On first viewing, these words suggest caution and care be taken.  On closer observation, though, they suggest living out purposefully, with courage and generosity.

I’ve been reading the story of someone who experienced a dramatic turnaround in her life, from drugs and alcohol to caring for people struggling with these addictions.  It’s a moving and important story, and the kind we love to read.  But I found myself wondering about the huge numbers of people who need to have their lives transformed from some or other pale blandness.

Will you be doing something today which connects with a fire burning inside  of you – t maybe to do with music, or counselling, or cake-baking, or river-kayaking – or will you put it off until tomorrow or next year?

Choosing nothing is not an option.  Life is asking all the time: Do you want to do this?  Maybe this?  You might like this?  Or, then here’s something you once thought about?  We need to be partial to something, we have to choose something and reject other things.

Lots of possibilities – try listing all the things you’re really interested in, whether they are considered work or leisure or something else – be as divergent as possible.

Look at your list – identify the most powerful drivers for you – the things which emerge from the rest as being more important than other for you.

Which of these will you pursue today – the things which see the converging of passion and skills?  This is where prudence and discretion really help us, saving us from doing nothing or the wrong things -because there are too many options or no options, making it possible to do something which connects for us (and matters to others).