Sweet Spot

My family and I are at the beach enjoying the sun and sun and free time. One of the greatest pleasures of a beach vacation is ample free time to read for pleasure. I don't have to read medical journals. I'm not cramming preparation for the Sunday School lesson into the last 30 minutes before I go to sleep. I can just stop and read. I began a spy novel by John le Carré entitled Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. By all accounts, he is a good writer. In fact, I could tell he was a good writer; I simply could not get into the book. So, I stopped reading it. Just threw it aside. I thought to myself, "I only have so much free time this week. I want to enjoy it. I NEED to enjoy it. I don't want to struggle through something. I want to use my time effectively."

Okay, so I didn't actually say ALL of that to myself. I'm paraphrasing my internal monologue. But the point is this: I recognize that I have a finite amount of time in this place. I need to use that time to my greastest advantage. So, I started a different book: The World is Flat, by Thomas L. Friedman. I had just now reached the section on blogging which reminded me that it was time for me to write again. So here I am.

The new book is intriguing as it explains how the world has become more interconnected. I'm trying to stay on board this moving train: e-mail, texting, Facebook, blogging. Though it is against my nature, I'm trying to stay connected to the world around me through the modern devices. I suppose I would have used the telegraph in its day.

But, back to my earlier point. I have reached a point in my life (40 apporaches!) where I have many things that I want to do and many things I am asked to do. I want to volunteer in a free clinic, so I clear as many Wednesday afternoons off my schedule as I can. I want to teach Sunday School, so I make preparation and attendance a priority. I want to go back to China, so I bought Rosetta Stone to learn Chinese. Each of these things takes time, but they are investments with hopes of a larger return. Just recently, I stepped down from a committee that required monthly meetings and fundraising. Now, the purpose of this group is very important, and I support it wholeheartedly. But, I discovered that I was not being used effectively. I did not "fit" the group. I was not serving this group with the sweet spot of my time and talents.

Do not misunderstand me: there are times when we are called to serve in areas outside of our expertise and comfort. But given the choice, I would argue that we are most effective if we can find those outlets about which we are passionate, areas where we can use our talents effectively.

In the past, I wanted to do everything. Age and experience have taught me to focus on pursuits where I can make the biggest difference. Life is too short to read a book that doesn't suit you.