Mack and I facilitated a 4 hour leadership and communication workshop last week in Orlando, and then we were able to spend a day at the coast on our way home. While Mack went fishing, I spent the morning running on the beach. Alone, but far from lonely for my nine mile run, I enjoyed the solitary time. As the miles ticked by, what I appreciated most was the opportunity to simply think. And, to listen. I realized I haven’t been doing enough thinking and listening lately.
God usually speaks to us in whispers. If you aren’t a person of faith, you might call it intuition or gut feeling, but nearly everyone knows there are sometimes thoughts and feelings that you just KNOW, without knowing how you know. Weston Agor states, “Intuition is what you know for sure, without knowing for certain.”
The problem is, that we seldom slow down enough to listen. Or, to think about what we are hearing.
It’s something nearly all of us fight at some point in our lives. The crush, the rush, the bustle and the busy. The never-ending pressure to do more, be more, and have more. In our fast paced society today, there are limitless opportunities to fill our life and our time. Some of the activities have meaning and value, and some don’t. Each of us must decide for ourselves how to fill our time and if we don’t decide, someone or something else will.
Joseph Conrad said, “Action is consolatory. It is the enemy of thought and the friend of flattering illusions.” Or, to put it another way, we can’t be thinking deeply if we are constantly focused on activity.
“Activity is the enemy of thinking.” Ria Story
Actions in themselves aren’t bad – indeed we must take action in order to move forward in life. But, activity doesn’t always equal results and sometimes we are simply busy, without actually taking action. The difference between action and activity is a blog for another day however. My point here is that it’s very easy to be constantly busy, without stopping to take time for reflection, listening, thinking, and even prayer.
I know the feeling all too well. As an entrepreneur, I ALWAYS have a running list of tasks, projects, and ideas. And, I love having a list so I can cross it off. But, if I’m always busy, and activity is the enemy of thinking, listening, and tapping into that guidance, I run the risk of being busy without accomplishing anything. Or, accomplishing the right things which is just as bad.
God speaks to us when we are quiet enough to listen. Are you listening?
