Oprah Winfrey likes to say, “I believe every one of us is born with a purpose. No matter who you are, what you do, or how far you think you have to go, you have been tapped by a force greater than yourself to step into your God-given calling.”
WISCNews Columnist Amy Laundrie writes that we need to pay special attention to what really “lights us up.”
For example, Amy knew she wanted to write for children even when she was a child herself. She knew how a good book could whisk her off on new adventures with new friends. As she got older, Amy began creating those tales herself.
“Pay attention to what feeds your energy. Your instincts will let you know when you’re on the right path,” she wrote.
She alludes to the story of Dorothy, the young heroine from “The Wizard of Oz” who dreamed of going somewhere over the rainbow. Yet, when she arrived at that magical place, she wanted to go home. Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, told Dorothy, “You are capable of more than you know. You always had the power, my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself.”
Quoting Oprah again, Amy writes, “It doesn’t matter how many yellow brick roads you encounter — your purpose has always been right there, at home, in your heart.”
I like the advice to reflect on what lights us up and tugs at our hearts. I’m convinced we often instinctively know what we were created to do. Yet, it seems so improbable or impossible that we tell ourselves we can’t do it or, worse, shouldn’t do it.
However, the idea keeps popping into our minds frequently. Sometimes life itself has to train us to be ready to pursue what we thought was impossible to do.
What’s tugging at your heart? What idea just never goes away?
I can think of a solid dozen ideas I’ve harbored for at least 15 years myself, including:
- DODO Dads — Helping Dads of Daughters Only to become better fathers.
- Kerry Chronicles — A series of children’s book about a little 8-year-old girl who gets into all kinds of mischief, but learns valuable life lessons in the process.
- Gift of Prophecy — Many Christians who have the spiritual gift of prophecy don’t know what it means or how they can best utilize the gift. Hint: Churches don’t know either.
- Bored Again Christians — Too many people, especially men, are bored to death at church because they aren’t allowed to apply their skills, talent and life experiences to meaningful tasks. I’d like to expand their thinking beyond serving in a local congregation.
- Revolutionary Failure — The Sexual Revolution was supposed to bring freedom to men and women. So why are so many people trapped in a prison of lust and how can they escape?
If we are honest with ourselves, our minds are a vault of valuable ideas we have stored inside to do “someday” without ever taking that vital first step of faith to pursue them.
What idea have you harbored for many years that will be lost upon your death or turned into a thriving success by someone else during your lifetime?
To read Amy’s full column, in which she describes her newest book, visit www.wiscnews.com.
After closing his business and enduring several painful years of uncertainty regarding what to do with his life, Greg founded Forward From 50 to help men and women over 50 to live more purposeful lives by pursuing things they are passionate about. A Wisconsin native, Greg currently lives in Arizona.