Alright. I've been having this conversation with many friends over the last couple of weeks. The one about spending my spare time doing stuff that matters. About living on purpose, and not wasting time- yet at the same time, being patient with where God has situated me. It's this tension, this moderation of sorts that I'm striving for Awesome but (sometimes) patiently waiting on a road, that seems to me to be pretty Average.
Also, I'm reading Jon Acuff's new book, Start. It' about punching fear in the face, doing work that matters, and getting on the road to Awesome instead of just Average. It's very encouraging, and makes a lot of sense. I'm less than halfway through, so I can't give my overall reflection yet, but it's cool that it fits right in with where I find myself. Don't get me wrong, I love my job, but it's that "spare time" that I feel like I'm lurking on the Average Road- and I don't like that. So I'm taking the principles of the book and not only applying them to my career, but also my volunteer/spare time.
And another thing, I'm reading Sheryl Sandberg's book, Lean In. Gotta say, I'm not loving it. I'm reading it because it's my book club's selection for this month- but I don't feel that it applies much to me and my work environment or situation. As I'm continuing to read it though, there have been a couple of nuggets that I've gleaned: "The ability to learn is the most important quality a leader can have." and, "I recognize the sheer luck of being born into my family in the United States rather than one of the many places in the world where women are denied basic rights. I believe that all of us— men and women alike— should acknowledge good fortune and thank the people who have helped us. No one accomplishes anything all alone."
However, in my mind, I don't chalk my life experience and culture to sheer luck- I fully understand that it was God who placed me in the family, town, state (Texas forever!) and wonderfully free country that I find myself in. On the other hand, I do agree that no one accomplishes anything all alone. This applies to many areas of life, more than just my work environment. I keep thinking about my amazing team that I get to labor with for the good of Kenya- and it makes me excited. I'm thrilled that I'm not tasked with doing that alone!
I got to have lunch today with a dear friend that I rarely see or make the effort to talk to. But you know what? We pick up where we leave off each and every time. She is a faithful friend and because our main commonality is our faith in Jesus, it's just...easy to talk. And she didn't ask me to tell her EVERYTHING. I appreciated that. Also, she loves chips and Mexican food. She's amazing! It meant a lot to be able to just sit and talk about "everything" without the pressure of wondering what she thinks of me, my beliefs, or my opinions.
Now, this evening, as I sat down to complete my grad school project, I flipped on the TV for some background noise. The movie UP was on. I spent the first 9 minutes of the movie crying my eyes out, watching the loss and regret of a cartoon character. I know it's silly, but it truly brought me back full circle to the book Start. Don't waste time on the road to Average. Stay Focused. Start. Be Awesome. No regrets.
So, I finished my project, and as I prepare to present it tomorrow, I know I am doing what I can do with today- with the time I was given today, I spent my time doing things that mattered- thinking about what's coming, while focusing on the now, and not being overwhelmed with what's to come.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Quotes from:
Sandberg, Sheryl (2013-03-11). Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
No comments:
Post a Comment