Who am I...really?

"Who am I...really?" is a basic question that usually comes with not-so-basic answers. And I think it's a question many people...and even companies...are asking right now.

Take Starbucks, for example. It's a huge global company with thousands of employees, millions of customers and billions of dollars in revenue. But last month, I sat in a room with Starbucks' CEO Howard Schultz (yup, that's us pictured above!). It was a regular-sized Starbucks store with about 50 regular "Joe"s (and "Jo"s, too--if you count me!) in the middle of Lakewood, Washington--a town known for its strange mix of gangs, mansions and military.

Why was I there? Because Starbucks is searching. It's looking for ideas, feedback and even criticism from regular people--Starbucks is feeling a bit lost. For the first time in its history, Starbucks' profits are down, stores are closing and baristas are losing their jobs.

Likewise, I think there are many people in society--average "Joe"s and "Jo"s if you will--that have been shaken lately. They feel lost without their jobs, their savings, the "stuff" they can't afford anymore. Some have lost their foundation--a belief they could do anything themselves--or that money, a fancy title or "stuff" defined them.

In some ways, that questioning, that shaken spirit is frightening. It can be scary. But I also believe it could help people change their lives (or companies change their focus) for the better.

Why? Because sometimes we need to get back to asking and answering basic questions. Here's some that I hope people are considering:

• What do I believe?
  


• How are my beliefs reflected in my actions? In how I spend time? How I talk? How I spend money?
  


• What are my non-negotiables--the things I know for sure and won't compromise on?
  


• Who (or what) do I love...really?
  


• What am I passionate about? What are things I hate?
  


• What's my purpose?
  


• What are my strengths?
  


• What do I want to be remembered for?
  


• What do I need to get rid of?
  


• What do I need to change?

For those who love God, some of the questions should actually be phrased a bit differently. For example:

• What does the Bible say about who and what God is passionate about? Who does God love? What are things God loves? What are things God hates?
  


• What's God's purpose for this planet? For people? For the Church globally?
  


• What does the Bible say about how God views me?
  


• How can I partner with God--using the passion and strenghs He's given me--to fulfill His purpose?
  


• Is there something I need to change or give up, so that I can be the person God wants me to be?

I believe this season in history will have a serious impact on the destiny of people, companies and religions worldwide.

I hope that it's a season where Christians wake up, get a clue about who they are in Christ--and start living as people filled with love, hope and the confidence that comes from knowing the truth.

But this is not a time to be solely focused on ourselves. It's not a time to stay inwardly focused--because plenty of liars, false religions, cheap imitations of love and pleasure--will be on the prowl trying to "save" people as well.

Most importantly, I pray that we as Christians will be bold enough to start helping others ask the questions, search for answers and find truth in Christ and a family of believers (called the Church).

People are searching. This is a serious time for real questions...but it is also an opportunity to find real answers.

One thing I know for sure? Live the questions by pursuing truth with all you've got. Because God is the source of truth. And knowing Him--and the truth of His Word--is the only way to find freedom.

Compare and Contrast

One of my regular writing tasks is to serve as a ghostwriter. Each quarter, I'm responsible for writing a magazine's equivalent to the "Letter from the Editor." You know, that short letter at the front of every magazine that, in 200 words or less, builds interest, tries to say something profound and somehow connects the dots to build a theme for each issue.

This quarter I wracked my brain trying to come up with that thread--that theme--that ties the magazine together. And it occurred to me--most of the stories are about comparing and contrasting (remember those essays you had to write in high school or college?).

Comparing and Contrasting For Grown-Ups?

The magazine I work on is for CEOs, CFOs and Treausurers responsible for overseeing their companies' money--millions and sometimes billions of dollars per organization. But what is one of the key things they're interested in? Comparing and contrasting. They look at how their investments are performing against stock market indexes, how their retirement plan compares to their industry peers' plans, or how their pension plans may be impacting the financial status of their companies.

They're actually using the same "compare and contrast" principles they learned in high school English. And guess what? You probably are, too.

Comparing and contrasting can be useful. Sometimes. It can help you make decisions--about what to wear, what to eat, who to befriend, where to work, what to do on the weekend, which route to take to a new place.

The Danger of Competition

But comparing and contrasting ourselves to others can be dangerous. And most of us do it. We compare ourselves to our coworkers, our friends, celebrities, random people on the street. You know you're in trouble when you look at people you care about as "competition." Ouch.

Comparing and contrasting ourselves to other people is beyond silly--it's dangerous. There's always going to be someone else who's smarter, thinner, more athletic, taller, better looking, richer, more talented, funnier, and more popular than each one of us.

Thank God that He doesn't compare us to others. He calls us to do the best we can with what we have.

The Freedom of Focus

Galatians 6:4-5 (The Message)

Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don't be impressed with yourself. Don't compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.

What I get from these verses is that I'm supposed to focus my energy and attention on God and moving ahead with the work He's called me to do. It's my responsibility.

But there's freedom in that focus. If I'm not bogged down by comparing myself to others, I'm free to do my "creative best." And there's something kind of cool about that.

The Waiting Game

Does anyone actually enjoy waiting?

For the most part, I hate it. I don't like sitting at the chiropractor's office for 20 minutes for a 10 minute appointment, waiting in a LONG drive thru line at a fast food place when all I want is an iced tea, or waiting for a meal to arrive at a restaurant while a nearby table of customers (who arrived after my group!!!) is chowing down on dinner.

