As three friends shared an evening together, I was struck by the choices being made around the table. For each the center of the decisions was a desire to act. In the back of my mind, an old conversation played on. At that occasion, a friend spoke of the latest views expressed in the Economist magazine. Our discussion focused on possibilities and hypothetical. I kept probing for an example of how it might work in the corporate worlds we knew. In that case, he always resisted moving into the day today. In our conversation on this evening, it was all about the present! Ideas were interesting, but nothing more than that until they came to life through a choice or decision.
There was a substance in our conversation that challenged me. How willing was I to act on my beliefs? Was I willing to carry my dreams through to the present?
It is a question that still lingers into the dawn. I love discussions of what might be. They often lead to new ways of looking at the future. I also love applying ideas, translating them into a living reality. As fun as dreaming might be, it is even more fun to execute.
The question of balance still sits unanswered. Paul’s observation would seem to provide a practical response to the question. When “I pray in tongues, my spirit prays but my mind lies fallow, and all that intelligence is wasted. So what’s the solution? The answer is simple enough. Do both.” (1 Corinthians 14.14) Explore and act. Imagine and realize. Wander and focus. All in a measure that fits the moment at hand.
Today is an opportunity to explore while acting. In the uncertainty that one finds in everyday, you and I have the opportunity to act. We can take the values and priorities that are closest to our hearts and give them life through our choices and decisions. We have the freedom to make a difference within us! We can imagine and do the stuff of our imagination. It is Life’s gift.
