Friday, October 24, 2008

Who Are You?

Who Are You?

That’s the Million-Dollar question. It’s actually a very basic question, but one not often so easily answered.

Many people search a lifetime to discover who they are, while others find themselves redefining themselves multiple times throughout their lives.

It seems such a simple thing, so why is it so difficult for many to find the answer? We hear time and time again, to just search our hearts and find our passions, then we will discover our life purpose and “find ourselves”. Yet, so many don’t.

The reason this happens, is two-fold; first, when we search our passions and what we really want to do, become, and achieve in life, we tend to let self-doubt creep in and rationalize away what it is we really want. Thoughts like “Oh, I could never do that.”, or “I’m not smart enough.” or some other relevant limiting belief comes up and crushes our hopes of every doing that. Few people take the time to allow themselves to dream big and just let their imagination run wild with the thought and figure out “how” they could do it. When’s the last time you allowed yourself to be like a kid again, where everything was possible, and you could figure out a way to accomplish whatever you wanted?

Now! .... what if you were to allow that to happen?

Second, many people look at discovering who they are - or their life purpose - as being a static thing. I see it as a fluid, ever changing, ever evolving event. Who we were when we were 10 ... 16 ... 23 ... 32 ... 48 ... ? ... is not necessarily who we are now. Things change. We change. (Colonel Harland Sanders didn’t start Kentucky Fried Chicken until the age of 65).

For some, they have a grand purpose that they discover early in life and continue through out all their days. Others, will find multiple purposes in their life, adjusting as they go along.

Where we often miss our true purpose, is that many times it is right in front of us, but we don’t see it. We think that a “life purpose” has to be some huge thing that changes the World, when often ones life purpose may be to touch someone’s life, even ever so briefly. Or it may be to bring a child into this World, who will make a difference. A teacher, nurse, janitor, priest, social worker, police officer, or parent. All have vital roles and many opportunities every day in which they touch lives.

Brief interactions, a simple statement, or a kind gesture that changed the course of someone’s life. It’s happening all around us if we just open our eyes - and our hearts - wider and notice them.

- A child’s life is turned to one of hope, instead of despair, because someone took 10 minutes to listen to them and offer a kind word.

- A man is encouraged to walk the path of righteousness rather than turn to a life of crime, by a kind strangers simple act.

- Someone eats today, because a stranger thought to drop off some food at the local Food Bank.

Simple acts - that we often dismiss - can make a profound difference. What simple act can you perform today that will make a difference in someone else’s life?

Who are you ... Today?

Make It Happen!

Todd