Monday, July 5

There have not been but two blogs during the past month. Much has happened in that time, both in the external world and the internal world. I will give you a snapshot now and we will continue with the details in the days ahead.

In the exterior world we had a wonderful and magical wedding for Drew and Elizabeth. From the rehearsal dinner through the reception (that ended with Drew and Elizabeth being thrown in the pool) it was a magical day. Much thanks to Chris and Kim Maddox for allowing the celebration to be at their house. That added to the magic of the day.

We left for a week in Mexico the day after the wedding with the Big Chill group. If you don't know group, they are three other couples that we have been getting together with every summer for the past 26 years. We all went to seminary together and three of the couples when to UGA together for undergraduate. It is like family. Actually, maybe closer than family.

It was a needed rest, as getting ready for the wedding and cleaning up after the wedding just about did us in. Patty, Genie Chamberlain (the wedding planner), and a host of helper did the flowers for the weeding and they were magnificent. Thanks to the big chill, Patty's brothers and sisters, and a few other friends we were able to clean up everything after the wedding and leave the Maddox farm in good shape.

Coming back from Mexico was a blur as it often is after a vacation. A week passed like a day. Then last week was equally busy.

There were also great insights in Mexico in terms of self awareness. There was the realization that I had focused most of my life on me, rather than thinking about others. There was the insight after getting back home, that I have spent too much time worry whether others are happy or not and not enough time just loving them. It was quite freeing to realize both of those insights. Admitting that you have been pretty narcissistic most of your life can be a tough pill to swallow. Recognizing that you don't have to stay that way can be very liberating.

The day that USA played Ghana in the world cup I stayed home and worked on something while the rest of the family went to a bar in Athens to watch the game. While the time that I spent was a good investment, I realized two important things that day. The first was that I am never again going to work while the family plays unless it is something that I really, really want to do. The second insight was that I am no longer worried about whether others are happy or not. It does not mean that I have become more narcissistic or uncaring. Actually, it is the exact opposite. In the past I have tied my identity to whether others were happy or not. This meant that if they weren't happy then I wasn't happy. That is a never ending game of trying to please others or get your worth from those outside of you. How often many of us, though, play that game.

One other thought and then I will go for today and give you another update tomorrow. We hit our financial goals for May and came close in June. From a physical fitness standpoint things have slid backwards. I made a conscious decision to stop my exercise routine when new business came and at the same time we were getting ready for the wedding. There just was not enough time in the day. Fourteen hour days of work, being with the family even a little, and getting ready for the wedding made exercise something that was expendable for the moment. We are back on track, though, with some new goals and directions. I will update you on these as we move forward.

From this point forward, the future is about action to manifest a very different and every enjoyable future. We are one third of the way through this year and already I can see the results of my focus and efforts. It has been both a stressful time and also a magical time. I have actually learned to walk by faith and take action to achieve a different future. See you tomorrow.

John