Ideal Day: Faith, Family, Friends and Fitness

When I was asked by Arizona Foothills Magazine to write an article on what my ideal day would look like, the first thought that flashed through my mind was this: Life is a gift, and each morning you wake up, you are given the gift of a brand new day.

But all too often in life, we simply drift through the gift we’ve been given. Our days can become nothing more than ordinary days which lead to ordinary lives. I ask people all the time, and so do you, “How was your day?” They’ll respond, “Oh, just another day,” or “Another day, another dollar.” Ordinary. But your days aren’t supposed to be ordinary; they’re supposed to be extraordinary!

Let me ask you two questions; how do you currently fill your days? If you were writing this article, what would your ideal day look like? Vacation? Adventure? More money? New career? Shopping?

It’s interesting because most people in today’s society are too busy to even live out their ideal day. As we say, “time flies,” and reality is that we live in the busiest generation in history. We are overscheduled, overworked and overwhelmed. In today’s fast-paced society, everyone I know is flying—fast. We are rollin’ like a freight train, flyin’ like an airplane and living life in the fast lane. And for me, sometimes in life, I feel like I’m running life downhill. There’s a fine line between running faster than I’ve ever run, and falling harder that I’ve ever fallen. And why wouldn’t I? And why wouldn’t you? Isn’t that what society packages and promotes as success and happiness? Run. Fast. At any cost, because you’ll get trampled on and left behind if you don’t.

If you’re not purposeful and protective about how you spend your days, the speed of life could bleed your life of what matters most. And the reality is you do have time. You have time for what you have time for. Either you control your calendar, or your calendar controls you. Don’t let the pace of life lead to a wasted life.

With all that said, what is my ideal day? It might surprise you, but I’m learning that my ideal day is to give my life away. The longer I live, the more I realize the importance of my “give.” Look, the key to living your life today is giving your life away. You might make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give. I’m never more satisfied and fulfilled than when I’m giving.

And if it came down to it, I’d rather be selfless and broke, than to be selfish and broken.

Travis Heard, Senior Pastor at Impact Church