Mine is One of a Kind!!

I have a very good friend who is a very focused and linear individual. What I mean by that is this… since childhood, he has recognized his gifting and his talents and he has nurtured those gifts and talents and has made his life’s work building them, making them stronger, and using them. It just seems to me that he has always been extremely focused. It’s just the way he’s built and he’s that way in all aspects of his life. Take for example his professional work. He has worked for the same company for over 25 years (and he’s not an old man). In today’s work environment and economic climate, that is extremely rare. I applaud him for his efforts and marvel at how he can be so focused. When I look at what he’s accomplished, I’m so happy that he has managed his time and his talents in a way that has seemingly served him and others close to him well.

I, on the other hand, am a little more scattered. I don’t say that in a bad way. There are simply many things that I find enjoyment in doing. So, my path has been a lot more exploratory and varied as opposed to the straight and narrow. In being exploratory, I have learned a lot of things about what I like and what I don’t like, what I’m good at and what I’m not good at, and what works well for me and what doesn’t. Perhaps my friend knows that information about himself or perhaps he doesn’t. One thing that’s true, we probably have gained that understanding about ourselves in very different ways.

I used to look at his path and then consider mine and feel discouraged, unproductive, and slothful. But, a few years ago, a light bulb went off inside of me and I realized that those things are just not true. And, while I may be much more challenged than he is with completing one task before starting another, he may be much more challenged with trying new and innovative things than I am. Why, because we are all different. We all are assigned different paths. No path is good or bad, they are just different. The important thing is to have a goal in mind and continue moving forward, no matter what. And, it is important to recognize the exposures and challenges that exist because of one’s unique path and manage those the best way possible. For me, for example, that means a couple of things. First, it means making sure that when I start a project that I have an end goal or milestone that I can reach within a certain timeframe to help ensure that something productive happens. Second, it means being very intentional about ensuring that there is some common purpose or theme that ties my varied interest together.

For the past several days I have been very intentional about focusing on finishing some projects that I have recently started. I felt like I was beginning to drift prior to the beginning of the week. Staying focused is not an easy task for me. So, I shut out the outside world, for the most part, and have intentionally focused on working to reach a few milestones. Some days I do a good job of focusing, some days I do not. On the days I do not focus well, I do all that I can and I embrace the next morning as a new day and a new start and work on ways I can be better at it. On the days that I do focus well, I do all that I can and I embrace the next morning as a new day and a new start and work on ways I can be better even still!

So what does this have to do with my journey? It is just that… it is my journey and mine alone. It will look like and be like no one else’s. So, someone else’s directions aren’t necessarily always going to work for me with my unique destination and my unique path. No one but my Creator and the author of my path has the best advice and input regarding which roads I take, how long I’m on a road, which turns I take and when the journey ends. It’s all the more reason that I really need to make sure that I remain connected and always able to communicate with God – that’s where all the information is! God alone knows what is best for me.

Are you aware of how unique you are and how unique your path to your destination is as a result? No one else is like you, so none other but God can give you directions that will get you to exactly where you need to go. Even though your path looks completely different from any other that you’ve heard or seen in other’s lives, TRUST HIS WAY and ENJOY THE RIDE!