Bucket Lists.

Time management has never been a number one priority. I have spent the largest portion of my time doing that which needed to be done on the day it had to be done. What a joy and liberation it was when I found Lao Tzu who told me to go with the flow.

Now I had a philosophy that matched my actions. But living on the basis of going with the flow can be far from relaxing. As a parish minister, it meant getting up at 5am on a Sunday morning to write the sermon that would be preached that day and having preached it preparing the one that would be preached that evening.

Living on the edge can lead to some very nervous moments but it can also lead to much worse.

An elderly gentleman once approached a master painter and asked if he would give him an honest critique of some work he had completed.  The master looked at them very carefully knowing very quickly that they were not of much worth. What he saw was art but art that lacked talent and practice.

Being a kind and gentle man the master, in all honesty, told the elderly man of his opinion of the work. The old man was disappointed but it seemed not at all surprised, he had already suspected the outcome of his visit. He apologised for taking up the time of the master but would he please just give him a few more minutes of his time and look and one or two more paintings.

The master did just that. Now he became an enthusiastic viewer asking the elderly man if this was the work of his son. he told him that what he was looking at now was very good and full of potential. Whoever painted the works now on showing should persevere and one day he would be a great artist.

He asked the old man again, "Is this the work of your son?"

The old man looked somewhat down but said to the master, "These are not the work of my son these are the works of my own hand fifty years ago. Had I heard your praise then life might have been so very different? Back then I became discouraged and gave up painting."

Living on the edge might indeed be a way of living. Going with the flow is I assure you a great way of living but spreading ourselves too thin and trying to do the impossible each day can sometimes mean that something of great worth is lost.

I hear many people of my age and stage in life talking about their bucket lists. I suspect this is often wishing to accomplish that which was left behind. Go with the flow but keep in mind the important things that should be done.

My follow up book is progressing it is not on a bucket list but how I wished I had done it years ago when the mind was more alert and time seemed aplenty.

Have a fruitful day.