Years ago, my friend Natalie taught a lesson during our women's meeting at church about "Having Temperance in All Things", which had a profound effect on me. I'd like to share my epiphany.

First, let's establish a definition:

Temperance = moderation and self-restraint

Before her lesson, I'd say I easily understood the concept of "moderation" in terms of harmful substances (like sweets), or addictive behaviors (like binge-watching your favorite shows). But when I thought about what temperance in ALL things means, I had some trouble.

For example, I was never very good at knowing how to be temperate in goal achievement. I'd aim high, and then I'd overbook myself and get overwhelmed by all that needed to be accomplished.

I didn't know at what point I could take a break and say, "I've done enough."

Part of the problem was that I truly had the mindset that I could do anything - and that there was no such thing as doing "too much".  I didn't always know how to temper my ambitions, because frankly, they helped me achieve some things that I was pretty happy about.

However, sometimes my mortal body couldn't keep up with the pace of my thoughts and expectations, and so predictably, I went through periods of unbridled ambition, followed by periods of crashing and burning, until I regained my strength to start it all over again. This cycle can be really hard on a family.

I'm telling you, that kind of pattern can eventually break a person, like bending a metal rod back and forth until it finally snaps.

According to the Law of Cause and Effect, I knew that each time I took a step toward my goal, it took a step toward me. So I wondered, "How could it ever be okay to stop stepping?" Well, that morning before church it felt like I was on the verge of another crash-and-burn, so I prayed for insight. I wanted to know how I could keep making progress without burning myself out or incinerating my relationships.

We got to church and during the third hour, I joined the ladies meeting.

That's when Natalie, at the front of the room, began. She said:

I like to make cookies.  In fact, I have a wonderful recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies that just works. Over the years I've used it, as long as I follow the right steps, we predictably end up with perfectly delicious cookies.

If I set the timer for 13 minutes and take them out when it dings, they're perfect.  But if I get busy and ignore the timer, pretty soon I'll start to smell them, and by then it's too late. Even if I get a whiff and then run to take them out, it's too late. They'll be hard, dark, and good for nothing, except to be thrown away.

So, after mixing all the ingredients together, letting them bake is one of the most important parts - otherwise, you just don't have a cookie. But baking them for the right amount of time determines whether or not they will turn out good. That's why the timer is so important: to help you make sure the cookies don't burn.

Life is the same way.

When you're trying to accomplish something good, your energy and attention on the goal is one of the most important parts, like heat in the oven baking a batch of cookies.  However, you've got to turn off the energy and attention when the "timer" dings, or you just might ruin it all. So listen for (and heed) that inner voice that says, "Ding! That's enough..."

Wow. I got it. I finally understood how too much of a good thing can be bad.

That lesson had a profound and lasting effect on me. I was amazed and grateful that the Lord answered my question so directly, so clearly, and so quickly! For the first time in my life I could finally understand that yes, there IS such thing as too much, and if you push the limits, you run the risk of ruining everything.

Too much of even the most wonderful things can turn into something bad. So remember:

When the "dinger" rings, it's not just okay to stop, it's critical!

Finding that middle place, finding your "13 minutes", is so important. We have to trust that it is by "small and simple things" (instead of longer-than necessary intensity on things) that "great things are brought to pass". Choosing this belief and abiding by it is an act of faith of the highest order.

After my epiphany that day, I tried to listen more carefully to the Spirit of God that serves as my "timer". It quietly alerts me when I'm pushing things too long or too far. And instead of rationalizing that "I can still do MORE!", I try to remember burnt cookies, so that 1) my goal can get just the right amount of energy, and 2) so that I can also avoid burning myself out as well.

As for the Law of Cause and Effect? Well, sometimes the right action is to take no action at all.

Natalie concluded her lesson that day by giving us each a perfectly formed cookie and saying:

"Careful baking is what determines the quality of my cookie, and temperance in my actions determines the quality of my life."

Thank you, Natalie, for being an instrument in God's hands that day. My prayer was answered (and my family thanks you for it, too!)  :)

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