Why This? Why Now?

“What is your WHY?” It is a question that has come up a lot lately. Actually, I think it’s a good question – an important question. It can be helpful to step back and assess why we’re doing what we’re doing. I think this question can bring us some valuable perspective and clarity (and sometimes some needed redirection). So, this is the title of my first blog post and the question I hope to answer by the end of it.

One of my favorite authors is Andy Andrews… I think because he uses his voice to creatively cast a vision that we all matter… that each one of our lives and all that we do matters, and that we can draw inspiration and strength, wisdom and courage from great men and women who have gone before us, as well as those who live among us now.

Andy Andrews lost both of his parents at the age of 19. After a series of poor choices, he found himself homeless for a time. Today though, he is described by a New York Times reporter as “someone who has quietly become one of the most influential people in America”. Andy is regularly sought out by leaders from some of the world’s top organizations, including four U.S. Presidents.

Andy uses his writing gifts, his insight, and influence to cast a vision of hope, significance and purpose… helping individuals, businesses and organizations see and harness their potential and be the best they can be. (Just like me). Or at least that is a big part of what I aspire to. I may never achieve all that Andy Andrews has, but I can attempt to share here, with the same lofty goal and passion.

In my better, stronger moments, I can actually catch a glimpse of doing just that, and I feel hopeful, confident… emboldened even. Then, doubt and fear and “smallness” try to take over. Such is the tension between the view of ourselves as incapable and insignificant, and the sense of the potential and greatness that lies within us. It seems that such doubts and struggle are part of the human experience.

Valuable Perspective

The 1947 film “It’s a Wonderful Life” starring Jimmy Stewart has certainly stood the test of time. Over three quarters of a century after its release, it remains a perennial favorite of many, and is regarded as one of the best, most enduring films of all time. Assessing the outcome and value of his life, the main character, George Bailey is left wrestling with deep disappointment, regret, and unrealized dreams. Depressed and frustrated, he contemplates throwing away God’s greatest gift and considers ending it all. With the help of a novice angel, George comes to recognize how many lives he has changed and impacted for the better, and how things would have been different if he had never been alive.

I wonder, if I was given an angel and that kind of perspective, what would I discover? Would the lives and the world around me be altered much? To what extent, I don’t know, but it gets me to thinking. I wonder if you’ve pondered this too. I think many of us can relate to the themes in this movie on some level, likely one of the reasons for its popularity after all these years.

I confess that like George, I too, grapple with regret and disappointment. As I look around, I too, struggle to stay hopeful in today's world. The outlook for the future, the needs of those around me, and the problems of the world can seem overwhelming, depressing, insurmountable at times. Life can seem so messed up and sometimes even downright hopeless.

But then I’m reminded that hope and goodness are never really lost, they often just get buried. Sometimes we have to dig deep to mine them out and bring them to the surface. To unearth these things, as the angel showed George, sometimes it’s helpful to “pull up” and take a look at the bigger picture, the longer view. And there, is where we can find perspective, and the hope and goodness that is still part of our world.

New Beginnings

So, what if we have some doubts and regrets about how our life has gone, and our contributions up to this point? The good news is that like George, we can take whatever perspective and insight comes our way today, appreciate what we have, and then begin anew… right where we are.

For me personally, I find comfort in the realization that I’m not alive on earth at this time in history by accident, that I was created on purpose, for a purpose. So, I do my best to “carry on” as the bumper stickers say, knowing that I have a part to play.

Life is full of “new beginnings”. God designed it that way. We have a new beginning every turn of the calendar page… every new day and rising of the sun. The clock’s tick reminds us that each new hour, each minute can signal a new beginning.

If we can recognize and harness those new beginnings and live intentionally, we can still make that change, make a difference, and move a bit closer to living the life we’d hoped to live. No, there’s not a lot we can do about the past, other than learn from it, but I am comforted by the fact that we can grab onto whatever insight and inspiration we can find today, and use it to become a better version of ourselves… use it to more fully live out our purpose and make a difference with the time we have left. We can use it to brighten the world of another… use it to bring light into a dark, hurting, yet beautiful world.

As George discovered, little things can add up to big things over the course of a lifetime. Even the smallest gestures (i.e. a kind word or act, a knowing reassuring smile) can have a great impact on someone… sometimes for a lifetime. We each have something to offer that only we can give. We all matter. What we do, or don’t do, matters. And, as Robert Kennedy once pointed out, the ripple of hope that we can each create, can build into a current that can literally change the world.

My Why

I ponder often, what the world would be like if each one of us recognized and better understood how we are uniquely created… the interests and passions that are wired into us, the talents and gifting that God gave each one of us, and how the world would change for the better if we all intentionally used and leveraged those things and lived more fully into our purpose. It is a lofty goal to be sure, but somewhere in my idealistic mind, it still seems like a goal worth pursuing.

So, I guess the answer to the question, “Why this, why now?” for me, is that I’ve got to do something. In the midst of the discouragement and hopelessness I sometimes feel living in our world today, I find that I need to grab my shovel and start digging. I need to start unearthing the hope, encouragement and goodness that I know is buried out there, and then clean it off and hold it up as a light that will in some way, push back some of the darkness. I feel called to write and this blog is part of how I hope to make a positive difference in the lives of others. This is my WHY and the reason for this blog.

An Invitation

So, from one fellow traveler to another, I invite you to join me as we explore together various topics, and then experiment with applying some of what is shared to our lives.

It won’t take a lot of time to read or engage in but will hopefully result in some meaningful insights and shifts that will make our lives (and the lives of those around us) a bit better and more fulfilling. Invite your friends and family along too. I hope you’ll find each focus topic worthwhile… encouraging, inspiring, empowering and liberating even.

To Ponder Until Next Time:

• Ask someone you trust and admire to share three strengths they see in you. Do you agree with what they shared? If you’re a praying person, ask God to give you a glimpse of yourself through His eyes. Write down three or more strengths or positive traits you like about yourself.
  

• Consider making a list of some of your interests and passions - things you really enjoy and/or feel strongly about. These can be clues to better understanding how we can bring some light and encouragement to those around us. Is there some cause or organization you can donate your time, talents or treasure to? Or perhaps is there a person or people you can come alongside or encourage?
  

Taking the focus off of ourselves and our burdens, coming into alignment with our wiring and purpose, and then shifting our attention to help or encourage someone else, can bring us a shot of hope and encouragement and even deep fulfillment in the process.

Until next time, my prayer is that we’ll each discover (or rediscover) some great things about ourselves, qualities that make each of us the unique masterpiece that we are... then with what we’ve discovered, use that to energize us to go out and “light our world”.