Lifestyle - "the habits, attitudes, tastes, moral standards, economic level, etc., that together constitute the mode of living of an individual or group." as referenced on Dictionary.com
It is August 2012 and on December 15th, I will (with God's blessing) reach my 50th birthday. One prayer I've asked for is that I will be actively living a positive lifestyle I have been desiring for such a long, long time. There is one instance in my life where I felt a sense of true bliss in my life and I was living a productive and happy lifestyle. I had no major worries in my life and I was basically able to do the things I desired to do. I was in my mid 20's and I felt content in my life. I had a nice job with a profitable manufacturing company in a prestigous location. I had a new condominium, a new 1988 Mazda MX-6 GT, I had a great circle of friends and I had money in my checking account.
I can remember driving one afternoon on westbound I-64 near Mercury Blvd. and this feeling of satisfaction came over me and I thought "all is good with my life...Thank you Jesus". It was such a pleasurable feeling and sense of confidence that it caused me to smile for the rest of that day. I have not had that degree of feeling since then. I have had many instances of "feel good days" but nothing like that day. Finding and having that feeling again has been my desire for many, many years since.
As I approach fifty years of age, I am probably doing what so many men have done before (middle age syndrome may be the thought of many of you); contemplating their past life's decisions. I am in part doing this, but I have been contemplating my life's decisions for the past 15 or more years. I set goals for myself (more personal objectives then professional) and I often accomplished them. But as the years came and went, I found my decisions were not as rewarding as I hoped. This was even more the case because my decisions impacted not just me, but my wife and family as well.
Recently I have come to realize that many of my desires in the past were based on my own understandings. I was using good judgment and good intentions, but I did not complete the cycle by praying on my desires and practicing patience. My impatience got the best of me and I have been struggling ever since. My period of bliss occurred because God had alot to do with it. When I started thinking about a family, I set out to have wife before I was thirty. I proposed to my now wife four months after meeting her; eight months later we were married. Six months later I wanted to have a house and the following year we were having a house built and by a questionable builder. Then I wanted children, then I wanted another house, and then I wanted my own business. In my mind I was doing what a good husband and father was supposed to do. However.
There would be a few more major desires that I could have waited for and I chose not to; research taught me I was a victim of allowing my ego to take charge of my decisions. These decisions of mines resulted in relationship, financial hardship and some loss acquisitions, which lingers on today. I am living a self imposed stressful lifestyle which is going to take faith and patience to turn around.
My realization to all my readers is my lifestyle will change for the better because I am learning patience and I am learning to allow God to help me make good decisions. If your lifestyle is not where you would like for it to be, then I hope you are able to learn a little something from my past life experiences. My recommedation, pray for the things you desire and allow God to charge of making it happen. It will be the best decision you can make.
