When my kids were young I would often find myself overwhelmed with all of the chaos.

The homework,

the play dates,

the sports schedules,

the chores,

the parties and doctor's appointments and laundry and toys and clothes and decisions and

everything.

One thought helped me mentally dig out from under the pile of constant, daily, hourly, minute-by-minute decisions about where to give my attention, where to expend my energy, where to put my focus.

William James, the father of American psychology, said this:

"Wisdom is the art of knowing what to overlook."

I found this quote in a magazine,

ripped out the page,

and taped it on my wall in the kitchen.

It was the perfect piece of art for those days.

It is still a guiding force in my life today where different kinds of decisions must be made,

many more weighty than those I made decades ago.

What good work do I want to give my energy to?

What people can I make space for today?

How do I keep my attention freed up enough to hear God's wise, guiding voice?

What can I let go of?

What can I say no to?

What should I overlook?

What or whom should I NEVER overlook?

King David writes in Psalm 90,

"O God, teach us to live well! Teach us to live wisely and well." 

As you pursue a life of wisdom, a great question to ask yourself each morning is:

What can I overlook today?