Baby Bear from Sesame Street once spoke these immortal words: IT IS GO TIME.
Now is go time for us at the Parido homestead. Here is a snippet of the conversation between my wife and I:
“Is that a big rock?”
“Yes it is.”
“Then let’s do it, now.”
Before I tell you more about our experience, let’s make sure we all know what big rocks are.
Big rocks. The things that go in first in our life. Google ‘Big Rocks’ and you will find a lot of videos on this subject. Here is the short story: Everyone has big rocks, medium size rocks, small rocks, pebbles, and sand in their lives – the rocks are our varying priorities and importance in our life. If you put the small stuff in a ‘jar’ of your life first, then there is no room for the large things, i.e. the Big Rocks.
The Big Rocks are the most important things. The core of who you are. What you are called to do.
So why has this been coming up around our homestead? We have had a couple months of travel, retreats, sickness, doctor visits – busyness has dominated our lives. This sprint of craziness has come after a year of transition and sorting through lots of life changes. This current season left us in a perpetual mode of putting the little rocks, the sand and the sediment into our lives. But the big rocks – who we are called to be and our primary expressions of that calling have gotten pushed aside.
We could still name our big rocks, but we were not practicing them. We had gone into survival mode. We were still doing good things – teaching and leading within the church, coaching, parenting, paying our bills, etc. We were doing the good. But the big rocks are about the best things. The big things. The things that you know in your heart of hearts that you are called to do.
The big rock are things you must do to make sure you are able and fit to tend to the most important things.
For an example. Writing is one of my big rocks that I have been avoiding for a while. I know I must and I should but there are smaller, more urgent issues to attend to.
I must write. To write I must create and make time to do it therefore I must say no to other things in my life. Choosing the best over the good and the better.
Other big rocks right now that help me be both able and fit for writing:
1. I need to be in the word of God and journaling – this keeps my heart open, soft and teachable. It helps me to guard my heart. Reading and journaling allows me to be fully present with others.
2. Another big rock is exercise. When stress builds up, my mind is cluttered and my heart is heavy. Exercise, for me, particularly Crossfit*- relieves stress, frees my mind and does something at a heart level.
So without tending to my heart and body I will not be able to write. And if these do not happen, all of my life is effected. My relationships suffer. My family suffers. My work suffers. My body suffers. It is a downward spiral leading to desperation and isolation.
Thus the big rocks are slowly getting the first priority in my day. I am busy with lots of things, but I have choices in how I spend my time. I am choosing to make time for reading the Bible/journaling, for exercise, and for writing.
Big rocks come first. It is choice.
So what are your big rocks? What small adjustments do you need to make? What wholesale changes do you need to make? What small rocks do you need to set aside so you can give the Big Rocks the time they deserve?
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*I am a member at Crossfit Strode Station here in Winchester, KY. Click here if local and looking for a place to exercise.