First of all, my apologies to any of you who have penned a comment to which I have not responded.
It has been a busy and eventful time here. Any negligence on my part is not intended to offend. It is only a result of too much to do and too few hours in the day.
With that said, I wanted to highlight an important concept as we all continue to work on honoring our new year’s resolutions, six weeks into 2025.
That concept is the power of daily practice. I was once told that ‘You are what you do everyday.’ I have seen the truth of this statement in yoga, in writing, and in spiritual practice such as prayer or meditation.
Going to church on Sunday and letting whimsy govern your behavior the other 6 days of the week is not a recipe for a godly or enlightened life.
Lifting weights once a month isn’t going to tone or increase the size of your muscles.
Conversely, lifting weights every day is going to build muscle, even if you don’t believe it will. So regular, relentless practice takes the ‘belief’ component out of the equation, which is often good.
Too often we place too much faith in faith, and not enough in repeated, concentrated action.
We must force a regimen upon ourselves. We must embrace discipline. We must give ourselves to devotion. This is our sometimes slow but often steady path to accomplishment and quality of life.
‘God will provide,’ is a much more believable statement if made by a person who’s working their butt of to let God know that they are worthy of His blessings, and will put those rewards to good use when they arrive.
‘God will provide,’ is a frankly scary thought when I hear a lazy person say it. I know that they’re picking too much cotton in a wish rather than a work ethic.
Again, if we’re interested in seeing substantial, lasting results or important change in our lives, we will probably have to invest daily in a ritual, routine, or practice that contributes to us accomplishing our goal.
Yes, unexpected good things do happen. But they usually happen to people who are already, deliberately, patiently, and faithfully, putting their work where their wishes are.
There is power in the daily. So let’s practice daily.
- BGT
‘God will provide,’ is a frankly scary thought when I hear a lazy person say it. I know that they’re picking too much cotton in a wish rather than a work ethic. —- 🤔, this is such an odd metaphor to use
Hi Jayda. It is a little colloquial. ‘Putting too much hope or emphasis’ in a particular process might be a better way to say it. Thanks. – BGT
I can understand how the metaphor might seem unusual, but it seems the intention was to convey that relying solely on wishful thinking, rather than putting in effort, is not a practical approach. It’s important to balance faith with hard work and perseverance.
Nicely said, Byron. A great reminder that consistency beats intensity over time (The Tortoise and the Hare). Daily effort and habits quietly shape who we are and who we become.