Live Life by George Tolentino Gabriel [SAMPLE]

A LESSON FROM CANDY CRUSH

I NEVER THOUGHT I’d get hooked, but I did.

After countless nights of lying in bed and hearing that unmistakable sound of candies bursting, I finally uttered those fatal words that led to the demise of my ironclad I-don’t-play-games-on-my-cell-phone conviction: “Can I try?”

A ten-mile smile suddenly stretched across my addicted wife’s face as she handed me her phone. I took a deep breath, and clicked “Play Again.” And so began my candy-crushing conquest.

Like most amateurs, I went for the sensation of just popping whatever set of candies I spotted – a dangerous habit to have when you graduate to the higher levels.

Later on, as I reached the upper strata of the game, I wasted so many lives by randomly crushing candies in the higher rows out of compulsion instead of breaking up the lower rows so the fruits could fall! And when those chocolate thingies appeared… Dude! What’s up with that? (I quit at level… uhm… 37.)

Lesson: The enemy of the great is the good. Getting a lot done doesn’t mean you’re getting the job done.

I often get caught up with the little details that delay the outcome of my projects. In the end, the details weren’t worth missing the deadline.

I also tend to say yes to every invitation to speak and end up sacrificing quality time with my wife and family. I later realize that I could have passed those talks on to other preachers. I can be replaced as a speaker, but no one can take my place as a husband.

Question: Are there good things in your life that you can pass up or delegate for the sake of your higher goals?

 Don’t settle for good. Go for great, my friend.