day 1208: Split Time

"So listen to me, my sons, and pay attention to my words."

I am constantly challenged with scheduling issues.  It is not unusual for me to get double booked more than once a week.  What I usually try to do is split the difference and make some of each meeting or event. This is probably not the most effective of time and effort management, but it's my tactic in most cases.  When this tactic fails miserably is when in attendance at a meeting, event or even at a dinner, that we allow our minds to drift and we start splitting our time and attention from where we are the time.  I'm guilty of this as well.  Imagine how much more effective and productive we could be if we never split time, but instead kept our energy, focus and attention always full and whole?

We are all so guilt of this spiritually as well.  We go through our day splitting our time and attention away from God.  Life is like one big meeting.  God is sitting across the table talking to us.  We are trying to pay attention, all at the same time keeping the world's smart phone on the desk in front of us, allowing ourselves to be distracted, scrolling through the senseless news feed of the world.  What if we could/would shut the world off for a day, or turn it over so it can't distract us? What if we could make today a day of no split time, but complete focus on what God is saying and asking us to do today?

Reference: Proverbs 7:24 (New Living Translation)

day 472: Where We Give Our Attention

I was reminded recently of the term "social climbing". This is the term that refers to being someone who maneuvers to be in the right place, at the right time, with the right people to be able to gain the attention of those who are in higher social ranking, with the hope that we will be pulled up and into that group strata. When put this way it seems pretty superficial and our minds immediately go to socialites or celebrity circles as the people who do this. The fact is that we all do it at one time or another and the place where it happens the most is in the office. Whether consciously, or subconsciously, we try and find our way to the group or people who are most like us but at the same time can assist or help us in our work and to help us move up the ladder. It's hard to see but every organization has this informal ladder that people are constantly moving up and down upon. What is ironic is that all of the people who are only paying attention to those who are above and ahead of them usually do not end up being the people who become the most successful. That is using the word successful with a capital "S". The people in our jobs who we remember and who we respect most are the people who may have still have ambitions but are people who pay attention to everyone on the ladder, no matter how far below. Jesus was our greatest role model on this front. Where did he spend His time and attention? It was not with the rulers, it was with the working people. Who were His Disciples? Not, rulers and important people, they were the working-class far down on the ladder. Today, there is someone in the office who needs your attention and who needs to be seen, known and recognized. Can you find that one person and say hello and strike a conversation and pay your attention to them today? The rewards are many if we direct our attention down the ladder as much, if not more, than up the ladder.