I was in a conversation with someone this weekend, and he thought I asked him the following question: “What would you be willing to give your life for?”
In other words, what are we willing to sacrifice our lives for? I’d give my life for my kids. I’d likely give my life for a classroom of students.
But my question wasn’t “What would you give your life for?” My question was this:
“What would you be willing to live your life for?”
We’re waiting to fully live. Waiting for a big break, waiting for the weekend, waiting for our partner to change, waiting for our siblings to apologize, waiting to speak up, waiting to express ourselves, waiting to take a leap, waiting to wake up, waiting for enough energy, waiting for our circumstances to lighten up, waiting to be saved. We’re waiting for life to stop being so problematic, so challenging, so painful, and so hard.
Waiting waiting waiting, and while we wait we’re squabbling and quarreling, starting and smothering little fires, and we’re pushing up against a bunch of (mostly) insignificant problems to solve. That life can be exhausting.
So what’s a good enough reason to put down our fists and open our hearts?
What’s a meaningful enough purpose to break through our own fear and insecurity?
What’s a large enough problem to dwarf all the other insignificant and petty reasons we’re holding in our voices and letting our wings atrophy at our sides?
When we’re in touch with a purpose, meaning, or problem inspiring and generous enough, we’ve found a reason to live full-out no matter what. Suddenly all those little problems (that add up to an exhausting experience of life) pale in comparison. Life begins to happen for us, not to us (Byron Katie).
I heard it phrased like this years back in a weekend course called The Landmark Forum: the way to get rid of our problems is to create a bigger problem.
I am committed to elevating the well-being of all life. That is my true north, the torch in the lighthouse. It’s worth every bit of energy I’ve got available. It includes me and my family, and it includes everyone else too. It honors my values and cries for me to develop my skills. It's worth fully living my life to achieve.
When I’m present to that vision, I lose interest and concern for my hurt feelings, my bruised ego, and my petty quarrels. In service of that purpose and big problem, nothing is necessarily stressful and each moment is an opportunity to live intentionally.
Imagine introducing ourselves to others by the grand problem, possibility, or vision that feeds us life and energy. My own insecurities and arrogance fade away in the face of inspiration and a desire to support another.
If you’d like to get in touch with what's worth living your life for, reach out and let’s talk.
Thanks so much for reading. ❤️