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Hitting the Reset Button on Life

by | Thu, Dec 12 2019

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Andrew Pitchford
Andrew Pitchford (Photo credit: facebook.com/theandrewpitchford)

What can we do when we realise our life has gone off track? Digital storyteller Andrew Pitchford is investigating that question in his new podcast, Reset42. Andrew spoke to 20Twenty’s Neil Johnson about the six triggers he’s found that show us it’s time to hit the reset button, and what that reset can look like.

[audio src="https://getmediapoint.com/document/episode/podcast/MDAwMTQ5NTcwMy5tcDM.mp3" /]

Like most of us, Andrew has had plenty of personal experiences where things didn’t go to plan. “There have been relationship issues in my life that I’ve had to reset. There’s been career moments where I’ve had to say ‘what next’?”

“And probably one of the things that has been more practical has been finance and houses. Losing a house, losing that foundation stone that every Aussie thinks is the ideal success component if you like, and being able to say ‘can we start again’? And you can.”

The name ‘Reset42′ was inspired by Douglas Adams’ satirical science fiction novel, The Hitch Hiker’s guide to the Galaxy. In the book, a race of super-intelligent mice is looking for the meaning of “life, the universe and everything. They build Deep Thought, the most powerful computer ever created, which takes seven and a half million years on its assignment.

When Deep Thought finally reveals the answer to the ultimate question, the mice are disappointed to hear that it’s ’42’. This is a great allegory about how we can sometimes get distracted by earthly things, walk down the wrong path, and find ourselves suddenly at a dead end.

When we realise we need to hit the reset button, it’s often because something hasn’t gone the way we expected, and we’re confused. But Andrew says that resetting isn’t usually about finding meaning in our lives. “I think for some of us, it’s actually revisiting meaning. We had it, and we’ve lost it.”

Is it time for a reset?
Photo supplied by Shutterstock

Out of the six reset triggers Andrew has identified, three confront us in the moment, forcing us to deal with them immediately. These, he says, are things that stump us, things that are stolen from us, or things that we do that are stupid. But the other three are things that we’re not as conscious of.

Andrew thinks dealing with these subtler reset triggers is a bit like Jesus’ journey through the wilderness. We begin the journey not knowing how long it will take, but aware that we’ll be changed by it.

God wants to develop character in us through those times.

According to Andrew, these more complex triggers are:

  • Things that are Shifted: “That’s just where life has gradually gone off track, and we didn’t even recognise that we were drifting away. So you can understand, that’s an area where it’s only later that you realise how far away from your original direction you are.”
  • Things that are Shelved: “Often, life happens, and we had dreams, and we had visions, but for very good reason, we put them on the shelf to deal with another day. The trouble is they’ve gathered dust, and we’ve forgotten about them. So they’re out of sight, out of mind. And we need to come back to them.”
  • Things that are Stalled: “That’s the one that I think a busy culture is identifying with more than anything. We’re just running out of puff, running out of time. So things are just stalling with a lack of energy.”

So how do we begin that reset process? Andrew says we can learn something about that from our smartphones. When they’re running slowly, we can wipe the memory, without losing our apps, then start again.

In the same way, getting rid of some of the clutter in our heads can give us the speed and energy we need to solve our problems. So when we’re struggling with our commitments, Andrew suggests we ask ourselves: “What can I get rid of in order to give me the space to deal with this?”

Often when we’re in trouble, people advise us to “push through”, to “work harder”, to “keep going”. But Andrew said that’s not always the best course. He pointed out that even Jesus needed to take periods of rest before he continued in his ministry, and he encourages his disciples to do the same, as we see in Mark 6:31.

One of Andrew’s favourite Bible verses says “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:16/17 NIV)

“What I like about that is that yes, we are busy, yes, these bodies are getting older and greyer, and everything else that goes with it. But if we allow god to renew our spirit, that’s the thing that will last.”

Andrew spoke a lot more about learning to reset in his conversation with Neil Johnson on 20Twenty, as well as answering some questions from listeners. Listen to the podcast of this fascinating discussion below.

[audio src="https://getmediapoint.com/document/episode/podcast/MDAwMTQ5NTcwMy5tcDM.mp3" /]

And why not check out Andrew’s Reset42 podcast for inspiring stories of people getting their lives back on track by renewing their spirits.

Tune into 20Twenty and join the conversation with Neil Johnson, weekdays on Vision Christian Radio. Click here for your local times and more interviews.

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