January 2024 35 I hope this article finds you and your families well and safe!!! Last month we discussed the concept of creative thinking and being innovative. This month we look at working hard and making choices, and a life lesson that can be taken out of it for everyone! Here is a tale to demonstrate the lesson: Jonathan was a driver for a delivery business, and he spent most of his time at his work driving and making deliveries, so much so, that he could hardly have a meal together with his wife and three children. In the evenings, when he was done with his work for that day, he attended classes, seeking to get knowledge, so that one day he would find a better-paying job and improve his life for himself and, more importantly, for his family. The family often complained that Jonathan was not spending enough time with them, but his only answer was “I am doing all this for you; I work hard to provide my family with the best that I can.” That can be difficult to argue against and so it would lead to awkward silences between him and his wife. His children were growing rapidly, and Jonathan would often miss important developmental milestones. He would feel bad at the time, but as soon as he got busy with work, he would motivate himself to continue, reminding himself of the reasons why he was working so hard. Eventually, the day arrived, soon thereafter, when Jonathan had passed his set of tests and exams and received his new qualification, then went on to receive an excellent job offer with a good salary, which was significantly higher than he had before. Now Jonathan was able to provide his family with more expensive clothes, some luxury items, as well as vacations in foreign countries. It was like a dream come true for Jonathan, however, his family still felt that they did not get enough attention from him, as he continued to work very hard and more often than not, he did not get to see his family for most of the week. Once again, the cycle repeated itself, with his children continuing to grow and develop in his absence. Time passed and Jonathan‘s hard work paid off again for him, and he was promoted. He decided to relieve his wife from domestic work, so he hired a house cleaner who lived on their property permanently. He also decided that their flat was not big enough for their family, so they purchased a more spacious one. All these changes required that he needed to work even harder to maintain these significant lifestyle changes and, moreover, he decided that he would continue his studies so that he would be promoted again. Jonathan worked so hard, that sometimes he even had to spend his Sundays with his clients instead of his wife and children. His family protested and, whenever the family asked for his time and complained that they did not spend enough time together, he answered, that he was doing all this only for them. Jonathan’s plan worked and within a brief period, he was promoted. The flat was upgraded to a spacious house with a beautiful view. On the first Sunday evening at their new home, Jonathan told his wife and kids, that now he decided not to take any studies and to stop working so hard so that he could spend more time with his beloved family. The very next morning Jonathan did not wake up. What is the moral of the story? One day your life will flash before your eyes – make sure it is worth watching! Take time to reflect on your past now. Watch your life’s movie and decide for yourself, ahead of time whether it was worth watching for you and you alone. Think about what you like and dislike about your movie. Think about whether you need to make any changes to the movie going forward. If there are any changes, what would they be and why do you want them to happen? Think about how you would bring about the required changes and the resources you have at your disposal to make them a reality. Set these valuable changes as goals for yourself, make them a reality and make sure your life’s movie is worth watching. Next month, we will continue looking at more ideas for improving our quality of life and overall performance both at work and at home. v Influential Life Coaching WATCH A MOVIE Dr Mats Abatzidis B.Sc. B.V.Sc. New Insights Certified VIP Life Coach mats.abatzidis@yahoo.co.za Founder of Influential Life Coaching http://www.matsaba.wix.com/drmatscoach Author of the published book “Life outside your comfort zone. Better and beyond all expectations”. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=searchalias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=Abatzidis http://www.life-coach-directory.co.za/mats-abatzidis Vet's Health I Life Coaching
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