Recently I was shopping at the local Publix grocery store. Standing at
the checkout line was a trim woman in her thirties wearing a hot pink
T-shirt with the message, “IT’S ABOUT ME” in three-inch capital letters
trimmed by pink sequins. I believe she’s right. Pastor Rick Warren’s
book, The Purpose Driven Life, begins Day 1 with the statement. “It’s
not about you.” I believe he’s right.
“What! Kevin,” you ask, “How do you reconcile these two opposed statements?” I say that both the diva and the pastor each have a small grasp of a larger truth. It is about her until it is no longer about her. She is where we start; he is where we start anew, but not where we can end. It is all about a transformation in our spirit. They represent two points on a progression that extends even beyond the Pastor’s opening premise. Coming to terms about life is a remarkable mystery awaiting our exploration. The sooner we venture, the more settled and peaceful life can become. But like any good story expect twists and turns in the plot.
We’re born into the world needy and crying out loud for care and attention. Ideally, we grow out of our “It’s About Me” attitude. On the road to maturity there’s a move to a relatively healthy T-intersection we’ll call the Avenue of Independence. To the left is self-care; to the right is service to others. Most of us spend our days traversing from one side of this Avenue to the other trying to find an elusive balance between self and others. Life on the Avenue is safe especially in the middle where the masses of people live their lives. In these posts, you’re encouraged to enlarge your neighborhood by exploring both ends of the street… and more. My hope is for you to become a man or woman who is:
• Being and living well and doing right.
• Successful and significant with a character of service, humility, and compassion.
• Decidedly turning your back on the “It’s About Me” attitude and consciously shifting from a natural tendency of self-centeredness to a more selfless manner of life.
And there is more. Here is your chance and encouragement to crash through the T-intersection and transform your life into a crossroad of discovery heading into new life territory. Your first step into this realm is when you realize it is no longer about you. Your first hint is to hear yourself saying something like, “I want my life to make a difference.” This begs the questions then, “If it’s not about me, then, who is it about?” That’s your journey to take and your conclusions to make. I’m simply offering the opportunity and acting as your absentee guide as you seek your life of purpose… and more.