There’s an old saying, “Most people have no idea what they want, but they want it right now!” I find this to be true as I speak to people across ethnic and social barriers. Whether you’re single, separated, divorced or happily married, there is no doubt you have been through a period where you had no idea what you wanted, but you experienced great anxiety as you went through the process. We all are fine until we have to go through a season of life where things aren’t as smooth as they had been. You don’t know who you really are during times of ease. It is in times of turmoil where we discover our true abilities.
I’m just like everyone else when it comes to getting up in the morning; I struggle. If it were not for the aroma of coffee from the kitchen, I would linger much longer than I do in the mornings. When I finally get up, it is usually after at least one slap of my alarm snooze button. It seems to pierce my deepest sleep and most mornings I am just not ready.
The other day I began to think about what would happen if we lived in the sliver of time between snooze button alerts. Usually our snooze is set for five to ten minute increments of time. National statistics reveal that more than 62% of all Americans hit their snooze button at least one time every morning. What this is saying is we are trending towards laziness and not productivity. We need a wakeup call like never before.
As someone who needs a slight intervention from the power of the snooze button, I want to share a few points to help us become liberated:
• Recognize where you are: I’ve been in my share of malls in my lifetime. I always remember those huge directories located in the center of every mall. You can see the stores and all you have to do is find the big red dot that says ‘You Are Here’. The moral of the story is you can’t get where you want to go until you discover your location right now. So often we venture out without fully understanding our real situation. Access where you are and you can get a clearer picture of the journey ahead.
• Recognize what you really want: I am amazed at the amount of people doing things they really don’t like because of people in their lives. How many friends do you have who would love to quit their jobs and follow their passion, but for the sake of what their families might say they remain shackled to a career they hate? I would venture to say many. The sad reality is most will never experience the freedom of truly doing what they are passionate about.
• Recognize who you’re with: Did you know that who you’re traveling with is just as vital as where you’re traveling to? Much of life is predetermined by the company we decide to keep. The interesting thing is, in Latin the word ‘friend’ is translated ‘another me’. So the question remains, do you feel comfortable enough to call your circle of friends another ‘you’? May we live a life that our friends and closest associates reflect the integrity we hold as truth.
You will have plenty of opportunities to snooze in the coming mornings. And at times, you will even feel justified in taking a few extra moments. Some may tell themselves they are owed more time because of their hectic lives. But the truth is, the only equalizer of humanity is we all receive the same amount of minutes per day. The difference between average folks and those who change history is what they do with that time. You don’t need more miracles; you need more discipline of your time. We all have the same chance to be great, but what are you going to do the next time your alarm goes off?
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