Is there any doubt that “instant” is a prized value in our Western society? Fast-food. Speed-dating. Instant messaging. If fast is good, faster is better. Steeped in this adrenaline inspiring culture, I often make commitments the same way—quickly. I’ve discovered that my enthusiasm about a new idea can often lead me to make a commitment that I wouldn’t otherwise make if I had slowed down enough to evaluate it carefully. It seems that all too often I find myself sacrificing the larger commitments—life purpose pursuits—at the altar of drive-by opportunities. Seldom are these immediate opportunities as important, or rewarding. Yet, they come quickly and furiously—and loudly. In the midst of this onslaught, larger pursuits wait quietly for a time when I slow down enough to think and act slowly.

Your thoughts? When was the last time you gave yourself permission to think slowly about your commitments?

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On this Presidents Day, it’s easy for many of us to look at Washington’s words and feel virtuous. We’re convinced that our integrity can’t be sold; a state we may have arrived at from sheer lack of practice. Few tempting offers may have ever been presented! Yet, what if the bid was not monetary but temporal and it was our goals, rather than our virtues that were at stake? Someone once observed that the size of your commitment is whatever it takes to stop you. Seen in this way, we all have bidders vying for our time—seeking to rob us of our greater mission. These distractions are the “lesser yeses” in our lives and we gain virtue by withstanding them. Over time, as their bid rises, and with it our resolve, we will indeed possess the virtue that Washington describes.

Your thoughts? What are some of the bidders that you’ve yielded to lately?

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