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BlogTreating What Matters as Truly Important

January 22, 2025by Frank Love0

A Path to Purpose in 2025 Questions to Ask Yourself to Better Align Your Words and Actions

In my previous blog post, “Showing Up,” we talked about how to be more present for our relationships.

As 2025 begins, I’ve found myself reflecting on how I treat the things I claim to value. There’s a distinct difference between saying something is important and actually treating it as such. Recognizing this gap has been an important lesson.

 

 

The Gap Between Words and Actions

A few weeks ago, I was sitting at the dining room table reading the newspaper. Yes, I’m one of those who still enjoys flipping through a physical paper. I came across an article I believed was worth saving. I clipped it. Then I set it on the staircase to take upstairs to my office.  The article never made it to my desk.

Somehow, in the shuffle of daily life, it disappeared. Maybe someone in my family mistook it for trash and tossed it. Or maybe it slipped under something else and got lost. Either way, it is gone. This simple scenario forced me to confront a hard truth: I didn’t treat the article as though it was truly important. If I had, I would have taken it upstairs and put it on my desk immediately.

 

How Do We Show That Something (or Someone) Is Important to Us?

This realization extends far beyond that misplaced article. It applies to how I navigate relationships, work, and even self-improvement. When I claim something is important but fail to act accordingly, I’m forced to question its true significance in my life.

If something is genuinely important, there’s a way to treat it that reflects that importance. You don’t leave it to chance, hoping it will somehow find its way to the right place. You act with intention and care, ensuring it’s where it needs to be when you need it.

In relationships, this principle is crystal clear. When we treat someone as important, we nurture the relationship in ways that are unmistakable. We show up for them. We listen. We invest time, energy, and effort into maintaining the connection. When we do this, the relationship feels full and whole.

When we don’t? That absence is just as tangible. The relationship begins to feel hollow, neglected, or incomplete.

 

An Approach for Treating Things (and People) as Important

The fact that we occasionally get it right tells us something crucial: There’s an approach we take with things that are important to us. There’s a way to ensure that the things and people we value are cared for properly. For me, with that newspaper article, the approach would have been simple—take it upstairs immediately. Not later. Not “when I get a chance.” Right then and there.

The same logic can apply to relationships and life priorities. There’s a way to ensure that what’s important to us gets the care and attention it deserves. It starts with asking ourselves some honest questions:

  • Where am I not treating important things as important?
  • Are the things I claim to value truly important, or am I just saying they are?
  • What steps can I take to align my actions with my priorities?

 

Aligning Actions and Priorities in Practice

I genuinely believe in the power of prayer. Or do I? I believe that I will get optimal results if I begin my day with a prayer. Or simply pray each day. But I don’t do it each day. Is it important because I say that it is? Or is it not important because I don’t treat it with importance?

I believe that it is important for me to virtually eliminate sugar from my diet. Not necessarily the sugar that’s in ketchup (which I use sparingly), but the sugar that is in fruit and cookies. But I ate a bag of Maui cookies last night. Oh, they were so good. I was not treating what I say is important as though it was important.

I believe that I have to watch my meat intake. To address this, I have started a diet where I eat meat every three days. On day one, no meat. Day two, no meat. Day three, I can eat meat. I have been consistent with this diet for over a month now. I am treating my meat intake as though it is important.

To help myself align my actions with my noted priorities, I will often take the following actions:

  1. Regularly reviewed my results. Regarding prayer, it is hard to definitely know that our conversation (or lack thereof) with God is paying off. But I have a sense, a feeling of when I am doing my best and when I am not. With my sugar and meat intake, I get my labs drawn every three months. My labs tell me a clear story. I am meeting my goal(s) or I am not. Either way, I stay in a constant conversation with myself and take note of the successes and challenges that my decisions net.
  2. Create accountability relationships. I discuss my challenges and goals with the people in my circle. I am often reminded that others are dealing with the same challenges that I am. Given that there are common concerns, we can hold each other accountable. And often we do.
  3. Remind myself that long-term rewards often come from small daily accomplishments. Many heart attacks happen after an accumulation of days of bad eating over years. It is important to remember that daily victories may not often have immediate rewards, but they can pay off in the distant future. And God does overtly say that you have done well by praying today. When our life is on track, we will know that we did a good job listening.

 

Where Are You Missing the Mark?

So where are you in this process? Are there things in your life you claim are important but you aren’t treating with the care they deserve? Maybe it’s a relationship you’ve been neglecting or a dream you keep putting off.

Ask yourself: If this thing is truly important, what would it look like to treat it as such?

 

Being Honest with Yourself

The reason I’m sharing this is not just to offer advice but also to remind myself. These reflections are for me too. They’re daily lessons that I need to revisit and lean on as I work toward success in 2025.

Success doesn’t come from luck or chance; it comes from being intentional about what matters. If I want to build meaningful relationships, achieve my goals, and experience the fullness of life, I need to treat the things I value as important every single day.

This year, I’m committed to showing up—for the people I love, the goals I’ve set, and the life I want to live. And I invite you to do the same.

 

Let’s Keep Each Other Accountable

If this resonates with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Share your feedback with me—your wins, your challenges, and your lessons. Let’s hold each other accountable as we navigate this journey together.

Let’s make 2025 the year we treat what’s important as important—because that’s how we create a life of purpose, connection, and success.

And that’s loving.

Keep Rising,

Frank Love

 

In my next blog, “The Power of Praying for Others,” I will talk about praying as a way to bring stronger connection to our loving relationships.

 

Watch Frank Love’s presentation “The Act of Caring.”

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Each week, Frank Love hosts Zoom support group meetings that assist women and men as we work to create a loving culture in our relationships. Calls occur from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. EST and can be accessed by visiting FrankWeeklyCall.com.

  • Tuesdays – Black Women: Creating a Loving Culture in Our Relationships
  • Thursdays – Black Men: Creating a Loving Culture in Our Relationships

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Frank Love coaches individuals who are in (or wish to be in) a relationship toward creating a loving culture in their family. He is also the author of Relationship Conversations You Don’t Want to Have (But Should Anyway) and 25 Ways to Be Loving. To schedule a free consultation, contact Frank at Frank@FrankLove.com.

 

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