>> Success
Success
To laugh often and love much
To win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children
To earn the appreciation of honest critics
endure the betrayal of false friends
To appreciate beauty
To find the best in others
To leave the world a bit better
whether by a healthy child,
a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition
To know even one life has breathed easier
because you have lived
This is to have succeeded.
[Often attributed to Elisabeth-Anne Anderson Stanley]
As most of you know, I've been searching for and applying to jobs in our new city for the past few months. The search became more serious and intentional when we moved down to central Arkansas three weeks ago. Since Bryan started school last Wednesday, the reality of not having a job has become, well, a lot more of a reality. So far, it's been somewhat easy to fill my days with job hunting, finishing up a few things we've needed to take care of, and keeping Tebow entertained. I don't mind a little down time either - to read books I've wanted to dive to into, to write notes to far away friends, to slow down a little in this crazy world. But to say I've maintained a positive mindset through this journey would be a nasty lie. I try to stay hopeful and motivated, to know that God has a plan, that He knows best, and that my trust lies in Him alone. Most of the time, I cling to these truths. But, there are moments when I fall into that big, bad, ugly game of comparison. You know those moments? When you think everyone around you is succeeding, but you've been left behind?
Recently, I opened up Start Something That Matters by Blake Mycoskie and began reading. The very first page of the book featured the poem above and man, was it a breath of fresh air. It's hard not to equate success with a prestigious job title, a big paycheck, a new car, or a fancy house when others around you are experiencing those blessings. While all of those achievements are certainly not bad in and of themselves, I prefer this poem's message of success.
As I walk this road, I've learned that is it so easy, too easy, to overlook the abundance of blessings in our everyday lives when we're focused on things we wish we had. While the job hunt process hasn't gone as expected, blessings and opportunities to bless others are abounding.
So, if you're on a similar journey yourself, I pray that you would not become discouraged and that you would find joy in the everyday blessings, like a simple poem that can soothe your heart when your hope is waning and your joy is lacking.
Until next time,
-AA
To laugh often and love much
To win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children
To earn the appreciation of honest critics
endure the betrayal of false friends
To appreciate beauty
To find the best in others
To leave the world a bit better
whether by a healthy child,
a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition
To know even one life has breathed easier
because you have lived
This is to have succeeded.
[Often attributed to Elisabeth-Anne Anderson Stanley]
As most of you know, I've been searching for and applying to jobs in our new city for the past few months. The search became more serious and intentional when we moved down to central Arkansas three weeks ago. Since Bryan started school last Wednesday, the reality of not having a job has become, well, a lot more of a reality. So far, it's been somewhat easy to fill my days with job hunting, finishing up a few things we've needed to take care of, and keeping Tebow entertained. I don't mind a little down time either - to read books I've wanted to dive to into, to write notes to far away friends, to slow down a little in this crazy world. But to say I've maintained a positive mindset through this journey would be a nasty lie. I try to stay hopeful and motivated, to know that God has a plan, that He knows best, and that my trust lies in Him alone. Most of the time, I cling to these truths. But, there are moments when I fall into that big, bad, ugly game of comparison. You know those moments? When you think everyone around you is succeeding, but you've been left behind?
Recently, I opened up Start Something That Matters by Blake Mycoskie and began reading. The very first page of the book featured the poem above and man, was it a breath of fresh air. It's hard not to equate success with a prestigious job title, a big paycheck, a new car, or a fancy house when others around you are experiencing those blessings. While all of those achievements are certainly not bad in and of themselves, I prefer this poem's message of success.
As I walk this road, I've learned that is it so easy, too easy, to overlook the abundance of blessings in our everyday lives when we're focused on things we wish we had. While the job hunt process hasn't gone as expected, blessings and opportunities to bless others are abounding.
So, if you're on a similar journey yourself, I pray that you would not become discouraged and that you would find joy in the everyday blessings, like a simple poem that can soothe your heart when your hope is waning and your joy is lacking.
Until next time,
-AA
I can relate to every word of this post. It's been exactly my life for the last three months as we, too, have moved to a new city so my husband can start school. It was real quiet around here when he left for his first day. One of my friends encouraged me to make a "bucket" list of things I have always wanted to do to help me pass the time while he was away {you can only job search for so many hours a day, right?}. But these past several months have really been a blessing. With {almost} all responsibility stripped away, I was able to focus on my relationship with God like never before. I love your definition of success and the reminder it brings that a job doesn't define us or give us worth. I wish you the best of luck as you settle into a new town and look for a job!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the encouragement, Jenny! I have actually been reading your blog and have really enjoyed hearing your thoughts on the job hunting process, moving to a new city, etc. It's been encouraging and comforting. Congratulations on your new job!! Sounds like a wonderful position. I look forward to reading your future blog posts. :)
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