Chasing The Shiny Things...
Lake Chicot, Arkansas
How often do we focus on getting the next new shiny thing we want? Does that go well all the time? Sometimes those new shiny things can be the very things that cause strife in our lives.
It doesn’t always have to be a thing either. It could be a new job, new relationship, or even a new program to follow. New things are great, they are exciting, and most of the time, they improve our lives for the better.
Sometimes we should look at what we currently have or what we are doing and see if it’s worth chasing the new thing. Sometimes our lives are working, and we don’t need big changes to make things better.
Have you ever been around a bug zapper? The bugs are drawn to the light, and there is an electrified screen around the light that kills the bugs before they reach the light. You end up with a pile of dead bugs who couldn’t help themselves trying to get to the next big thing. That may be just a southern thing though.
I find myself frustrated this week. I chased the new shiny thing. I drove across the country to buy a new camper. I put a lot of stress on myself, and my family. I am not saying it’s bad, but I lost focus this week about what is important. This weekend, we spent the weekend trying out the new camper, and as it normally is with RV’s, we ultimately have problems with it. Some is because of learning curve to something new, others is the realization that the new shiny thing has some dark spots.
We forget that every new thing is never all good like we think it will be. Everything has good and bad, positive and negative. The sacrifice we must make to get the new thing isn’t always worth it.
Next time you think about going to chase something new, take a hard look at it and decide if it is truly needed. You may be chasing something that you would be better off without.
Today is also Memorial Day. It is a day we set aside to honor all the men and women who have selflessly given their lives to protect our freedom and way of life. They truly deserve to be honored every day but today more than any other day. Today take some time out of your long weekend and kickoff to summer to think about what they did for you and me.