Day 69: Prioritize for fulfillment

After hours of wrestling, Gracie refused to go to bed tonight, so I finally put her in the basement, where she happily watched a movie while I ran on the treadmill. Afterward I was stretching when she ran to me and threw her little arms around my neck, followed by a slobbery kiss. It was so rewarding, I couldn't help but cuddle her while I finished stretching, she perfectly content. I'm grateful I got an extra hour with her tonight, and had no idea children could be so fun at such a young age. That hug and kiss made my entire day worth it.

Lately, I've made a very conscious effort to give Gracie my full attention each day. It's easy to get caught up in the demands of life and find the day has ended with far too little attention given to that which matters most. I'm learning to choose my battles and focus my priorities, which often means I go to bed happily exhausted with a less-than-perfect home. Well worth the trade.

TODAY'S FOCUS: The demands of life tug at us from every angle, and the need to prioritize is an absolute necessity. Superfluous fillers deceive us, while hours and days are spent doing second things first and leaving us unfulfilled. Choose fulfillment, because success without fulfillment is failure.

I used to think we could have our cake and eat it too, but I'm learning we're not meant to have the best of all worlds. We were meant, however, to determine our passions, manage our desires, and focus on that which is most important - often requiring sacrifice of the good in exchange for the great. There are only so many hours in a day, and so many things we can do, and still do well. Prioritizing is a moment-to-moment necessity, so that which we value most is revealed through the actions we choose in those moments.

QUOTE: "Success is only another form of failure if we forget what our priorities should be." -Harry Lloyd