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Get Off on the Wrong Foot

Get Off on the Wrong Foot

Get Off on the Wrong Foot, military paradeLike people in a military parade, we do not want to get off on the wrong foot. We want to start right.

If we get off on the wrong foot, we do not start well.

Something goes wrong from the beginning. Bad starts happen in:

  • Work
  • Play
  • Relationships

Correcting a bad start can be difficult.

We must work hard to make it right. As John Wooden said, “If you do not have the time to do it right, when will you find the time to do it over?” Giving our best from the beginning makes life easier for everyone.

Correcting a bad start is possible.

Often we get off on the wrong foot by mistake. We did not mean to do it. We must work harder to correct our mistake. Yet, we can do it.

If we never made mistakes, we would not need:

  • Erasers
  • Delete buttons
  • The words I’m sorry

We all get off on the wrong foot sometimes.

When that happens, we want to

  • Come clean. Admit what we did wrong.
  • Face the music. Do what we must to correct the mistake.
  • Make a fresh start. Start over.
  • Forgive others when they get off on the wrong foot.

“When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me” (Psalm 94:18 NIV).

Thanks to Pat Stapp for the suggestion.

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An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure

An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure

An Ounce of Prevention-morgueFileAll my life I heard that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. That sounds good to me. I’m for whatever we can do to prevent problems. Plus, I love apples.

We credit Benjamin Franklin with saying an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. His quote contains wisdom we all need.

We can either spend a little time preventing a problem or a lot of time curing it.

If we have the ability to prevent something bad, why not do it? If eating apples will keep us out of the doctor’s office, let’s eat apples!

Some people have revised Franklin’s quote to say an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. I tend to agree.

Consider our choices:

  • Exercise and eat well now or treat health problems later.
  • Save for emergencies now or deal with debt later.
  • Develop strong relationships now or have few friends later.
  • Work well now or find a new job later.

Do you see a pattern here?

Our choices today affect our lives tomorrow.

What kind of future do we want?

“Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones” (Proverbs 3:8 NIV).

Thank you to Karen Atwood for this suggestion.

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Photo courtesy of morgueFile.