What are you willing to give up to fulfill your bigger purpose?

Fourth of July reminds me of spending the holiday as a kid and teenager in my hometown of Shreveport (northwest), Louisiana aka “God’s Country.” Growing up, I spent the 4th water skiing and tubing on the muddy bottom lake filled with cypress trees that were covered in Spanish moss (and the occasional alligator).

Many of my friends migrated back to our hometown after college, grad school, and/or a stint gaining early career experience in a larger city like Houston or New Orleans. Much of my mom’s side of the family still lives there too. It’s a treat to visit “home” and have most of your favorite people all in one spot.

Do you ever feel pulled in a direction for a purpose that’s bigger than you’re experiencing in this present moment?

Our journey of transformation could potentially mean giving up something that’s already good in the hopes of something even better.

When I emceed the TEDx event, the theme was transformation. I did an activity at the beginning of the day where the audience transformed their potential energy into various types of energy like heat, motion, sound, and light. The potential energy the audience transformed and gave to speakers and performers, they would receive it back from those on stage.

Consequently, that’s similar to how life operates too. Putting energy and effort into an area of your life without knowing the outcome may mean you have to let go of what’s comfortable, safe, positive, and enjoyable. Letting go is an attempt to fulfill that bigger purpose that continuously gnaws at you and manages to find its way to bubble up to the surface and grab your attention, like “hey look at me!”

I miss having friends that are as close as sisters live right down the street and watching their young families grow up, having wine and dinner on my Aunt Barbara’s back patio, hanging with my parents as they take a slow sunset cruise boat ride on the ole muddy bottom water. All of this is in exchange for investing in a career and future that will help others realize their maximum potential while fulfilling my own along the way.

What good stuff are you willing to give up in exchange for potentially getting more.

Have you clearly defined what that “bigger picture” is that you’re working toward?

Can you see it smell it and taste it and think about it in everything you do?

What is your why?

I have more thoughts on this, but I’ll wait until next week. Don’t want to get too deep on a holiday. Stay safe!