Have you ever watched that movie, “City Slickers?” It’s an oldie starring Billy Crystal who, with his friends, spends a summer on a cattle drive, and learns life lessons along the way. It’s actually been a long time since I watched it, so I can’t remember if it’s appropriate for me to recommend it or not, but I do remember that there were both funny and poignant moments.
There’s an important scene about 3/4 of the way through the movie (spoiler alert!) in which the grizzly old cattle boss, Curly, has a conversation with Crystal’s character. Curly says, in essence, “Everything in your life boils down to just one thing.” When Crystal’s character, eager to know the secret of life, asks what the one thing is, Curly tells him, with wisdom, “That’s what you have to figure out.”
I was having a conversation with a friend this week and it occurred to me that in just about every situation I find myself, it’s important to find the one thing. The thing that matters most.
Let’s say, just as a hypothetical example, that I moved into my new house over nine months ago and yet my garage is still full of boxes and bins that have never been unpacked. In fact, those same boxes and bins were in a storage unit for over a year before we moved them here.
Okay, maybe it’s not so hypothetical. Anyway, my garage is full. Now, I know the things in those boxes must hold some meaning for me, because I packed them up and stored them and moved them. Some things, like books, just haven’t been put away because the shelves aren’t built yet. But as I look at and go through the majority of the things stacked in my garage, I can’t help but wonder: why am I keeping all of this?
And this is where the question comes in: what’s the one thing? What is most important in this situation? Is it a clean and organized garage where I can actually park a car? Is it not having the burden of all this stuff (that I obviously haven’t needed or used for almost two years) taking up mental and physical space? Or is it keeping all these things out of a sense of obligation or guilt or emotional attachment?
Here’s another real-world example. You may know that some of our children have emotional and cognitive and developmental needs that go beyond typical teenaged issues. I have to tell you, some of the behaviors that I deal with on a daily basis make me bone tired.
Please don’t read this as complaining, because my children are an absolute blessing. I’m just being honest about my struggles. Sometimes, when it’s been a long day, I just don’t feel like I have the bandwidth to listen to the same question over and over as my daughter seeks reassurance about what to you and me might be a trivial issue. And it’s at that moment that I have to ask myself, what’s the one thing here? Giving my daughter the opportunity to learn how to work through things that are stressful to her has to take priority over my own selfishness. I have to decide what my one thing is.
As I see it, there are so many opportunities to practice the “One Thing Principle.” When you look at your to-do list on a particularly busy day, what is the one thing that absolutely must be done? If it’s the only thing you accomplish, at least you know that the top priority took precedence.
If you are trying to be more healthy, you can ask yourself the question at the beginning of each meal: what is the one thing this meal needs to accomplish? Hey, sometimes the answer is that it needs to taste really good and be a celebration of great food! But sometimes it needs to give you enough protein to sustain you until dinner, or enough carbs to get in a really good workout! (That’s my understanding from others, by the way. Working out is NOT one of my one things. But maybe it should be!)
And then, there’s the overarching One Thing Principle. Have you ever thought about what it is your life is all about? What is the one thing that drives you?
I have a One Thing. It’s how I try to live my life. Here it is: To glorify Jesus in everything I say and do. I try to let that principle guide my words and actions every day. I don’t always do it well. Sometimes I downright fail. But I pick myself up and try again, and again, and again. Because I’ve figured out that it’s who I want to be. It’s my One Thing.
What’s your One Thing? What makes you who you are? I encourage you to take some time and figure it out. And then try applying the One Thing Principle in your everyday life and see what happens. You may just clean out the garage, or let go of an unhealthy habit, or get in that workout. Let me know in the comments what you think and, if you feel comfortable, share your One Thing. I know it could be an encouragement to others.
Blessings, Mindy