My wife owns her own business. She has to go to work early in the morning on Thursdays each week. She is what I would consider a morning person since she is usually up before 7:00 AM. The only issue she has with her Thursday morning responsibilities is that she doesn't have time to take our dog, Maxine, for her daily morning walk. Until recently, I, too, worked Thursdays. However, I decided a few months ago to sell my business of 10 years so I could focus more on my ministry, which mainly consists of the church I pastor, and the ministerial association I am currently the vice-president of. Since I am now free on Thursdays, I told her to have no worries, and I would take Maxine out.
Maxie turned two years old a few days ago and is a Great Pyrenees and German Shepherd mix weighing about 120 pounds. She is full of energy and bred to be a working dog. Maxine's breed requires a healthy 90-minute workout per day of intense physical activity. We usually accomplish this with a 40-45 minute walk in the morning, a 10-15 minute walk in the evening, and the rest a mix of playing with the football in the front yard, and of course, physical rough house wrestling, which she loves! My wife calls me Maxine's "dog brother," which seems to fit.
So I took Maxine through the woods today, and though I probably do not do everything the same way she is used to, we still had a great time. She got a lot of energy out tracking creatures and treeing a squirrel. So much so that she is in the front room now snoring, allowing me to write.
The walk through the woods with nothing but nature and God's creation around you is inspiring and beautiful. It is easy to think and reflect while in the stillness of the woods. With the recent sale of my business, I have a lot to think about, and this is the perfect time to do so.
As crazy as it may sound, I learned much about myself during the nationwide shutdown. The first two weeks were not so bad, like a bit of vacation. However, when I saw how much I could accomplish writing, my biblical studies, planning, and organizing, I knew I needed more of that. So when I returned to my business and the business and time spent being bogged down running the place, I realized it was time to change directions.
I will focus on reorganizing and scheduling my new life for the next few weeks. Planning my days to get the most out of them and offer the most to my endeavors.
I look forward to this time and feel great about the direction I am heading. This shift of time from business to ministry and personal works (writing novels) will make a huge difference in what I can accomplish. The first thing on my list is to finish writing the book, Losing Dani Strumm, which was supposed to be released earlier this year but was held up because of work. I am also beginning community projects through the Iosco Ministerial Association to help young couples in the community and start writing the outline for my next religious book. It is funny, adding all these projects to my life yet, having as much (if not more) free time as before because of selling the business. Best move I have made in ten years!
My Thursday morning walks with Maxine will be part of my new routine now, and I will schedule that as a time of reflection each week.
Comentarios