Every so often, stop and take inventory of your life. You’ll reap the reward | Opinion

Every so often I like to jump off life’s merry-go-round, find a quiet spot, and take some time to look at my life, to see if I have grown spiritually as well as mentally. I call it “taking inventory” of my life.

Most of us live in the fast lane, where there is always something to do, someplace to go, someone to see. But even the strongest of us — those of us who have mastered the art of multi-tasking — should step out of the fast lane once in a while and take a look in the mirror.

It is easier said than done. It is not easy being a critic of yourself. Still, we must approach our inventory-of-self with undeniable honesty. It’s the only way.

Like many of you, I often don’t want to see the mistakes I have made because they can be embarrassing. Looking at my own shortcomings is not pretty. It’s like looking into an aged mirror where the reflection is blurred.

Like many others, I would like to wash over my mistakes and move on. That would be the “I’m only human” thing to do.

But I can’t. My conscience won’t let me do that. And that makes me thankful. While I am subject to human mistakes, I cannot use that as an excuse to not become a better person. Too much weighs on the way I have chosen to live my life.

Someone is watching me. Maybe it’s a child. Maybe it’s a neighbor or some stranger I have never met. Perhaps they have heard, or read somewhere, that I am a Christian, which means that I am a believer of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Therefore, it is important to me that I live the life I talk and sing about.

While the persons watching my life may not be believers, they could know enough about Christianity to know what a Christian’s life should reflect. To me, it isn’t enough for someone else to say I am a good person. I live with myself, and therefore I must be true to myself.

I know, too, that the eyes of God are upon me. Not to scare me, but for me to give Him reverence and respect by honoring my fellow human beings. I believe that I cannot honor God, by disrespecting my fellow humans.

What I’m saying might seem like a tall order. It is not. Striving to be a better person is like being around someone who has a cold or the flu. It’s catching.

Others around you – not everyone – but someone will see the life you live and how it affects them and will want to emulate you. Someone will let you know that your life is an inspiration to them.

So, like I said, every now and then, it would be a good thing if each of us stopped for a few minutes for inventory time. Some people might say that I do this because I am in the evening of my life. It is true. I am old.

But I have lived this philosophy from my youth, since I first read in the Bible that I must do unto others as I want them to do unto me. I have not always been successful. I have often failed to reach this goal. But I have never stopped trying.

As the words from an old gospel song says, “I’m not where I want to be, but thank God I’m not where I used to be…”.

Over the years, I have learned that watching how I speak to others, treating people like I want them to treat me really does pay. Today, it has become second nature to me.

Does that mean that I am perfect? No. There have been times when someone hurt me and although I didn’t say anything to hurt them back at the time, deep down in my soul, I wanted to hurt them back. I thought about what I could have done or said to have brought them to their knees.

I would be angry at myself because I hadn’t given them a “piece of my mind.” Those thoughts did little to comfort me. The Bible tells us that we are what we think. And those were not good thoughts.

It was not easy, but I learned to pray for those who hurt me and who use me, thinking I don’t know what they are doing. That happens a lot, even today. By taking inventory of my life on a regular basis, I have learned the importance of knowing when to answer my adversaries and when to “hold my peace.”

Holding my peace does not mean that I am weak, or that I should not speak out against wrongdoing. That is a job for every human being, whose goal is for us to live peacefully among each other. We must never be afraid to get in a little “good trouble,” as our brother the late Congressman John Lewis once said.

It is never too late to right any wrong that we have done. I like to say, that as long as there is breath in my body, and I am of a sound mind, it is never too late to say, “I’m sorry,” or “Please forgive me.”

Living a long life has taught me many lessons. One of them is that I believe it is important that we give some thought to what we say before we speak. Often a single moment of thought before giving an answer to someone, or about something before thinking it through, can save the day. It can also save relationships and friendships. A moment of hesitation could prevent a lifetime of regret.

Taking inventory of your life also helps you to stay honest and truthful. I learned that early in life. As a teenager, I used to keep a poem in my wallet to remind me and keep me focused on the person I wanted to be. The poem is Myself, by Edgar Albert Guest. It goes like this:

“I live with myself and so, I want to be fit for myself to know... I want to be able as days go by… always to look myself straight in the eye… I don’t want to stand with the setting sun… And hate myself for the things I have done…”

These words from Mr. Guest’s pen still work for me.