NEW CASTLE —
This week’s question: “How do I want the world to be different because I lived in it?”
Wow, this is a tough one.
If I had a penny for every time I asked myself this question, I'd have enough money to give millions to charity, and then I guess I'd know exactly what difference I was put on this earth to make.
As it is, though, pennies don't fall from heaven, and try though I might, I never seem to come any closer to figuring out my reason for being here. Or, more accurately, I can't seem to nail down a particular reason.
Our existence on the planet is already a factor in world history. This week's question is meant to help us figure out what sort of factor we want it to be. Pretty good timing since we're all starting to think about our New Year's resolutions.
It's fairly easy for some of us. If you're born with the voice of an angel, it isn't too hard to figure out that blessing the world with beautiful music is probably your calling. The same goes for anyone who has a specific talent or skill. But if you're anything like me (and God help me, I truly hope you aren't), you may not have a noticeable gift for any one thing, and your passions can change as frequently as western Pennsylvania weather.
I am, unfortunately, one of those people whose passion burns brightly and fiercely for short amounts of time, only to burn itself out as quickly as it arrived. I've championed enough causes during my lifetime to get me an "A" for effort, but when you factor in the follow-through, it's not enough to earn me a passing grade.
I'm convinced this is because I just haven't found my true calling yet. I wanted to be the president when I was little, but found I didn't have the stomach for the political machine. Later on, I wanted to be a psychiatrist, but quickly realized the irony of the blind leading the blind in that situation. Writing? Sure, I'd love to crank out a great novel, but I don't seem to have a good story in me, and quite frankly, I'm just too lazy.
I actually have a sneaky suspicion that I won't realize what sort of difference I've made in the world until I'm a lot closer to the end of my life. You know, 20/20 hindsight is awesome like that.
That doesn't mean that I'll ever give up searching for a purpose. Maybe I'm meant to bake the world's best cookie, or be Mom to the next Mother Theresa, or just help somebody somewhere smile every once in a while in a grocery store checkout line or in the waiting room of the doctor's office.
So if your impressions are as vague as mine, keep asking yourself this question, and remember to live by design and not by accident. Eventually, I truly believe that those fuzzy concepts of "how" and "what" will come into sharper focus, and the outline of your destiny will become crystal clear.
I can't put it any more perfectly than my favorite band, Linkin Park:
“When my time comes,
Forget the wrong that I've done.
Help me leave behind some
Reasons to be missed.”
Lisa Madras
Related Photos
-
About Lisa Madras: Lisa is the advertising dispatch at The News. She has agreed to blog about her personal pain in an effort to inspire others going through similar circumstances. She’ll share her thoughts each Monday.
Discussion
Lisa Madras: Why am I here? Your guess is as good as mine
- Lisa Madras
-
-
Lisa Madras: Believe it or not, there are reasons to smile today
What makes you smile? Some days, you just wake up with a smile on your face. The birds are chirping, the sun is shining, Prince (or Princess) Charming has ventured out of your warm, snuggly nest early to put on some coffee and cook you buttery, heart-shaped pancakes, delivered to your bed with a loving gaze and a single, long-stemmed red rose in a crystal vase.
-
Lisa Madras: We judge, and we are being judged
Am I too judgmental? Last week, on the way home from work, I almost ran straight into an oncoming ambulance. And I guess there's nothing like a near-death experience to make you feel philosophical. (I've had at least four of those so far in life — maybe that's why I'm always asking questions.)
-
Lisa Madras: Life really is a beach — if we allow it to be
What are the activities that I enjoyed doing as a child that I wish I still did today? It was Pablo Picasso who said, "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up." What a true statement!
-
Lisa Madras: In times of trouble, hold Serenity Prayer close to your heart
How did I get myself into this mess? As a dyed-in-the-wool self-blamer, my life is oftentimes a sadly comedic personification of "Crime and Punishment." Flat tire? Must have driven somewhere I shouldn't have and picked up a nail. Boyfriend cheated on me? What did I do to make him stray? Headache? Must've had too much caffeine again.
-
Lisa Madras: More questions to ponder? There’s no stopping me now
I've finally reached the end of my list of questions. Twenty-one of them, to be precise, because if you remember, I snuck an extra one in there about halfway through. If you want to know a little secret, I wasn't really sure how I was going to make it this far.
-
Lisa Madras: Blake Shelton points me back to a greater Voice
And so it is, we've come full circle. Twenty weeks, 20 questions. If you remember, this was the first one. And it bears repeating: "Really, truly ... is this what I want to be doing?"
-
Lisa Madras: We didn’t win the Megamillions, but we’re still pretty wealthy
So, say I lived in that fabulous house in Tuscany, with untold wealth, a gorgeous, adoring mate, and a full staff of servants ... then what? I've always said that if I had all the money in the world, I'd still live in a modest house. The bigger the house you have, the more you have to clean.
-
Lisa Madras: Are you listening to the monkeys ... or the Voice of Reason?
Where should I break the rules? I can't say that I'm typically a rule-breaker. I am, however, a boundary pusher. Call me a victim of a childhood spent in the 1970s but I've been gleefully questioning authority since I first laid eyes on the bumper-stickered back panel of a 1978 Buick Skyhawk.
-
Lisa Madras: If you’ve got the time, I’ve got some tips to save you some
Where could I work less and achieve more? Now we're getting to the meat and potatoes of the lazy girl's survival guide! I'd love to be one of those people who can't wait to roll up their sleeves and dig into any task at hand, but I'm not gonna kid you.
-
Lisa Madras: Have an embarrassing story to tell? I’ve got a BIG ONE
Am I the only one struggling not to [fart] during [yoga]? That's right. I said the "F" word. I'm tempted to be embarrassed about it, but that would defeat the whole purpose of today's blog. Here again, we have some words in brackets so that you can substitute your own secret gaffe terror.
- More Lisa Madras Headlines
-
