Last week we share the 'part one' words on Adventure Busters (those actions that we men can get caught up in and can become derailed by- scroll down if you missed that). Next week we'll follow up and close on that discussion but while we prepare for that, please consider the following:
First - who said "I don't know what I should do, I only know what I can do" (do you know)?
Second - do you know the words written some three thousand years ago that would become a 'top of the charts' song in 1965?
Third - who said "Men should not just live, they should live well" (do you know)?
Lets take the above questions one at a time.
1) Do we know what we can do versus what we should not do? That first quote above may be recognized by those of you who enjoy a little science fiction - it is Kirk telling Spock (from the movie Star Trek Into Darkness) that he needs to do what he needs to do. This quote just jumped out at me as one that all young men basically get caught up in – as young men, we all do the best we can as we juggle our duties in life, with our wife & kids, work, etc. That is a good place to start from but true success requires more.
2) As to those words written so long ago and then popularized in the song from the Byrds in 1965, did you know the lyrics were adapted almost entirely from verses in the Book of Ecclesiastes (Ecc. 3)? Those words are shown to the right and are attributed to King Solomon as he shared what he had learned, what he had struggled with and what he recommended. The key message for us is to remember, life has seasons and how we manage each of those is the key to our success. (how well are you managing these?) 3) Then for the third question above - the "Men should" quote was from the "Immortals" movie - Zeus is talking with Theseus about how a man should pursue life. When I heard that I thought that is a good quote for we as men to know and to ponder as we work to put the big picture together for our life (where are we at, where do we want to go, what are our priorities, etc). Now all three of these considerations shared this week, tie back into how we as men look at life and how we make the decisions that then impact our life (and those of our loved ones). They are intended for us to ask. . . Are we in charge of our life or just reacting? One path requires us to plan, to make sacrifices, to honor commitments, to take action and in some cases, not. The other path is the easier one; others are to blame, life is just not fair or maybe tomorrow will be better. I don't know if you are like me but I'd rather step up to the challenge than just wish for the best. What about you? | To everything... turn, turn, turn. There is a season... turn, turn, turn And a time to every purpose, under Heaven... A time to be born, a time to die.. A time to plant, a time to reap... A time to kill, a time to heal... A time to laugh, a time to weep. To everything... turn, turn, turn. There is a season... turn, turn, turn And a time to every purpose, under Heaven... A time to build up, a time to break down... A time to dance, a time to mourn... A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together. To everything... turn, turn, turn. There is a season... turn, turn, turn And a time to every purpose, under Heaven... A time of love, a time of hate... A time of war, a time of peace... A time you may embrace, a time to refrain from embracing. To everything... turn, turn, turn. There is a season... turn, turn, turn And a time to every purpose, under Heaven... A time to gain, a time to lose... A time to rend, a time to sew... A time for love, a time for hate... A time for peace, I swear it's not too late. |
That means the challenge for us is to get control of our life (for those things we can control). It is not something we can keep putting off. The Great Adventure is available to each of us if we decide that it is worth pursueing. Our men's group has learned that Real Men, Dedicated Dads and Proud Grandpas make decisions that impact their loved ones & themselves, that they are glad they made.
How about you - are you ready to turn the page, the corner, the chapter you are in and to enable the next stage of your life? The Adventure Busters listed below and those coming up next week are good ones to ponder and to then put actions in place. Thank you for reading and pursuing your Great Adventure.