Sometimes, we live in the belief that we are too small for our calling.
Alternatively, we believe that our calling is too small.
But what if we believed that we were big enough?
And so was our calling?
There is no us and them.
I know that it feels like we’re just yelling across a chasm at each other.
People are divided by politics, religion, race, ideology, football teams.
I’m right and everyone who disagrees with me must be wrong.
And an idiot.
And an enemy.
We rarely get to choose the moments that define us.
We can’t put them in our diary for next Wednesday afternoon.
They come when we least expect them.
When we miss out on that promotion.
When our teenage kids are playing up.
I don’t know if you should really need a reason to do great work, but just in case you do, here are a few:
It’s satisfying looking back on work that you can be proud of.
It inspires others to do their best.
It’s terrific use of your talents and potential.
It role-models excellence and passion to our kids.
An audition is a chance for an aspiring actor to win the part that they are after.
They have lines to learn and emotions to display.
The candidates are observed, assessed and a decision will be made.
You’ve got a big audition.
It takes place every day.
When you sit in the cheap seats, you can buy a hot dog and some popcorn.
You can yell and jeer and clap and boo.
You can discuss the effectiveness of your team’s strategy or mock your opponent’s mistakes.
But in the end, despite how you feel after the game, you haven’t made a single bit of difference to the outcome.
Remember those multiple choice questions from high school?
I still wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat thinking about them.
The correct answer could be a, b, c, d, or e.
They all sound about right.
They all seem logical.
But you had to choose one. Only one.
Sometimes we’re afraid to say, “I don’t know.”
Maybe we’ll feel like a fool.
Maybe we feel as though we should know.
Maybe we believe that others think that we should know.
So we are tempted to make up an answer, avoid the question or lash out in frustration.
Tonight, Madison and I cooked dinner for the family.
I’m not a great cook, but Maddi had a recipe that she wanted to try, so we went to the local supermarket to buy some ingredients.
It was a simple chorizo carbonara with fettucini and it was delicious. In fact, her twin brother, Logan, proclaimed it the best home cooked meal that he had ever consumed. That’s high praise from a growing 12 year old boy.
But it’s not about the quality of the meal.
It’s about the quality of the memory that was created.
Your patience will be tested in the coming weeks.
Don’t lose your patience.
Your resilience will also be tested.
Don’t lose your resilience.
Your faith will be tested.
You really want to keep hold of that.
