Welcome back Viphilus*
It took 2 months to get here but today we reach the end of Covey's 7 habits of highly effective people.
"Sharpen the saw."
This is the principle that, in many ways, holds all the other ones together. Without this one, the rest fall apart because they are unsustainable. Habit 7 is about the need for recovery. We expend energy doing everything and because we are not infinite creatures we need to recharge our batteries ... replenish our reserves ... fill our tank. Pick whatever metaphor you wish but the teaching is the same; we must live in a way that sustainably allows us to accomplish the things that we need to accomplish, with ever-increasing capacity as we go.
"Sharpen the saw."
This is the principle that, in many ways, holds all the other ones together. Without this one, the rest fall apart because they are unsustainable. Habit 7 is about the need for recovery. We expend energy doing everything and because we are not infinite creatures we need to recharge our batteries ... replenish our reserves ... fill our tank. Pick whatever metaphor you wish but the teaching is the same; we must live in a way that sustainably allows us to accomplish the things that we need to accomplish, with ever-increasing capacity as we go.
Covey's metaphor reminds us that we are human beings, not human doings (although he wasn't the one that said that). We are creatures made in His image ... to be valued, not lowered to the level of a machine (or treating our self as a machine).
Covey got this principle from both Genesis and Exodus. In Genesis, following the 6 days of creation, we read that God rested on the 7th day. Then in Exodus 20:8-11, as Moses rolled out the 10 commandments, we read Commandment # 4 ... the longest-worded commandment on the list because it required explanation just to be perfectly clear:
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
From the opening chapter of the Bible there has been an abiding principle that helps us human-beings keep life in perspective while also helping us recover our energies to continue doing amazing work: REST!
Our modern society does not value rest and recovery, let alone taking time to simply think ... to simply dream ... to simply BE!
I go to the gym and do some strength-training exercises ... anaerobic activities that quickly deplete the oxygen in the target muscle cells, resulting in the production of lactic acid and the familiar "burn" when the muscle gets fatigued to the point of failure. But we know the ultimate result is a stronger muscle after proper nutrition and then a time of rest (actually, sleep) allows the body to go into repair mode and not only restore but actually increase the muscle's capacity. Athletes understand that without the sleep part, regeneration does not happen. The world's best athletes are the ones who know and deeply understand that recovery must be an integral part of their rhythm ... their life-cadence ... or failure and collapse is the ultimate fate.
For me, the concept of "sharpening the saw," means to not only build recovery into my own rhythms ... it means that sabbath must be a heart-set and a core-value out of which most of my principles draw their strength. Sabbath is not a day of the week ... it is a life-orientation in which we build in routine times for shutting down production (of everything) in order to simply BE. Such an orientation allows us to keep our eye on what the end-game is (habit 2) and keep our priorities straight (habit 3) as we go by building a proactive mindset (habit 1) into our life. Sabbath is an orientation that permits us to continually remind ourselves that life is not just about us but that we live in community ... a community that works best when everyone understands everyone else (habit 5) and when everyone wins (habit 4) and when everyone works together because everyone is needed (habit 6) in order for this thing called LIFE to work well.
I hope that you have enjoyed the last two months as we whipped rather superficially through the origin of Covey's 7 habits. It's been good for me as a reminder that all good things come from above, from the Father of the heavenly lights (James 1) ... and that He has given us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1).
Well Viphilus ... I am now going to sharpen my own saw for a month. During that month I would like you to do one thing for me. Please send me an email (not a comment on this blog site ... the comments-feature doesn't appear to work) letting me know if you are a reader of this blog. That's it. How I go forward after this in May will be dictated by that response.
e-mail: omegaman.pb@gmail.com
Blessings Viphilus ... see you back here in May.
Your friend, Omega Man
* Viphilus means, "lover of life"
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