“Once we reach a certain age, we tend to recalibrate our expectations. We expect less of the world once we’ve seen it up close.”— Marianne Williamson- American Author
CALIBRATE a mechanical term that means to correlate the readings of an instrument with those of a standard in order to check the instrument’s accuracy; to carefully assess, set, or adjust taking external factors into account. Recalibrating is to reassess your readings and reset to a new standard.
Life changes and stages call for recalibration. What we could expect and what is expected of us differs as we move from childhood, through teenage years, into adulthood. Transitioning from singleness to marriage requires recalibration, as does adding children. Each job, promotion, or assignment we take on requires resetting and often forgetting what occurred in our previous place of employ. Moving, traveling, driving, retiring, and Covid 19 all require recalibrating. We have to recalibrate—to make adjustments and reset our expectations, behaviors, responses, and standards often— or we will lose our minds. How is it that the same quarter mile we used to run in under a minute now takes us 3 minutes? How do we change our expectations of our bodies when they’ve gained between .6 and 1.7 lbs each year since we were 30 years old? When external factors change especially in normal ways don’t beat yourself up…just recalibrate.
“Recalibration of the mind means clearing our perceptions and recovering our capacity for pure observation.” – Ilchi Lee, Brain Science guru This clearing entails both forgetting and being STILL without judging or acting. Isaiah 43:18-19 NLT says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” We are not able to simultaneously hold onto the past and fully grasp the present. Our capacity for pure observation requires us being fully available to what is going on right now and not consumed with either the past or the future. Paul said in Phil 3:10 that the one thing he had apprehended or taken hold of was the ability to forget the past and reach for what was ahead. Jesus told His disciples.”…don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” (Matt. 6:24, NLT) Things might be different for you now than they were in yesteryears. Perhaps your clothes no longer fit in size or style, or the ways in which you used to act, respond, or address life’s situations is no longer appropriate for your age, stage or stature in life. If things are not adding up, maybe new things are required —recalibrate!
