'The secret is one thing'

By Rob Hurtgen

"One thing. The secret of life is one thing."

This is one of the greatest lines in movie dialogue delivered by the late Jack Palance to Billy Crystal's character in the 1991 film "City Slickers." Crystal is in the middle of a midlife crisis, so he and three of his closest friends leave the comfort of their homes to be part of a cattle drive in the southwestern United States. So when Curly, played by Palance, whom all of the men admire and fear, offers up the secret of life, Crystal is all ears. The secret is one thing.

"What's that one thing?" Crystal asks.

That's what you have to figure out.

The Bible speaks about the importance of one thing. In Revelation 2:4, Jesus tells a church how important one thing is when he says he has one thing against them. They had forgotten their first love: him. The church had done so many other things right, but missed the most important.

When you miss the most important, you've missed everything. Choosing one thing creates three effects in your life.

First, one thing clarifies your values. When you verbalize or, even better, write down your one thing, you are at the same time defining what in your life deserves a "yes" and a "no." The disciplined pursuit of choosing a few in the sea of many creates value clarity.

Second, one thing creates focus. We live in an age of distraction. While writing this article, I've had several phone calls and people drop into my office for "just five minutes." On my desk there are a thousand other potential distractions if I dare open my email or web browser. With a multitude of choices right in front of me, knowing my one thing creates laserlike focus.

One thing lets you tease out the nuances. Recently I went to an art museum and a painting caught my attention. I looked at, read the description and, since I was with my kids and they were ready to move on, I took a photo so I could remember it later.

When I finally looked at the photo, I saw some details I had not seen before that caused me to appreciate the work even more. One thing settles our attention, allowing us to tease the variety that is in our focused sight.

One thing matters. It creates pathways for focus and fulfillment you are looking for. What is your one thing?