Erwin McManus highlighted this passage on 3/9/2014 in a sermon about Voices. It made me think about the voices I listen to. Voices in my head, my family, my friends, and voices in society.
In the Garden of Eden, the only voice Adam and Eve heard was God's, a voice of love. Unfortunately after that moment they started hearing other voices, voices of judgment.
What to do, what not to do, what's right, so many opinions. I guess that is the price of freedom, freedom to do, say, or think whatever we want. I find it extremely annoying when I allow myself to get caught up rehashing articles or comments others have made. I end up having trouble sleeping, working, or relaxing.
Erwin reminded me that I have a choice. A choice on what I expose myself to and a choice on where I focus my attention. I can limit my interaction with certain individuals and I can limit what I read. When I find myself becoming emotionally charged by an issue, I can redirect and change my focus.
Whenever I want to adopt a new behavior, I try to pair it with a current habit such as eating, sleeping, or driving to/from work. It makes it easier to remember and more likely to occur. Meal time is one of my favorites because I usually have a few extra minutes. Recently I've chosen to close my eyes for 5 minutes, breath, and remind myself what's important to me. I've found that it helps quiet distracting thoughts, allowing me to stay on task and results in a much more pleasant day.
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