What Four Weeks Away Taught Me: Realigning Life, Priorities, and Purpose
David Freund, Chief Leadership Officer
It’s been several weeks since my last blog post. My last post titled “I’m Leaving” certainly grabbed many people’s attention. After four weeks, I’m back and excited to share with you what I’ve been up to and what I’ve realized while I was gone.
I just returned from a four-week sabbatical—four weeks away from work, away from routine, and away from the constant hum of responsibility. I went into this time excited, but also nervous. Would I be able to disconnect? Would it feel difficult or freeing? What I did know was that this time away had the potential to be life-changing.
Week One: Rest and Noise (the Good Kind)
I kicked things off with a week at Otisco Lake, a place close to my heart, with family. It was a beautiful, activity-packed time filled with laughter, joy, and the kind of chaos that comes with grandchildren enjoying the lake you grew up loving. In the midst of the fun, I carved out some space to reflect, think, and just be.
That time set the stage for what followed: deep realizations that have already reshaped how I think about my time, relationships, and work.
Here are the first three realizations:
- My Priorities Weren’t Lining Up With My Actions
I’ve often shared that my priorities are God, my wife, and my family—in that order. While I’ve been walking faithfully with God and showing up for my family, I came to a sobering realization: I haven’t been living as though my wife is the most important person in my life, and that had to change.
Spending nearly every day with her for four weeks opened my eyes. I saw all the little (and big) things she does every day—things I’d missed in the rush of my usual schedule. Her deep compassion for our parents, our children, our grandchildren, and even those quietly hurting in our church family—it all overwhelmed me in the best way. She serves our community tirelessly and selflessly. I’ve always known she’s amazing, but now I see it more clearly than ever.
Going forward, I’m committing to including her more intentionally in my weekly planning so she’s not just living with my schedule but is informed by it. I want her to know she’s my priority—not just in my words, but in how I live.
- Solitude Is Not a Luxury—It’s a Necessity
During the sabbatical, I rediscovered the gift of quiet. Not the absence of sound, but the kind of solitude that clears the mind and calms the soul. In that quiet space, I thought more clearly, I gained new perspective, and most notably, my stress levels plummeted.
For far too long, I’ve been operating at a frantic pace—one that made sense when I was running factories, but doesn’t fit my life now. I’ve been waking up early, hitting my day hard, stacking back-to-back meetings, and barely coming up for air.
That frantic pace is over.
From now on, I’m building space into my day. My morning devotion time will be extended—not just for prayer and Scripture, but for reflection and quiet thinking. I’m actually blocking time to think. I’m spacing out meetings, I’ve even made a rule for myself that the colors on my calendar aren’t allowed to touch.
Solitude is no longer something I’ll squeeze in if there’s time, it’s now part of the plan.
- Focusing on Relationships Over Revenue
Over the past decade, I’ve worked hard to grow training revenue at MACNY and we’ve succeeded in that while also delivering great content and strong value. However, if I’m honest, my focus was always on “more.” It was always, more clients, more offerings, more revenue.
That “more” mindset is shifting. Going forward, I want to focus on building relationships. I want to sit with people, understand their gifts, and help them grow into them. I want to spend more time encouraging people in their efforts, not just their outcomes. While results matter, people matter more.
- Bonus Realization: I’ve Been Missing the Beauty Around Me
One moment stands out from my sabbatical that I’ll never forget. During our week at the lake, my wife and I brought my parents for lunch with the family. On the drive out and back, they kept pointing out the scenery—the trees, the hills, the vistas. They were filled with joy, seeing beauty in every curve of the road. Here’s the thing: I had driven that same stretch five or six times already that week…and noticed none of it.
That realization stopped me in my tracks. I’ve been rushing through life so fast that I’ve been missing what’s right in front of me. That’s not who I want to be anymore. I want to see again, to notice, to appreciate, and to live life with eyes wide open.
What’s Next
This sabbatical gave me the reset I didn’t know I needed. It reminded me of what matters and where I need to realign my life. In my next post, I’ll share more realizations that came out of this time, but for now, I’ll leave you with this: slowing down doesn’t mean falling behind. Sometimes it’s the only way to catch up with what really matters.
What about you? When was the last time you truly unplugged and reflected? Let me know by sending me an email at [email protected], I’d love to hear your thoughts.