Happy Monday!
A reporter’s question prompts today’s word-of-the-week…
PURPOSE
The reporter asked, “Aside from feeling good about yourself, why do you do these rides?”
I thought about it later on route A1A. Am I doing all this so I can “feel good about myself”? Or maybe so others will feel better about me? Is this a big exercise in building Rich’s self-concept?
It’s a worthwhile question. It’s important to examine motives, to honestly ask why we do what we do. Behind all the fancy words, what’s the real purpose?
Personally, “feeling good about myself” wouldn’t be enough motivation to maintain this sort of effort. I need something bigger than “me” to keep me moving down the road.
I’m not sure I knew that when I started. Maybe at the beginning this was about scratching a personal itch. But I have a sense we’re wired for bigger stories.
I believe we were created for community, and especially to serve others in our communities. I believe we’re happiest, most satisfied and fulfilled, when we’re using our God-given skills and passions in service.
Perhaps the question of purpose is a good one for a Monday morning. I wonder if we always understand why we do what we do.
Maybe, if we honestly examined motives, we’d realize we need to do some different things.
Mostly, though, I suspect we’d find many of our actions have deeper purposes than we realize. Maybe articulating those underlying purposes would give us a renewed sense of energy and commitment.
I can’t crank 1000 miles, day after day, along lonely roads, just to make myself feel better about me. I can do it, gratefully and joyfully, to feed a few hungry kids and help some people believe in hope.
It’s really not about me.
Or you.
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Have a great week.