Get Smart, Stay Smart

Stephen Covey calls it ‘sharpening the saw’ and Nintendo have a DS game for brain-training, but I think God’s got designs on all of us developing our smarts and keeping them.

For instance, I find my typical day involves having to do many varied things--often twenty to thirty things, and sometimes more--little things and big things--long things and quick things--and into the bargain, I need to process all this and prioritise and order these in my life, within the context of my six or seven roles.

I don’t think you could be any different. It’s a task indeed to make many decisions, make them well, and make them in the right order, particularly when it relates to communication with other people.

We see here, the goals of life are not to finish the journey with the most toys, or travel to the most countries, or even survive with the least amount of scars (physically or emotionally). At least part of the purpose is to improve as a human being over the journey.

These sorts of ‘smarts’ are not altogether intellectual smarts or social smarts, or even moral smarts, but a combination of these, and more. It’s very much not about gnosis--or gaining ‘a superior form of wisdom,’ that’s mystically derived. It’s not another religion. It’s simply what we were designed to do from the beginning.

When we do this, it seems so very natural. Improvement along these lines helps us cope with modern life better, and the increased capability we have to burn means others can benefit, from our energy, positivity and exuding joy. It helps others get smarter.

The trick is applying ourselves to life in a way that what we think, say and do all align, and that they all align with what’s right, just and fair. All the above is saying is that’s not an easy thing to do. We have to be intentional, deliberate, and passionately patient in the positive sense.

Keeping up with life, our daily lives, and living them successfully is more about our capability to cope resiliently with the load in order to make the most of all our relationships. The strength of our relationships gives us the most abundance; it’s an absolute key to life.

The most important of these relationships, of course, is God. And the ironical turn back is, he alone is the only true way to getting to this place.

Copyright © 2009, S. J. Wickham. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.