Am I the only intellectually lazy person here? I doubt it. And if it is so then that's just because no one is reading me. This morning, in addition to riding my bike on the indoor trainer that Tessa bought me, (new years resolution anyone?) I've been reading a book called "Ordering your Private World" by Gordon MacDonald. He's a Christian author and pastor and the main point of the book is to help you to understand how to exercise your mind. I've been reading this book off and on for the last...let's say 6 years or so. I can list on one hand how many non-fiction books I've actually completed in the last...let's just say 6 years or so. I have to admit I've never even completely finished "Mere Christianity", which is a book that I adore. When it gets to a certain point of complexity I just seem to lose interest.
Mr. MacDonald would argue that I've abandoned the intellectually stimulating instead to pursue my own amusement. He uses the word amusement interestingly enough due to it's literal meaning of "function without thought". I'll go along with that. Especially with today's society of Facebook (which I will post this article to) and Twitter (which I'm still baffled by).
Upon picking his book up again I realize I'm a textbook "Fast Starter", as he was before he realized and corrected his error. I've achieved success though I feel I haven't had to put all that much effort into it. Sure I've worked, very hard at times, at my job, or my life. God has certainly placed opportunity in front of me so obviously that I very nearly trip on it. But MacDonald would say that I've never had to do the hard work of developing my mind into a "Thinking Machine". And he would be right.
I've succeeded so far in life due to my natural abilities, favorable circumstances and God's Blessings. I grew up in a family where hard work was necessary and rewarded. I was nurtured and taught the value of honest work. God blessed me with certain circumstances and talents that has made my early success not only possible but easy. However, in work and in life, I tend to avoid the routine, unspectacular duties in favor of the more exciting ones. I love to set up a server that makes something remarkable possible and is very impressive, but I do not enjoy checking the logs every day to make sure that it's running properly. Whenever I have a truly boring and "unimportant" or at least "unimpressive" task to do, I generally temper it with the downing of a Mtn Dew or cup of coffee. And maybe that's not bad, but I'm starting to think that it is. Just this morning I thought of something repetitive and dull that I need to do today at work, and immediately I visualized a Mtn Dew. (I KNOW IT'S PATHETIC SO DON'T EVEN START) Well if any of you have made it this far, you have my congratulations. I don't have an answer for the problem, except to maybe finally finish the book I started 6 years ago and hope for the best.
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