Birthday Ambitions of Sorts
Today is another birthday. Although not a milestone (that was last year!), it does cause me to pause and reflect on where I have been and where I think (through a brain darkly) I might be going. And the pattern I have come to notice prevails even more this early morning: that the older I get, the simpler things become and the need to "prove myself" to the world further disippates.
If I were to from the gut list what I hope to "accomplish" across this 41st year, I would say the central goal is completing and publishing my in-progress work of literature. You could say this is the confluence of a professional and personal lifelong goal, as much a part of the yearning of my soul as anything.
As for the other dimensions of my professional life, I am no longer striving to "climb the ladder" somewhere for the sake of feeling important or accomplished. What I would like to continue to do, based on wherever God places me, is to use my gifts and talents well to help persons and organizations become more successful and aware of how to unleash their potential. Whether that is through writing, editing, coaching, consulting or training--or a combination of it all--remains to be seen.
As a person, I hope this year to love others well and fan their creative flames with the oxygen of my own passionate insights. I hope to have more powerful and humorous conversations with those who have teachable, non-judgmental spirits. I yearn to continue to embrace life as a sacred and romantic journey. I pray it is a year of going deeper with old friends and cultivating relationships with the newer ones.
Most importantly: I pray to become more like the character of Christ, defined more by what he did and said and less by the distracting and at times distorting externals added on by his well-meaning followers. I hope to abandon more of myself to his Spirit and rely less on the fleeting emotions created by ever-varying circumstances.
I pray to pay attention to those divine pruning shears and let them trim as they may, and not look back at what lies on the vineyard floor.
posted by John Michael De Marco @ 3:55 AM
1 Comments
1 Comments:
Dear John,
What a beautiful personal mission statement you have written in the latter part of the third paragraph of this piece! You ARE getting better rather than older.
I happened on your blog from Xulon wondering again about the inner push to leave safer venues for a more intimate exploration of what is our time on this earth. And there you were.
I was speaking with a young chap with a wonderful gift for ministry at church earlier this month. We commiserated on the reflex terror such a thought as “my mission” can elicit.
Blessing abound in spite of it all, leading one to ponder just what passing it on might entail. I have a good 17 years on you with wisdom I only sometimes can muster the humility to fully embrace.
For instance, even as I begin this comment for your birthday I am struck my consideration of the importance of my own words, influenced as they are by cultural idiom.
“Dear John.” OH LORD! I can’t possibly start THAT way. Why that is the very epitome of rejection, pain and cruelty.
Now I have NEVER known anyone by the name of John I would even remotely feel such inclination towards—well…maybe my birth father, perhaps—but I’m a nice ol’ gal so why did I even make the association?
Ah, there are some things we just don’t need to know. Perhaps God just wanted to assure that any message for one bearing the name of some of his favorite people would be done with care.
Happy Birthday John! As it starts with a great “mission” statement, I feel privileged to have stumbled here. I look forward to watching (on purpose now) for more writings on the attainment of your goals as you come of age.
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