This message is dedicated to Joe who is having a birthday today, "you rock... keep going... I know you will go far".

How Far Are You Willing To Go?

This week I went to the local fruit + veggie shop to get some food. I knew I would get more than a basket full, so I chose to use one of their trolleys.

Once I had finished shopping I wheeled my trolley through the big car park to my car, I unpacked and there I was standing in the car park with an empty trolley looking to see the closest trolley collection bay. This fruit shop only had one trolley bay, right back at the front of the store. To be honest I didn't really want to walk the trolley all the way back, I was disappointed that there wasn't a bay closer to me.

I noticed that someone had left a trolley not far from me, maybe a third of the way back to the store. I had thought that it would be good enough to push my trolley to where the other one was left, and that would be acceptable. That person having left theirs made it easier for me to also be slack... I saw their bench mark and was tempted to just meet the same level of effort.

The thought of not taking the trolley fully back didn't feel wholesome... there was some uneasiness about the idea. I also thought that if I left mine there what would the next person do, it would be even more tempting to also leave theirs with ours. Often it is easy to follow suit and claim "well that's as far as everyone else goes"... maybe it is okay, average, and an expected level... but do I want to always be aiming at "average"?

How far are you willing to go? Set a great example for others and take those extra steps - don't be the person lowering the bench mark. Sometimes I feel that "success" can be as simple as going a mile further than others choose to.

Stepping out with you,

Akita.
5-9-07

To view past editions of Thrive, click: THRIVE editions

Proverbs 26 v 20

Without wood a fire goes out........

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Akita Olsen
Email: olsens@westnet.com.au

Bunbury Vineyard Church.
PO Box 1475, Bunbury,
WA 6231, Australia.
www.bunburyvineyard.org.au

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