Time goes by so quickly, It is always helpful to hit the brakes on a birthday and take a brief glance in the rear-view mirror (where objects might appear closer than they really are) before focusing down on the road before us

Today is a day that we have celebrated before… At 47, as have been many of celebrations of this day, I was working and travelling. At 48, I could barely acknowledge it. At 49, was I really at the top of my game? Probably not. At 50, there was shepherding ducks and expressing gratitude. At 51, there was reflection on digital chutzpah. At 52, there was comment of the confidence that comes with experience. At 53, we prayed. Life lessons at 54 were discerned regarding seeking joy.

Donald Miller recently shared that, when he was younger, he was a victim of a twenty-something mind thinking he had to succeed right now… Therefore, he often set short term goals of becoming successful NOW

In hindsight, he offered this truth: If you set a goal of peaking at 65, you’ll succeed at 25 and keep succeeding for the rest of your life.

This past fall, I had a realignment of my thinking, even before I read Don’s post.  He encourages us all, not matter our age to do excellent work over the long haul out of long-term vision. We stated this month with a few resolutions, here’s another: Work on the effort of winning small battles year after year rather than trying to win the whole war today.

God’s blessings on all those who have and will be with me over the long haul.  What a ride!