“You can be anything you put your mind to.”
That’s what our society has been telling our kids for quite some time. In the words of Nike 3:16, “Just do it.”
You can be a doctor, a lawyer, or an astronaut. Yes! The future is limitless!
You can play in the NBA. Wait, that’s great if I’m six-foot-eight, but what if I want to be a jockey?
You can be a boy or a girl. Um…what?
Dr. Martin Shaw, a writer, mythographer, and Christian thinker, is right in saying, “We have a generation of kids being told you can be anything you want. The problem with that is that myth tells us something very different. Myth tells us that you are born to be something very specific. There’s a job allotted to you that no one else can have. So the notion of the tyranny of choice, this à la carte spirituality, where you can pick and choose whatever you want, and God is fine with it, and on we go—this is not how it works.”
No, it’s not. Unfortunately, the assertion that we can be anything we want leads to dead ends and disappointment.
Sorry to whoever needs to hear this, but you cannot be anything you put your mind to.
You do, however, have everything you need to be exactly who God has in mind.
The journey of figuring that out is an adventure on par with anything Luke Skywalker, Harry Potter, or Frodo did.
But how do we begin?
Whether you just graduated and are entering the “real world,” or you find yourself in one of those midlife cul-de-sacs, one helpful method is to look at your heart as a metal detector. Throughout my life, I’ve felt my heart “ping” whenever I’ve gotten near my purpose, like when I’ve encountered a subject that lights me up or a person doing something similar to what I was made for.
These pings — sparks of enthusiasm — are clues that help lead us to the mission God created us for. Enthusiasm comes from “en theos,” which means “God within.” When we feel enthusiastic, what we are feeling is God within us.
It’s like a game of hot and cold. “You’re getting colder, colder…you’re freezing!” or “You’re getting a little warmer…warmer…you’re almost burning up!”
Sometimes there is a mystery to these pings. (That’s what makes it an adventure and not like an instruction manual for assembling a bike.) When I felt a ping the first time I saw Michael W. Smith in concert, I had an overwhelming feeling of “I want to do that.” On the surface, it seemed ridiculous. Was I supposed to move to Nashville to become a musician, even though I sing off-tune and have no musical abilities whatsoever?
A common misstep is feeling an unmistakable ping and thinking we’re supposed to do THAT exact thing. No, someone is already doing THAT thing. The best you will ever be is a second-rate version of THAT person.
As my journey unfolded, the path became clearer. I saw that what I really resonated with was how Michael shared his art with others to bring hope and light to a dark world. Now, years later, as I stand on stage as a speaker, using my art as a tool to convey my messages, I can see that my calling “rhymed” with his.
The pings help guide us, but there is no exact formula to replicate. God is too creative for that, and you are unlike anyone else He ever created. Your “thing” will be a curious amalgam of your particular talents that combine in a particular way to create something wholly original.
What might be hard to believe is that the people we look up to cannot do our thing as well as WE can! Not only are we not called to complete their mission, they are not capable of completing ours.
You can’t fill the Pope’s shoes, but guess what? The shoes God made for you won’t fit him, either.
Another mistake is limiting our mission to a specific occupation. Throughout our lives, our roles and spheres of influence will change, but our mission does not. I can fulfill my unique mission as an artist, a cartoonist, a speaker, an author, a parishioner, a husband, a dad, and hopefully someday as a grandpa.
Importantly, a lack of success or comfort is not necessarily an indicator that you’re on the wrong road. The difficulties we encounter test and strengthen us, like lifting heavy weights under the guidance of a trainer. Being on track with your mission does not mean everything will be unicorns and rainbows. It’s more about experiencing a deep-seated joy that sustains you and provides a sense of fulfillment as you follow God’s path.
The all-too-common mid-life crisis is the moment when we realize that, for one reason or another, we are on the wrong track. Maybe it’s because we wanted to please someone else. Maybe we decided to serve our selfish interests and pursue money, fame, status, power, or comfort. Or maybe we were misguided, naive, and truly didn’t know any better.
Sometimes we are tempted to panic that we’re missing God’s call, or that perhaps we’re too late.
The good news is that God uses all of it.
No part of your journey is a surprise to Him. God is the greatest storyteller, and His creative plan for you includes the unique perspectives that come from your background, as well as the wisdom and empathy you gained from mistakes you made and trauma you experienced. All of it can be redeemed.
Everything is in service to become more like Christ and help others to become more like Him, too. Everything is accounted for to help you accomplish the purpose for which you were created.
God will not let you miss your future.
You can’t be anything, but you can be a saint, which is the best thing to be.
The pings of enthusiasm are beacons to guide you on your adventure.
When in doubt, follow the advice of St. Francis de Sales, who said, “Be who you are, and be that well.”
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