At particular times of the year, most, if not all businesses, close for a time to take inventory.

Other businesses close at times and bring in specialists to retool and repair equipment.

These businesses give up time in order to check what they have, what has been done, what needs to be updated, repaired or made new.

In these times the business is not doing what makes it money, it is not doing what it is purposed for, nor is it providing what the public needs or wants or expects from it.

Inventory.

Businesses can get over or under stocked, out of alignment to its main task and behind the curve of its progress without knowing where it stands and on what it stands.

This holds true for our lives as well…. in most every aspect.

Every element of our life requires taking inventory on some regular level. In some things it’s a daily task. In others it’s an annual check up.

But we must do this.

Has the last year been productive?

If so…..how?

What made it or led to that productivity?

It was it a failure?

Have you grown in any area?

Are you supplying yourself with the needed elements to achieve growth or productivity or success.

Did you learn anything…or make an attempt to learn anything ?

Are your relationships better?

Have you become a better …..

spouse or owner or employee or teacher.

Have you grown spiritually?

How, Why?

What were some contributing factors?

Did you seek growth and development daily?

Or at some point?

Or at all?

Did you just get by?

Socrates is credited with the statement….

“The unexamined life is not worth living.”

Inventory is examination.

Of a previous time. Of the stock of a business.

My encouragement would be to examine your life.

Take Inventory….of your progress, of the things you care about, spend time on and give yourself to.

Examine and take inventory of your relationships, of your marriage, of your parenting, of your effort and results at work.

Examine.

If we never do this, if we never “take stock” or engage in an inventory at some interval …we will not be able to judge ourselves, or reason out what changes or adaptations need to be applied.

Take inventory and think about what and who you are and where the “what” and “who” is leading you.

If you ever played sports you have most likely watched video or game films of your teams’ performance. Coaches show and rewind and review the action in order to reveal , to show and to coach away improper decisions and movements while complimenting and encouraging and thus promoting good play.

Review the video of your recent life.

Rewind a few plays, a few days, a few decisions.

Rewind and review why and how you did what you have done….to the positive or negative.

Your examined life can be a better one to live in.