The fire department suggests we change the batteries in our smoke detectors on New Years Day. Why? The batteries aren't dead. Why not do it every March 1st? I'm frugal, or some may say "stingy". I don't like changing the batteries when they are still good. Well, I have 7 smoke detectors. That means 7 nights a year, at 2:43 AM, I wake up to a chirping smoke alarm in a dark house. Trying to find the one that is chirping isn't fun when it goes 3-4 minutes between chirps. So, this year, I changed the batteries at New Years. Now, I look at it as planning ahead and investing in my family's safety AND 7 nights of sleep.
They say New Years is when you should change them because you are more likely to remember it. If I plan to do it any other time of the year, I'm likely to forget.
Another New Year's tradition is New Years Resolutions. I hate them. But, New Years is a great time to plan for the upcoming year.
I've noticed I remember events in the past by the year they happened.
1997 was when I learned my first lessons of marriage
1998 was when I learned my first lessons of business ownership vs. management
2006 was when I relearned that I could accomplish what I commit to with a marathon.
2008 was when I learned about the value to serving others while participating in a test.
2011 was when I learned about the value of a good mindset.
2012 was when I learned more about trusting God.
2013 is gonna happen. Am I going to be intentional about my growth or just react to what comes?
Why plan at the beginning of the New Year? So I don't forget. Why plan ahead? So I can sleep better.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Kindling
I'm a big fan of quotes. But, recently I have been wondering what their value is. It made me think about why I like them. Here is what I came up with.
Kindling.
Kindling, as in the stuff you use to start a campfire to keep warm, prepare food or just to gather around, relax and maybe tell stories.
Good kindling catches fire quickly and burns long enough to allow the larger, longer burning logs to catch fire, which ultimately enable you to keep warm, cook, or tell ghost stories. Without kindling, it is very hard to start a fire simply with a large log. But, if all you have is kindling, your fire will burn out pretty quickly.
A good quote "kindles" your thoughts and imagination, which are the logs in your fire. The resulting fire can enable growth and change through actions, just like the camp fire enables you to cook food or keep warm on a cold night.
Like kindling, though, by itself, a quote will burn quickly and won't provide much heat.
Have you collected the kindling for your camp fire?
Kindling.
Kindling, as in the stuff you use to start a campfire to keep warm, prepare food or just to gather around, relax and maybe tell stories.
Good kindling catches fire quickly and burns long enough to allow the larger, longer burning logs to catch fire, which ultimately enable you to keep warm, cook, or tell ghost stories. Without kindling, it is very hard to start a fire simply with a large log. But, if all you have is kindling, your fire will burn out pretty quickly.
A good quote "kindles" your thoughts and imagination, which are the logs in your fire. The resulting fire can enable growth and change through actions, just like the camp fire enables you to cook food or keep warm on a cold night.
Like kindling, though, by itself, a quote will burn quickly and won't provide much heat.
Have you collected the kindling for your camp fire?
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