The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.
Stephen Covey
Every once in a while we hear a pearl of wisdom, if followed, could have a dramatic impact on our lives and the lives around us. I am not certain when Covey wrote this pithy statement but I heard it again in a wonderful sermon by David McQueen at Beltway Park this past Sunday and I haven’t stopped thinking about what my “main thing” is. Or more specifically what are the “main things” in my life that I need to keep the main things. I think we can have multiple main things or main things in specific areas of our lives.
Spiritually, my main thing is keeping a tension between grace and truth in my life. Personally, the main thing in my life is my wife and family–in that order. Professionally, my main thing is learning. I am always pondering how will this situation or circumstance improve the learning environment… how will this tool enhance learning…and what can I learn from this….
Can it be this simple? If we are to be successful in our lives I think it needs to be this simple. There is an elegance in the notion of keeping the main thing the main thing. One need not be a philosopher or any other recognized major thinker to grasp this idea. Grasping the idea may be simple but actually living it may not. We live in a world of distraction that can keep us from our main thing. I also think about my boys and other young people who may not have decided what there main thing is. What are we doing to help them find their main thing? What distractions have we allowed enter their lives that can keep them from their main thing.
When I look back on my academic career and look to the future I can honestly say that I have kept and will continue to keep my main thing the main thing. I have been very fortunate in that I am able to convert my passion into my profession…but this is a subject for another post.
