Friday, January 28, 2011

Noise

     After reading the post on noise and looking over everybody's responses I realized that I lead a fairly quiet, noise-free life. I never had any thought about quiet time being wasted time. My television set doesn't get any stations. I don't own anything with an "i" in front of it. Nothing I possess requires me to have earbuds in my head. My phone isn't smart. All these things came to my attention as I thought about how little distractions I have. Of course I like to listen to music and watch movies, but I'm not plugged into some device all day like the freshman on my basketball team are. So after a few days of meditating on the idea of noise and simplicity, and feeling good about myself for not being distracted, a different issue I have came to mind: my motivation.
     I'm not the most motivated individual. A successful life for me looks like a couple of kids, a happy wife, and a few projects that never seem to be finished. To be honest I always looked up to Hank Hill. He takes pride in what he does and he does it well, even if that's selling propane and propane accessories. And for him, a good time is standing behind his house with his buddies drinking cheap beer. I've never felt a drive to be exceptional and the idea of being wealthy is actually a bit appalling. Being the best I can be and trying my hardest will always be enough to keep me content. But I'm not always my best. I have a hard time really pushing myself to try my hardest. And as I was giving my team an extremely motivational half-time speech about hustle and hard work, I realized I need to take my own advice.
     And then reading the first part of Nouwen's book about living in the moment reinforced the idea that I need to focus on what I'm doing and do it with my might. Plus I've been reading a book about John Wooden which has really called me out on my laziness. Wooden is another man I look up to, more so than Mr. Hill in fact.
     So that's what has been on my mind this week; here's hoping I respond with tenacity.

10 comments:

  1. There's certainly something to be said for simplicity. As I read your first paragraph something in me longed for that kind of quiet. In irregular pockets of life I am great at silence and even solitude, but as a general rule my life is governed by haste and distractions. (Just being honest.)

    But as I continued to read, the question that formed was this: Who's giving you the motivational half-time speech?

    Sometimes it's hard to coax out of ourselves the things we need the most, so don't be hesitant about asking for a coach who will push you.

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  2. I'm the coach haha
    Sorry if that's confusing. I coach Freshman and Sophomore girls' basketball.

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  3. No, not confusing. I'm saying, who's going to coach you? Who's going to push you to be motivated, to overcome your laziness? Not easy by yourself.

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  4. I love that your TV has no channels, and that your phone isn't smart, and that you don't own anything with an "i" in front of it. I have often thought about eliminating all this "smartness" from my life :) So, good for you for keeping it simple! And I agree with Nick, sometimes it is great to have someone who can coach you, push you, keep you accountable for goals you have that you might not otherwise achieve on your own. John Wooden is amazing...but it's nice sometimes to have someone who can actually get in your face :-) Thanks for sharing with us!

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  5. This is awesome because it goes to show how different we all really are. We all have our own struggles and weaknesses and our lives are consumed by different things. First and foremost we need God to guide us...but I agree with Nick 100%...we need each other to keep us motivated. This is what I love about Circles =)

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  6. Umm, can I just say that I never thought of Hank hill as a role model, but you're right, he does have the noiseless life figured out! This so ties in to Darin's message on contentment, too ... The noise within my head can be deafening, not to mention all of my iToys ...

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  7. hmm. me gusta. I'd love to just encouragae you to continue pushing yourself to find the answers and to dig deep into the motivations behind why you do what you do. it would have been a lot easier to give yourself a pat on the back because you didn't fit a noise-filled life. good job on going the extra step. good job on digging deeper.

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  8. With knowledge comes power. Power to change what God is telling us to change. It is awesome that you are welcoming this conviction into your heart. Many are scared when we feel God is trying to tell us something that needs looking at and tweaking. But welcome conviction, because conviction is doing life better and we can all do life better for God. Praise to you for seeing that God is speaking to you. He will honor you listening and with that motivate you! Can't wait to see the progress we all make over this next 8 months. :)

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  9. One of my favorite quotes by Elizabeth Elliot is "Do the Next Thing." No matter where I am, my circumstances, or my feelings...God has given me something to do and I can choose to do it faithfully. If it is making lunch and feeding my 1 1/2 year old, if it is cleaning the dishes, if it is going to work and choosing to listen to those around me...
    This motivates me.
    Thanks for sharing!

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