Joshua Street’s Blog

When I started my twenties and pictured what my life would be like at the close of them, I can honestly say there is not much that fits. I hadn’t met my wife yet, I was working my way through college to become some type of counselor, I thought I was ready to be a husband (luckily the girl I was engaged to wasn’t), my two younger brothers were in 8th and 2nd grades, and I’d been out of the house for 2 years. I was so young and thought that the world was my oyster (both statements I still believe today, but in a slightly wiser fashion).

I guess what I’m trying to say is my life reshaped into something far different than my expectations. Maybe I could have done everything right and known exactly what I wanted to do at and early age. Maybe I would have gotten to this place faster in life. Perhaps, but I highly doubt I would have acquired the level of appreciation for the things I have been given without the journey I’ve taken.

So this year I’m thankful for that. I’m thankful that no matter what I do or don’t ask for, something great is around the corner. After all, the joys of life are never found in the things you expect, but in the unexpected.

I’ve often thought of myself as an idealist. Hope about what the world is destine to become seems to be always on an Idealist’s mind. I remained exactly that way until I started my first company. For two years I ran everything like and idealist. At times I paid 80% out in payroll, took no profits or pay. Sure my employees loved me, but my bank account said I was crazy. I was crazy. I thought if you put together a system that rewards hard work and provides great pay with flexibility, then the company is destine for success. Just because things are noble, it doesn’t make them good.

What the Idealist side fails to recognize is that people are, by nature, variables. As a species, we are inconsistent. Our dreams change from season to season in life. I’ve wanted to be a counselor, a trombonist, a pastor, president, and at times enjoy the simple life of garbage man. In a few short years in college, I switched my major 4 times. Maybe you are not as fickle as that, but I certainly doubt you went on to be a ballerina or a race car driver. The Idealist gathers attention most often for being controversial, while the Realist focuses on completion. Dreams are basically nothing more than descriptions. Realism is nothing more than working. Put them together and you will find something extraordinary.

I took a journey of 40 days without television to focus on some spiritual things. I have completed that journey and learn a few things in the process. #1 being the discipline one can find by just adding even the slightest bit of restraint to one’s life. Other things that surprised me though were a little more complex. When I blocked out one area of my life another would seem to flourish, but additionally other areas would seem to suffer.

The first two weeks were cake, but the last three were very trying not because I was tempted to watch TV. I could have cared less. Instead it was a temptation to fill my life with other means of entertainment and addiction I think we all share. Sure it may not be tv, but movies, music, video games, the gossip column, the Internet, or even your friends can all fall into this category. It becomes our methods of escape from reality.

This revelation made me question a lot about myself. Am I needing to escape? Am I running from something? The answer was a clear yes, but the “why” is left to more study. I don’t view my life as bad. As a matter of fact it is quite good. My family is awesome. I enjoy my job. I have financial stability, which is saying a lot in the world today. I think the “why” didn’t come to me until I sat down to write this blog today. One word came to mind, helplessness.

Entertainment happens in a controlled environment, even when we think it is out of control. If we don’t like something we turn it off or we simply restart the level for another chance. Couple this with the fact that humanity has a God-given nature compelling us to subdue the world around us. Genesis 1:28 be fruitful, multiply, and and subdue the earth. It was God’s first commandment to man.
It’s not my nature needing to change as much as my application of that nature. And truthfully I may not be able to change everything as easily in the real world (subduing the world seems to be the impossible task)…but I certainly can change more of it if I am spending less time escaping it.

I have been reading A LOT over the last few weeks. Not magazines and RSS feeds, but old books and excerpts. When I stopped TV, late nights, and other various unproductive activities, I was expecting to find an answer to something. Well I’m basically 3 weeks in and all I have is a growing mountain of questions. At first I said to myself, “how stressful!” but after a while the questions become less demanding. Let me give you an example. Ask yourself, “what do I do next?” You’ve probably asked yourself this question a thousand times, but if you are like me you have probably never noticed how destructive this question really is. If you are asking yourself what is next, you are putting yourself at a standstill. That is a pretty demanding set of five words don’t you think? I mean, you really can’t move until you answer it. So we find ourselves stuck…waiting on answers.

There is hope though and here is a discovery that will hopefully help you as much as it did me. Just stop looking for answers altogether. But, start looking for questions. Make your journey about understanding something besides yourself. Live life like it had nothing to do with you. Carry on conversations with a stranger. Stop dominating your mind with questions about yourself. Be in search of the misunderstood things in life. One thing I’ve learned about God in the past few weeks is a lack of an answer doesn’t have to prevent us from understanding. Most of time the question is being answered before we ever ask it. The real freedom is not in the answer, but in knowing the right questions to ask…like Jeopardy.