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Can I focus for more than one minute?!
I remember being in 2nd grade and my teacher had me take a hearing test because she thought I had a hearing problem. Well, listening problem would have been more accurate. I scored 100% on the test. I find every day things very boring. I even find myself wandering in my mind when someone is trying to have a conversation with me. This happens every day if not several times a day. I can hear the words they say, but they just go through my head as words not sentences or comprehensible conversation. Of course if it is something I am really interested in I am very focused. I will spend hours on something that is interesting to me. I could write for hours if I was allowed. But only on things of interest. I feel as though I am a good writer. I would love to write more, but then again, it's the whole focus thing...There are so many things that interest me, probably because I can't stay focused on one thing in particular for too long. I read an article recently written by Tim Kimmel. He is a speaker and author of several books and the founder of Family Matters, a ministry focused on keeping families together. He has the same tendencies as I do. I can really relate to him. He made an interesting point in his article--he started off saying he would love "clock" the person who came up with the diagnosis of ADD and adding the last "D" to include the word "disorder." He goes on to say that he was never good at learning and at schoolwork. I can relate. He finishes up his article pointing out that we are all created different for reasons. And the personality traits associated with ADD is simply one of those "molds," as I like to call them, that God made us fit into. I too, have a problem with the word "disorder." Just because someone learns in a different way than our government likes us to, they are labeled as a disfunctioning part of society. I guess I should just get over it as there really isn't anything that griping will do.
But my point is that I have been created in a way that makes me unique, more so than the majority I believe. I have posted before about the blog SleepyBearHollow and how the author of this blog connected ADD tendencies to some of the most successful (in the worlds terms) and most influential CEOs in the world. I think this is due to the extreme focus that occurs when attempting to achieve something that is of interest to the person. I have seen this in my oldest son, Gavin. He has a tough time when it comes to organized learning, but if he is given a task that he enjoys, he will do it until it is perfected (or nearly so). I am proud of the fact that my son has the same traits as me... I am able to understand better what he is going through and how he learns best. It is not a disorder, but a rare gift.
And speaking of focus, I found a killer video of the world's longest wave, a ripple in the middle of the Amazon river... check it out.
New Book Suggestion
It has been some time since I last posted, thus the reason I opted to leave dates off my posts. It's actually embarrassing for me because I am such a slacker at posting regularly. But since my life is slowing down a little lately (I have finished a 16 month education program) I will be posting more regularly.No time for any "insight" to events in my life right now, but I did want to share a book that I purchased recently. It was recommended by someone I highly respect and trust--the only reason I am suggesting it before I read it! It is a fiction book, which I normally don't read. I personally think they are usually a waste of precious time, plus the fact that I can't stick with a book long enough to finish the story. Part of the reason I like factual books or books that help in understanding behaviors and personalities of people or books that delve into an insightful area of spiritual beliefs, Christianity, leadership, etc. I can take bits from them without needing to dedicate a lump of time to them.
So anyway, below is a comment from the author from his blog site. It is something I would like to remember and also something I thought would benefit others. To visit his blog go to Windrumers.com. To visit his book website go here: The Shack.
The Need for Control
In my opinion, much of our drive to control (circumstances, others etc) is based in fear (fear of failure, fear of others, fear of being embarrassed, fear of the future etc) and if our fight to control is not an exercise against outright fear, we at least want to minimize the uncertainties in our lives. I am not talking about fear of ‘real’ dangers, but the fear that is linked to ‘imagined’ potentials.
Many think the opposite of fear is courage or bravery, but really the opposite is love. Perfect love casts out fear - there is a direct relationship between the fear in mylife and the settled-ness in my heart that I am loved (the one who fears is not perfected - has not come to wholeness in the matter of being loved). To use a metaphor: the small child of the greatest potentate enters his presence without any fear while others quake. Why? Because he knows he’s loved.
Another way to put it might be that in the process of becoming whole we are continually given opportunities to exchange all the uncertainties of life for the certainty of God’s character. This is an exercise in dependence and we should recogize it for the revolutionary action and rebellious stand against the systems (who are so quick to promise all manner of ‘certainties’).
As we trust God’s character of Love and particularly His active and involved love toward us, we don’t have to understand the circumstances of our lives in order to live freely and live loved. Faith sees past the uncertainties, and in some sense even embraces them, knowing that the certainty of Papa’s love is the only place where there is real solid ground.
Fear, on the other hand, runs from uncertainty or tries to erect systems and devices or gives allegiance to anyone or anything that promises to make life more certain. But the ultimate little child pointing out the emperor’s nakedness, is death. Death is a mockery of every attempt at certainty and why the world lives in fear of death, the one ‘potential’ that is assuredly ‘certain’.
The life of being loved and the life of faith is a life of risk; learning to hear the voice of One who loves in the midst of screaming uncertainties and demanding necessities. It is a journey and process…this learning to live loved. We will make lots of mistakes, but like Peter and Mack, we will come to understand and actually be overwhelmed by joy when we begin to realize that we would rather be sinking out on the water with Jesus than ’safe’ back in the boat, without Him.
-willie
