Looking in the mirror is usually an exercise in denial. I see what I want to see; everything else I deny! I realized recently that I have far more gray hair than anything else. My passport says that my hair is brown. It probably was when the passport was issued. Today is a very different story.
The one benefit that comes with the gray is the knowledge of what must happen in certain situations. One observation relates to change. If an organization is going to achieve something more than what it has, something must be different. The same input in an equation always gives the same result. You can work harder at what you are doing, however, if you continue to do it the same way it is impossible for the result to be any different than the last time. You may get it earlier, but it will be the same. Organizations behave as if they are not subject to the rule. Age reminds me that equation is true across cultures, times, and place.
In the quietness of the morning, I find myself thinking through what I know to be true. There is a subtle bluntness to the realities. Spiritually, “in the resurrection scheme of things, this has to happen: everything perishable taken off the shelves and replaced by the imperishable, this mortal replaced by the immortal.” (1 Corinthians 15.54) Practically, the reality impacts every choice I make – what and when I eat, exercise, and where I choose to spend my time.
While the knowledge is comforting in an odd kind of way, I see it as a call to action. The challenge with knowing is that one carries an invitation to do something with the understanding. Putting aside what one knows to be true is as much a choice as any other alternative. One cannot look back and say that s/he was ignorant. Our choices rest on the foundation of what we know and intend.
You and I have opportunities within our grasp. We can reach for more. We can strive to make a difference.