It's not just the little things. Waiting for the BIG things in life can be frustrating, too. And I'm sure I'm not alone ...

Have you ever waited for a promotion? Waited for school to be completely finished (or your student loans to be paid off)? Waited until you can own your own home? Or to meet and marry Mr. Right?

The thing about waiting is that it usually has a purpose (did I really just type that?!?). It can seem pointless at times, but once you reach your goals, you realize the value of the wait. So here are a few of the benefits of waiting:

• Waiting can provide experiences that prepare you for your future.
  For example, if you actually became the CEO of a large corporation straight after college, would you really be ready? Would you be ready to oversee multi-million dollar budgets, manage thousands of employees and set a vision for the company's next 20 years? Probably not.
  
  While you're waiting, seek experiences that will make you a better boss, husband, wife, employee or parent. Yes, waiting can provide good experiences--but most of the time, you have to seek them. You can't just sit on the couch and wake up as a CEO--you've got to first get hired somewhere (or invent something amazing in your garage, Bill Gates!), be willing to learn from others' experiences, build a reputation, learn more, fail, step out and try something new, think of a new idea, learn even more ... and the cycle keeps going.
  
  
• Waiting can build your character.
  As annoying as it can sound at times, "Patience is a virtue." The sheer act of waiting helps us realize that not everything can be just as we want it--in an instant. It teaches us to depend on God, to be content with what we have, and to enjoy a present moment.
  
  Besides patience, there may be other parts of your character that are "under construction" before you reach your goals. Maybe there's a habit you need to break, a strength you need to build, maturity you need to develop, or a weakness that needs taming.
  


• Waiting can save you from making impulsive decisions.
  It's best not to make the BIG decisions of life when you're super stressed, under pressure or emotionally vulnerable. Just breathe, seek some (wise!) advice, pray and wait to make the decision until you can feel pretty confident about it.
  
  At the same time, realize that there's not always a "perfect time" for everything. There's a balance between being too impulsive and being too paralyzed to make decisions at all. Analyze, but don't overanalyze. Don't be impulsive, but allow for some spontaneity in your life.
  

Another thing about waiting? No matter where you're at in life, if you're a goal-oriented person, you're usually waiting (and working toward) something. I have single friends who talk about waiting for marriage, married friends who talk about waiting to have kids, and older acquaintances that talk about waiting for retirement.

The Waiting Game is really all about balance ... make the most of your wait by multi-tasking (yes, I am one of those people who will talk on my cell and read a magazine in the chiropractor's office!). Don't just sit still. Do something productive with the time you've been given. It will make you better prepared for the day when that promotion, Mr. Right, child, or home comes into your life.

Chosen

Everyone wants to be chosen...

Whether it's being picked to be someone's employee, basketball team member, girlfriend, mentor, or best friend--there's something amazing and empowering in knowing that someone picked you. Someone thinks you're special. Someone thinks you're valuable and worth their attention.

"Tag, you're it!"

One of the coolest things about God is that He chose us. He chose you. He picked me.
He could have been content to live in a perfect world with perfect supermodel robots who always make the right choices to love Him and each other...and eat only broccolli, study for fun and smile all the time with perfect teeth. :)

But He didn't. That world would have been perfect, but it would have been boring.

He picked us. Yes, He chose to give His life for us so that we could have a personal relationship with Him. But beyond that, He chose us to represent Him--to be His voice and to do the work He's called us all to do.

I Peter 2:9-10 (The Message)
But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God's instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.

Real love is chosen.

Another cool (and sometimes frustrating) thing about God? He chose to give us our own choices. (Sometimes I wonder why...being a perfect supermodel robot might make life simpler!)

But maybe God wanted to be chosen, too. He picked us first, but maybe He wants us to choose Him every day. Probably because robot-obligation love isn't real love at all--real love is chosen.

Defining Your Personal Mission Statement

What’s your mission?

I believe all of us are here for a reason … and it’s unique. The combination of your family background, culture, education, talent and personality are different from everyone else in this world. There’s something you can do that I can’t. There are people you’re influencing that I won’t.

So what’s your mission statement?

Recently, I met with some friends and discussed principles from the book “The Path” by Laurie Beth Jones. Here’s what I learned:

• Your mission statement should be short. Make it about one sentence—to the point.
  
• Your mission statement should excite you—it should represent who you are, not what you think you should be.
  
• Your mission statement should be broad enough to encompass your whole life, not just your current job or just one of the roles you have (e.g. as a mom, wife, etc.).
  
• Your mission involves others. Who you are makes an impact (positive or negative) on others. Who do you feel most called to influence? Maybe it’s broad—“people”. But for some, it’s specific—“children”, “women”, “African-Americans”, “orphans”, etc.
  
• Your mission incorporates at least one of your core values. What do you value most in life? Love? Excellence? Hope? Peace?

Jones' book provides pages of verbs and walks you through the whole process of how to write a mission statement. Most people choose two or three verbs, one value, and one people group.

Here’s mine:

“To brighten people’s lives by modeling and communicating excellence.”

A few more:

“To locate and communicate wisdom to others.”

“To teach and share love with children.”

Knowing your purpose is powerful--it can guide your career, your relationships and your life. Check out "The Path" to learn more.