"A life without reflection is like a vapor."

A thought by Bob Goff in his book, Undistracted (p. 20). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)

This is so important to realize.

Bob says, "Socrates said an unexamined life isn’t worth living. I don’t agree that such a life is not worth living, but I would concede we are prone to forgetting about self-reflection. If you have young kids or a stressful job, you especially know how hard life can be. Some days you crash into bed exhausted, just to get up and do it again . . . and again . . . and again. String together enough days like that, and you’ll look up someday wondering where the years have gone. Don’t get sucked into that trap. Write down all of the lessons you learned from each day. A life without reflection is like a vapor."

He continues, "James, the brother of Jesus, said in one of his letters that none of us knows what will happen tomorrow. He said our lives are like a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. (James 4:14) I have seen this happen, and you have too. My favorite time to write and reflect is in the early morning. The dew is on the grass, and often there’s a hint of fog in the air that collected overnight. Then each morning the dew melts away, the fog lifts, and the day begins. Taking good notes is a life hack for keeping your experiences and potential revelations from evaporating before your very eyes. The trick is to write down what you learn on the adventure so it doesn’t go missing later."

He goes on, "There are twenty-five hundred creatures on earth known as 'one-day insects.' By contrast, one of the longest-living animals on earth is a type of deep-sea sponge that could be more than eleven thousand years old. If we lived that long, we would probably look like a bunch of sponges too. Most people are living like one-day insects, but we need to be a little more spongy by doing things that will last. I will say, though, don’t throw shade at the one-day insects either. It’d be good to borrow some of their worldview because, like James said, we don’t know what tomorrow will bring."

Bob then says, "There is even one species of jellyfish that doesn’t technically die at all. Get this: As soon as this kind of jellyfish gets really old, it reverts back to being a young jellyfish so it can grow up all over again. I want to be that kind of person, but holding on to the wisdom I’ve collected while returning to a childlike faith. Kind of like Benjamin Button, except I don’t want to start out really old and get young; I want to start really young and grow wise. I want to pair the wisdom I gather over time with a greater accumulation of a childlike faith. How about you? If you’re on board with this kind of life approach, what could you do to find your way back to a more innocent, engaged, and less distracted version of yourself?"

And that is a very good insightful question. Yes, yes! #continuethought