What Happened To Your “M”?

About two weeks ago, I went to go pull out my keyboard and to my surprise the “M” key was missing. Although my keyboard worked fine, I just couldn’t imagine showing up at meetings with a keyboard that didn’t have an “M”. Ugh!!!! The other option was buying a new one, but the thought of wasting $80 to replace something that technically still worked, was completely out of the question, so now what. I had to take the time to think about how in the world this happen I didn’t bang it and I kept it pretty safe, and it wasn’t like I was hard on it or anything, but now my “M” key was missing. Immediately, what came to mind was this reality no I didn’t abuse my keyboard, but I could have done a better job of taking care of it, and ultimately that’s true.

Now, maybe you don’t have a broken keyboard, but I wonder what in your life hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves, or what have you put off until later, or neglected. Perhaps your “M” is a relationship, your body, your car, your house, or even your relationship with God. It is easy for us to find ourselves so busy with the things that demand and scream for our attention that we can overlook or miss those things that don’t make as much noise when we don’t give them our full attention. Perhaps your wake up call is the extra 10 pounds that showed up seemingly out of nowhere, or the high blood pressure that surfaced when you went to the doctor. Perhaps your spouse or significant other said something that raised an eyebrow during your last argument, or maybe you got a call from the school when your child got in trouble, or when you saw their report card.

The Lessons of the missing “M”!

My missing “M” was a sign that I needed to slow down and take it easy. It helped me realize that if I want my keyboard to last, I have to take the extra 30 seconds and put it in the case. Take some time and look at the critical areas in your life, and do an assessment. Ask yourself what the quiet things in your life are saying, and look at whether you are managing them well? We all get out of balance from time to time; you do it, and I do it, we all do it. What does matter is what you do when you are out of balance, and how do you identify it, and then how you fix it.

Fortunately, I was able to take my keyboard back to the Apple store, and they were able to fix it. I decided to change my behavior and take better care of my keyboard because I want it to last. You will probably need to make the same kind of choices. Once you identify the areas that you have been neglecting, figure out what changes you will need to make to improve things in the future, and then make them.