Life Marker
What are my life markers?
Amy and I recently had the opportunity to spend our anniversary in Canada. We chose Whistler (site for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games) as our destination.
We both knew about Whister, but not much more than it was supposed to be an amazing ski destination. When we drove in for the first time we were met at the towns entrance by what I've learned is called an Inuksuk.
We would encounter a number of Inuksuk as we spent our time in Whistler. My favorite being the one pictured in this post that stood at the top of Whistler Mountain.
Inuksuk is a human-made stone landmark or cairn used by the Inuit, Inupiat, Kalaallit, Yupik, and other peoples of the Arctic region of North America. The word carries the meaning "something which acts for or performs the function of a person (According to Wikipedia)."
Throughout history Inuksuk have been used as markers. They would mark trails, food storage, and other important locations critical to remember. Think of a Google Maps "pin."
As Amy and I were having a blast taking pictures at the top of Whistler with our favorite Inuksuk I couldn't help but think about the "markers" in my own life. What were the moments or important convictions that needed to be marked. How was I marking them or was I at all?
While we were there, Amy and I decided to look back on the last year of our lives. We made it a point to call out those markers. We wrote them down and committed to consistent review.
Life often becomes busy and we find ourselves being thrown back and forth by the demands of everything other than what is most important. However, we can mark what's important so that we can easily identify the direction we should be going even when getting tossed by and forth.
If you haven't, I encourage you to take some time this New Year to mark what's important. Then, schedule time to come back to those markers and honestly assess your life in comparison.