For a couple of hectic months, I was the embodiment of Newton’s 1st Law of Motion. I was an object in motion, but as a human I couldn’t maintain that pace forever and I was acted upon by an outside force, namely an upper respiratory infection I refer to as “Flu C.”. It’s funny how our bodies will invariably send us to bed when we don’t take care of ourselves. Coming out of this prolonged illness, I’ve found myself an object at rest, and having a hard time jumping back into my normal routines and activities. I’ll confess that my dogs aren’t the only ones enjoying this quiet time together on my fainting couch, and as I stare once again at the many projects that have been dormant for almost 2 weeks, my stress, fear, and anxiety are slowly increasing. As I struggle to accelerate into a productive being once again, “discipline” and “obedience” are words I keep repeating to myself, but they’re having the exact opposite effect on my level of motivation. You see, my projects (this newsletter, a sermon, curriculum for church and work, and a couple of keynote speeches) require creativity, and won’t spring forth from my head or be born from sheer will. These need to come from my heart and that’s where I want to encourage you today. Simply writing items on our to-do lists may get them complete and you may gain the satisfaction of knowing you can move on to something more enjoyable, but I’d like to propose an alternative. Remember what brings you joy about the job, the people, the organization, or the process behind the tasks. If you’re still not pinging with motivation, think with gratitude about the opportunity you have to be the one to serve the people, deliver the message, solve the problem, or punch a hole in the world’s darkness. You’ll start to feel a warmth in your heart that can revive your love for the things you do in your life. Discipline, obedience, and grit will get you across the finish line but joy, gratitude, and love will get you there with a smile on your face, and likely a better product in the process.
