Monday, October 2, 2023

October 2nd - Does your constitution justify your "just doing it?"

The story...

The USA Supreme Court protects and interprets our constitution.  Who protects my constitution?  I guess it's me.  Should I just do it, think about it, or write in on my to-do list?  Some things must be planned yet some things are acted on as a matter of habit or principle.  Within my constitution, can I, or should I, just do it?  I understand my constitution to be principles, or precedents, for how I manage my life - how I make decisions and act on them in accordance with who I am.  Take a look at this bookmark that was crafted and laminated in the 1990s - it speaks to being versus doing.  


This purpose statement is helpful yet it doesn't seem to be a constitution for how I might make my decisions throughout my day.   I'm going to start with my ideas about the choices that I expect to make today, on my birthday, and record the principle(s) that seems to actually be driving them.  Might this be a reasonable way to write my constitution as opposed to a lofty set of ideas that I'd like to be true about me?

Make and drink coffee - Live in a supportive and comfortable environment - self-care.
Put on an old blue button-down-collar shirt - Love in storge sort of way - self-care - self-respect.
Bring my momma a donut at her new independent living place - Be kind to family and community.
Enjoy lunch with a best friend - Share and grow with good friends.
Close Exercise ring on my Apple Watch - Work toward goals - self-care.
Write in my blog - Better understand "what's going on" and share with others.
Tweak my investment choices - Plan and prepare for the future.
Prepare for 1st BSF group meeting - Learn and grow with other men.
Pray and meditate - Work out my relationship with God in Christ.
Answer birthday wish visits and phone calls - Build kind, growing, and loving relationships.
Greet people on the bike path - Love and receive love.
Afternoon nap - Be kind to me.
Eat meals - Care for me and be happy.
Organize basement - Simplify for me and others too.

The only church in town will likely have a written purpose statement and constitution.  I hope that each member of this "called out group of people" would have their own constitution too and that the two would flow congruently.

Just for today...

"I felt afraid of doing the job incorrectly and being criticized, but I accepted it anyway. My fears were quelled because criticism never came . . . 'I can, I can, I can! And I do.'"  Hope for Today (p. 276)

No comments:

Post a Comment

September 18th - The value of "we" in community

The story... My four siblings and I lived closely together.  Each family member seemed to provide something that other family members lacked...