand the relationship between production and family relations.
When I was about 60, it occurred to me I tried to run the family like I
ran the business. I actually thought in terms of org charts and line
responsibilities. I failed to understand one critical fact: in the
family, relation IS the production.
This was hard for me. I made a conscious decision to
shift my view of family, but man alive, it wasn’t easy. I was right
there if Mary Alice or one of the children wanted to talk about a
personal development program. I would get right with it. If they
wanted to watch TV, that was too relational for me. Then, I realized :
relation is the production.
I’m doing my best, but I will tell you – when you make
a major change in your life, it’s very difficult. All of your
reflexes, your habits, your thought patterns, and your experiences are
altered. It is almost like a Christian conversion ---- you have to
become a new person. But, the shift is worth it. I may feel more
productive in the office, but I know this is a long term investment of
great value. And, you don’t give up accomplishment for relation because
they’re not opposed to each other. You simply understand what is
primary and what is secondary.
The pay day for me is a drawing I keep on my wall,
given to me by my granddaughter. It says, “My grandfather is interested
in many things, but best of all, he loves me.”
This week seriously consider: 1) Where is my heart --- at
home or at the office? 2) How do I honestly define production? 3) What
does my priority list look like?
Words of Wisdom: “In the family, relation IS the production.”
Wisdom from the Word: “Then all the people returned to their
homes, and David went to pronounce a blessing on his family.” (2
Chronicles 16:43 NET Bible)
