So..What Do You(REALLY)Do? Part 2

How many funerals have you attended, where during the reading of the Eulogy, you learned something about a person you didn't know? Probably all of them, right? We learn about their original place of birth or the number of siblings they had. We're shocked to learn that they grew up in church or finally understand why they never wanted to be called by their birth name! I recall attending a childhood friends funeral. I was shocked to learn that he played the guitar. I thought to myself, "He doesn't look like he plays the guitar!" (whatever that looks like). At another funeral I learned that my loved one loved to draw, though I had never been given a clue. Think about the parents or siblings who had no idea until they finally had permission to enter their loved ones secret place(their room) only to find secret treasures that would leave them with ambivalent feelings. Some of them had dedicated careers where they played a major role for many years, while others deemed themselves unemployed while sitting on their gifts that could have possibly helped them earn wages. it makes me wonder what caused them to suppress those talents? Was it fear? Not believing in themselves? or did they simply think "I'm just a bus driver or just a student?"

While looking for a new doctor online(I encourage you to take time to choose your own doctor)I skimmed across several profiles. I wanted to know more about this person I would soon put my trust in. It was interesting to see the other side of these doctors. Not only did they have families and pets but some of them loved the outdoors and photography. Another loved to play the saxophone. There was also a chef who loved to cook healthy food. There was so much more to these doctors. It made me think about the girl in the McDonald's driver through, could she possibly be a writer? Could the guy in the back flipping the burgers be an aspiring Chef?(you have to start somewhere). What about the guy at T mobile who helped you fix your phone for the third time? Could he also be a mechanic who is great with his hands? I believe God gives us many gifts!

I remember hearing a pastor say that we should go to the grave empty. Meaning we have done all that we were called to do and shared all that we had to offer to one another. I believe this pertains to every part of our being. In Part one of this topic, I mentioned how many of us shrink back when someone asks us what we do for a living. We are either ashamed of our current status because the world tells us that we should be doing more, or we are not comfortable with ourselves therefore we never give ourselves enough credit and never share who we really are. We are all unique in some way. We are all artists in some way. I love the word artist because it is so broad. It is universal and personal to the one who has the vision. It is defined by the person who possess it and explores it. So what, that you have been writing that story for years and have not been published, does that make you less of a writer? So what, that you have tons of artwork all over the house, just because its not in a well known exhibit, makes you no less of painter. If you sing your heart out in  the shower and the acoustics in the bathroom have nothing to do with it, my friend you are a singer!

When they ask you what do you do, tell them about your crocheting and the clothes you make, tell them that you work  in sales at Target and that you're also a ballerina(you know they are real right?)Lets not go to the grave empty. You love what you do that's why you do it whenever you get the chance. Whether your sharing with millions of people or a couple hundred in your community, the world is waiting to get to know you.

So..What Do You Really Do?

So...What Do You Do? (Part 1)

We live in a culture filled with endless ambitions. Sometimes juggling two or three things at once, hoping at least one of those things will be "IT". Everyone is constantly moving to and fro, with schedules overbooked like salons (ladies you know what I'm talking about). We move so fast, almost walking right through one another as if we were ghosts. Our hands permanently cupped into the shapes of Starbucks coffee and IPHONES. We forget to look up cause "we gotta get to the money". Our hearts almost skipping beats because of our fast paced routines. Everyone is reaching for the stars and whatever they think is beyond that point. Anxiety sets in deeper each day. School, work, kids, work, kids, work, school, work, overtime and oh yeah, work! The pressure of status and positions and achievements. The competitions that secretly lives beneath the left side of our shirt or blouse. This is what we see in this generation. So I was not surprised when someone asked me the famous question.....

So, what do YOU do? Since this generation is also about keeping it 100, I have to be honest and tell you that I swallowed real hard as my mind tried to configure a smart and intelligent way to say, "I'm just a scheduler at Kaiser". Now to paint a picture for you, it didn't help that this person had on a nice crisp suit, briefcase and the whole business "shebang". Sometimes we all feel like this person just might have a lot more going on than us or is somehow better. For all I know he could have been coming from a funeral or court (lol).  But, this is naturally what happens inside our mind. But after I walked away from this conversation disappointed, I thought to myself, "Why did you say that? Why did you say I'm just a scheduler?"

Whatever it is you do, whether you work at McDonald's, Comcast, Winco Foods, or a stay at home mom(I almost said Just a stay at home mom), you play a significant role in society. You may feel its just a small piece of the puzzle, but each job is needed to function properly. You maybe doing something for a season or two, but you should own it. These positions actually have categories like Customer service, Sales, retail, etc. The stay at home mom is a teacher and so much more, which we'll talk more about in part 2! Now I can't lie I've tried to figure out different ways to describe my position like, "I'm a Radiology scheduler or I work in Radiology" (Can we keep it real). But I will no longer say "I'm just a..."because again, there is much more to me than scheduling appointments in Radiology!

So, I encourage you all to delete that word from you vocabulary at least when describing yourself. If you are currently unemployed think about what you usually do or what you like to do and own it. We can all learn a lesson from Mike Epp's character, DEDE, in Friday after Next. He wasn't just a security guard. Let him tell it he was a"Top Flight" security guard, even though he didn't even carry a gun, just a flashlight! So as you prepare to start your day wherever you are in your life, whatever you do or wherever you're trying to go, put on your "Top Flight" mentality and play your part!

God bless..
Part 2 will be up tomorrow morning!