??Defining Your Dash 

We live in a hectic time. We rush here, we hurry there! With 2022 already in full swing, I?d like to challenge you to slow down for a moment in order to take stock of how things are coming into place for you so far. Have you achieved what you set out to achieve at this point in the year or more importantly, at this point in your life?

As busy people, we go through our days making decision after decision, choice after choice. But seldom do we slow down to reflect on how those choices and decisions will look on balance when we reach the end of our days. Today I?d like you to take a close look at doing just that. I would like you to consider how acting with integrity, in the moment, will ensure that our lives end up being the testimony we want them to be.

If you have ever been to a cemetery you have probably noticed the straight rows of markers (some fancy, some simple) which testify to lives lived. Each marker bears a name, dates born and passed and, sometimes a loving reference. But a closer look reveals what each and every person had in common. I'm talking of course about the dash. That dash that represents what they chose to do with their lives between those two vital dates.

What occurs to me, what startles me, is that I, and I alone, am responsible for defining my dash. As I reflect on that, it realise that there are questions that must be asked. While this list is not comprehensive, I hope it will be a good starting point for questions only you are qualified to ask yourself.

1. Do we live in integrity? While integrity has been defined in many ways, I believe it can best be defined as the space between your words and your deeds. If you have children, you have been blessed with a live-in integrity meter.

I am reminded of observing a 3 years old many years ago. Her father came home this afternoon, picked up the remote control & changed the channel she had been watching on the TV. She very quickly stood up, put her hand on her hip & with ?attitude? announced that ?that was my #%@* channel you just changed!?

Of course, her parents were very quick to react to ?pull her into line? until I quickly (with my eyes, of course) questioned the tone of her reaction to her father?s action of changing her channel. Where indeed had she learned such a thing? Our children are such little sponges and mimic us in so many ways! They are listening and watching our every word and deed.

2. Do you live honestly? A further extension of this question to ask is "Are you honest with yourself?" When we commit to an honest life, both with ourselves and others, we find a quality of life that simply cannot be purchased with any other currency. We will live comfortably, knowing that we can look others straight in the eye and be ourselves.

3. What do you value? To put a finer point on this, do you value people over things? While having things is fine, it is the people in our lives that enrich it. It is our communication with people, verbal and otherwise, that can help us become more than we ever imagined. It also enables us to help others discover their true worth as well.

Let me encourage you to take this list and add to it. Create your own list. Review your goals and see how they align with what you want your dash to be. Review your actions from the past day, week, month, year and see how wide the gap is between your words and your actions. Examine yourself and determine if what you are doing is in harmony with what you really want.

While all of our dashes will be defined differently, I know this one thing for certain. When it comes to defining your dash, YOU are the author. Make it the best dash it can be. You owe it to yourself! Remember, the lessons we fail to master in this life will be presented to be mastered in the next!

With Limitless Love and Gratitude

Kerrie