Matthew Laker

Six spokes to strengthen to a flourishing life.

To many of us go through life unexamined. We fail to see the habits we have and ways of thinking we have that have led us to where we are. As one senior lady shared with me over coffee,

“we are a result of our choices and have to take responsibility for that.“  

We have a choice to who we are going to listen to.  

We have a choice about how we are going to respond to our thoughts.

We have a choice to the habits we choose to form in our life.

As a follower of Jesus, I also believe because we forget God, and not listen to who he says we are, we stay stuck.  

As I look at people’s lives, there are about six areas that we need to work on to help, engage, enter and experience a flourishing life.

These six (maybe seven) areas overlap and are intertwined. 

They are 

Relationships – First there is our family(biological and adopted), Second is close friends or community, Third is working relationships, those we encounter in different parts of life. 

Mental – So much of our life is determined in this area. How we think affects more then we know in our life. 

Financial – This is the resources and money of our life.  

Spiritual – This one may be a challenge for some, but I carry a world view that holds this as a component of our life.  

Career – We need to work and work is good for us. This area looks at our occupation and calling. 

Personal and Physical – This is about physical health and what gives you energy in life. 

Sometimes I have thought of each of these areas as a spoke on a bike wheel. If one of those spokes becomes weak the tire begins to fall apart.  

For most of us, we can not make significant changes in all the areas at once. However, you can make small winnable habits. You want to change your life; it is one habit at a time. 

Over the next 90 days, what is one spoke you need to focus on and one habit to move you in a healthy direction?