We went for a drive the other day to see the Fall colors. My husband and I began playing a word game where the first person would name something he/she saw. Taking the last letter of that word, the next person would have to see something that started with that letter and on it would continue.
We had agreed to the rules beforehand and were having a pleasant and enjoyable time, when the two children (ages 16 and 24) who came along for the drive, wanted to join in. Of course we included them, but what was once a relaxing, pleasant game turned into a debate! They began to try to change the rules and argued why it should be the way they wanted.
Questions like, “Can the word be in a different language? Can it be an adjective? A mountain contains an “ecosystem” and I can see a mountain, so why can’t “ecosystem” count?” On and on the debates raged and we did what any kind, loving set of parents would do. We kicked them out of the game (not the car, just the game).
Getting through a family game with everyone happy has been a challenge for our family for years! What I once thought was a problem of differing ages and personalities, I later realized was the problem of losing sight of the original purpose. I had always intended the games to unify and strengthen family relationships. I loved the idea of creating memories that we would look back on with joy. Yet, all too often we would get caught up in frustrations, misunderstandings and impatience and the original goal of strengthening relationships seemed to dissolve into the stomping off in tears (and that wasn’t just the children) .
Have you ever lost sight of your goal and found yourself getting derailed by matters of lesser importance? How often do we lose sight of why we are involved in an event or following a certain path, maybe even losing sight of the purpose of life itself? Do we too easily get sidetracked when something doesn’t go our way?
I would encourage you to take a moment and take stock of your life and what you’re involved in and rather than focus on what is not working, remind yourself of the “why.” Remember why you’ve made certain decisions and where you want to be headed. Do some course correction, if necessary, and start from this moment. That’s the wonderful thing about life. We can change or correct our direction at any time!
I’d love to hear your thoughts. Have you experienced similar situations? I invite you to share below in the comments.
