Are you going through the motions? Like your day is on autopilot? As the sun sets, you wonder what you actually did because each action followed another as if it were a movie reel playing from a skit that was already written?

When I’m on autopilot, I often lose focus of the real reason why I’m doing what I’m doing.

A chapter in Cannonball Moments sparked my interest on a deeper look at what I do and why I do it. I started looking at some of my yeses. As I dove deeper, I began to recognize that when I knew why I was doing something, I found more joy in it. When I only operated on the what and had lost the why, I found more discontent in what I was doing.

I realized when I went through the motions, just doing what I was supposed to do, I wasn’t at peace. Little things would bother me. I became upset if something didn’t go just right. Snapped at people for reasons that they probably weren’t at fault for. My spirit seemed completely unsettled.

But when I operated in the circle, knowing why I was doing what I was doing, I found peace and was more filled.  When things didn’t go just right, I adapted and was still filled.  My peace was not disrupted by a bump or a boulder in the path.

In other words, when I knew the why, consolation seemed prevalent.  When I lost the why of what I was doing, desolation followed.  Ignatian Spirituality 101

Going through the motions is a part of many of our lives and it is essential. As you go through the motions of taking care of your family, your soul, your health, I invite you to ask yourself why you do what you are doing.

And when you have a decision to make, don’t just focus on the what but dive into the why.  St. Ignatius teaches us through his spiritual exercises that when our spirit is at peace with our decisions, we are aligned with God’s Will.

Categories: Faith

Tags: #Catholic, #Christian, #discernment, #life, Jesus