Have you ever been shortchanged? You know, you’re at the store paying cash for a purchase and realizing after leaving the store that you were overcharged or did not receive the correct change. Or you pull away from a drive through only to realize that your complete order is not in the bag. We all know how that feels to one extent or another. It makes us angry, frustrated, disappointed, maybe even confused, thinking that we may have had made a mistake. Regardless, it is not cool to be shortchanged.
A few days ago, something happened to me that made me think about being shortchanged. The sad thing is, I shortchanged myself. I love cycling. It is my cardio exercise of choice. I typically try to get 20 to 30 miles in every time I go for a ride. On this particular day, my goal was to get 20 miles. I am blessed to live pretty close to the ocean, and the route I ride takes me along the beach. There are, however, a couple of bridges that I have to travel over during my trek. Now, this doesn’t seem like a big deal, but two of the bridges are drawbridges, and the surface of these bridges are metal grating. When it has rained, and these bridges get wet, they can be very slippery. Because of past experiences of fishtailing across the bridges, I have a consistent anxiety every time I have to ride over one of them. So, I came over the first bridge, and when I arrived at the intersection, where I would take a right turn to continue my ride, I decided to make a left turn instead and avoid the second bridge. Not a big deal! I will take a different route.
After cruising on my new chosen course for a while, it became apparent that I was not going to hit my 20-mile goal before I reached my final destination. That is when it hit me; I just shortchanged my progress. Instead of riding 20 miles, I rode 15.5 miles. After my ride, I starting thinking about what riding 4.5 fewer miles could potentially mean to my fitness. I not only shortened the distance of my journey, but I also reduce the amount of time I exercised and shortchanged my caloric output by 300 calories. Again, doesn’t seem like a big deal, right? However, compounded over time, a small insignificant decision has significant consequences. I try to cycle three to four times a week. Three hundred calories multiplied by four days equals 1200 calories multiplied by 52 weeks equals 62,400 calories or almost 18 pounds of potential weight loss/gain.
In his book, The Compound Effect: Jumpstart Your Income, Your Life, Your Success, Darren Hardy, states that small, smart choices plus consistency plus time equal radical difference (p.10). We witness this in many areas of life. The little decisions we day in and day out can determine our future. One of our leadership values at Christ Fellowship is that we are Faithful In the Small Things. We know that as a person is faithful, day in and day out, the compounding effect over time is an individual who earns trust to have greater responsibility and influence. Jesus, says these very same words in the parable of the faithful servants, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities.” Matthew 25:23. But let’s face it, when we want to do big, important things, it can be difficult to be faithful in small, seemingly insignificant tasks. There is the
So, when you arrive at the intersection and have the opportunity to turn and continue the journey to the leadership and influence ahead of you or turn the opposite way, don’t shortchange yourself. Turn right!
