I first read Sean Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens when given the book as a reading assignment for my first meeting as a state FFA officer. Since then, I’ve also read the original 7 Habits by Dr. Stephen Covey, and work to keep those principles as a foundation for effectiveness in my work and life. If you’ve never interacted with the 7 Habits, allow me to introduce you: https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits.php

Last night’s activity was a perfect example of Habit 3, Put First Things First. My best friend Megan and I coordinate and lead much of the music at our church and last night was our choir’s weekly practice. I arrived a little early to look over some potential choir pieces for an upcoming baptism, but barely had time to really look through them before we needed to begin our practice. Was choosing a piece important? Yes. Urgent? Yes. I got the job done, but probably not with the thoroughness it merited.

After practice, Megan and I looked through some different arrangements in preparation for all the special music we try to do for Holy Week services. We probably spent an hour looking through books, trying things out on piano and organ, coming up with new ideas, and practicing. Is the music for Holy Week important? Absolutely. Urgent? Not yet.

And the absence of the sense of urgency to get something figured out right away was what allowed us to try out some new things, tinker around with ideas, and ultimately leave with some “new stuff” we likely wouldn’t have arrived at if the stress of getting it accomplished right away had been there.

It’s unrealistic to think we could live 100% of our lives in Q2, but last night’s reminder of how effective time in Q2 can be motivates me to want to try!

I’ve been humming Amazing Grace all day. The pre-service music for last night’s Ash Wednesday service was three consecutive arrangements of Amazing Grace - a piano solo, a piano/flute duet, and piano/organ duet. I played the organ on the last piece, and my favorite part is a big transition from soft and soothing to bold and powerful. A wonderful reminder of the awesomeness of the grace God grants us.

When I pull those 150-some glossy pages of picture-perfect rooms from my mailbox, I can’t wait to get inside the house, sit down with a cup of hot tea (or a Pepsi from the fridge), and slowly work my way from cover to cover, blissfully admiring the shots of rooms that must have perfectly mindful children and husbands occupying them, since certainly no one I know would actually have a mudroom with a tray of rain boots arranged so neatly. Even though I know the folks who would occupy such abodes probably don’t live so neatly each and every day, I can’t help but be sucked into the notions of the simple, casual, and rustic lifestyle that such images provoke.

That’s right – I’m talking about the Pottery Barn catalog, with all its farmhouse décor, vintage accessories, and “antique”  furniture.  I guess I can only speak for myself, but the photos of those pages seem to promise a simpler, more balanced, and perhaps for “rustic” life. (Yes, I know, they’ve got me hooked. I’m a PB customer.)

It’s funny, though, probably sad, too, that I’ve begun to associate feelings or attitudes with having the right pieces for our home. But you know what? A bench for our dining table won’t make our dining room feel more cozy – having regular meals there will. Probably no one in my family will care if their drinks are carried outside on a vintage tray – they’ll remember the nice evening air and the good conversation. And that amazing porch furniture I’ve been drooling over? Come this summer, what will matter is that I can read a book on the porch of our farmhouse within earshot of our livestock in the barn – and it won’t really matter what I’m sitting on.

I’m sure you’ve probably reached this conclusion long ago, but forgive me, sometimes I’m a little slow in reaching these for myself. I’ll always enjoy having nice things and incorporating our family heirlooms, industry antiques, and other farm items into our home, but it’s about time I remind myself that just because you might be able to decorate a home with a look that says simple, balanced, and rustic, doesn’t mean it’s authentic. Having books on side tables doesn’t mean anything unless you actually read them, displaying neat cake stands don’t count unless you actually bake cakes to serve on them, and a great set of porch or patio furniture doesn’t do a bit of good unless you actually spend summer evenings with family and friends. And sometimes I need a little reminder of that, especially while we’re decorating our new home.

So, while I can’t promise I won’t still be a little excited for the next Pottery Barn catalog that arrives, I know I’ll be doing more to lead a balanced and full life and worrying less about collecting things that only give that image, like the pages of a catalog.

1. Life just feels better when all your techno gadgets are working properly and synced together. God bless the cloud.
2. Life sometimes feels better when you can talk openly about an issue, even when no solution is found.
3. Days are better when began with a good round of frisbee with your favorite puppy.
4. When things aren’t going as planned, a doughnut can almost always makes thing better.

I’ve just finished reading Tribal Leadership by Dave Logan, John King, and Halee Fischer-Wright, which has really challenged me to think about the words I’m using each day and the way I’m interacting with others. After listening more closely to myself this past week, I’ve realized it is so much easier to use “I”, “my”, and “me” than to speak in “we”’s.

If I want something accomplished, it’s tempting to assume that it will be accomplished best if I do it myself. I may have to bite my tongue to keep from using my own accomplishments as examples in a discussion… The list could go on and on.

Moving to the ideal of collaborative focus on the bigger goal is difficult, but is completely worth the shift. Now, how to create it in each area of my life?

In Steven Levy’s article in the March 11 issue of Wired magazine, titled “Facebook Reset”, he says, “I propose Facebook grant us a friend-list do-over.” Several paragraphs later: “If all went well, our friend lists would much more closely reflect those we want to talk to and be poked by.”

I tried this once. Pared back to the 200 people I really WANTED to be fb friends with. It didn’t work. My friend list is huge again… Maybe it’s time for another “reset”…?