As I reflect on this chapter I realize that my heart deceives me by saying, “take care of yourself so that you can take care of your family.” While there is some truth here, it’s very easy to live every day starting with me and maybe getting to everyone else.
How does your heart deceive you? For me it’s my desire for knowledge. In college I struggled through my first couple years of classes because chemistry, anthropology and zoology just couldn’t hold my attention. But when I got into courses on exercise and education, courses which applied to my area of interest, I really started to excel in the classroom. I became a knowledge junkie. After two years of loading my brain with useless material, all of a sudden I was learning things that fascinated me and drove me to learn more. I was learning about how people learn and the science behind exercise and its affect on the body. Call me a geek – no really, you can call me a geek. I’ve accepted my identity as a book worm. But it’s this search for knowledge that allowed me to do well in school and begin to discover my passion in life.
So for me it’s been a struggle for me to take care of myself and my quest for knowledge before I take care of my family. I'm not an absent father. I don't isolate myself and leave Katie and Sorin alone. But if I'm honest with myself, I have a deep inner gravitation towards seeking more knowledge. Why? Because I want to provide for my family. Because I want to be the best I can be. Because I want to set a good example of a dad who is disciplined and works hard. Those are good motivations, but I can't let good overtake great. Great motivations are quality and quantity time with my family.
What I really appreciate about this chapter is the focus on how important it is to reflect on your heart and its motivations in your life. Stanley readily admits that this chapter is nothing new to anyone. But I think it is only a very disciplined person who examines his heart and searches for answers to how he organizes his day’s time and priorities.
