These days, life seems so complicated. Challenging, often overwhelming, sometimes paralyzing.
More than ever before, modern times are besieged by clutter. A debilitating torrent of information and endless options and choices make it easy to lose sight of those things that are most critical.
It doesn’t have to be that way. Because, amidst the noise we face every day, there are a few most-important things in life. By picking those priorities wisely, we can learn how to live right, one day at a time.
“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” (Confucius)
Focus on the Fundamentals
One of the most rewarding outcomes of my recovery and spiritual journey has been realizing that life doesn’t have to be that complicated.
There are a few principles that, followed on a daily basis, help us stay on track emotionally, personally, and spiritually. That is an incredibly empowering truth. It means that—every day—there are steps we can take which will bring us more resilience, purpose, and serenity.
So we can go to bed each night and hear a soft, quiet voice say, “Well done.”
Over the years, this need to focus on the essentials of life has been called out by many voices:
“Sometimes, less is more.” (William Shakespeare)
“Your life is controlled by what you focus on.” (Tony Robbins)
“We behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God.” (2 Corinthians 1:12)
“The best solution for falling just short of the goal is to focus on the fundamentals but perform them better.” (Tony Dungy)
“Less is more, focus, simplicity, the fundamentals”: all excellent advice for living effectively. But what should those critical success factors be?
What do we do to live right each day?
- Get right with God.
- Get right with yourself.
- Get right with other people.
- Take the next right step.
- Find the right purpose.
“The trouble with so many of us is that we underestimate the power of simplicity. We have a tendency it seems to over complicate our lives and forget what’s important and what’s not.” (Robert Stuberg)
Taking STEPS to Live Right
Now that we understand what we do to live right each day, the question becomes: How do we do those things? These 5 STEPS can help:
- Surrender: Surrender your will to God and make choices based on faith and courage.
- Transformation: Humbly admit your mistakes and make positive changes in your life.
- Empathy: Seek forgiveness and invest in good relationships.
- Progress: Spend time every day in prayer and meditation.
- Service: Serve as an example and add value to the lives of others.
These STEPS provide transformational guidance we can utilize on a daily basis. They are extremely flexible and can be applied to different areas of our lives, including helping us understand how to live right so we can achieve:
Emotional Well-Being to help us calmly accept that we should: (1) give up control; (2) let go of our shortcomings; (3) make amends with others; (4) work these steps every day; (5) carry a positive message to others.
Personal Excellence so we can be better positioned to: (1) make wise choices; (2) improve our weaknesses; (3) build positive relationships; (4) establish good habits; (5) find significance by serving others.
Spiritual Wisdom to give us the faith to: (1) believe; (2) repent; (3) forgive; (4) pray; (5) serve.
- Read: “Just Another Day”
Christian Faith so we seek truth: (1) accept Jesus as Lord; (2) welcome Him as Savior; (3) appreciate and share God’s grace; (4) stay in touch with the Holy Spirit; (5) serve others out of thankfulness.
In a cluttered, noisy world we can find simplicity. And, by focusing on the fundamentals, we can learn how to live right, one day at a time.
Question: Which of these 5 STEPS do you feel you need to work on the most?
Action: Read the 4 articles at the links above to learn more about how to live right.
