When Shooting For the Moon, We Sometimes Land Among The Stars!! And, That's OK!!

My facebook status update reads: “To play the game of your life and not get the prize does not make you a loser... Roddick, today, is truly a winner!! He got to a whole new level of play!! Congrats!!”.

Yesterday afternoon I watched a good part of the fifth set of the Wimbledon tennis match between Roger Federer and Andy Roddick. Roger was fighting to break the world record for the greatest number of grand slams won by a single player and Andy Roddick was fighting to win Wimbledon for the first time against the world’s greatest tennis player.

I hadn’t watched the entire Wimbledon series this year. But, admittedly, when I heard that Roddick had made it to the finals and would be playing against Federer, my initial reaction was that Federer would blow through the match easily. While I haven’t consistently followed Roddick’s tennis career, I have seen him play enough times to know that the consistency of play and winning just hasn’t been there. But, then, I recalled a renewed commitment Roddick made to his game a couple of years ago. He made some necessary changes to his coaching staff and recommited himself to winning and becoming a better player. I thought to myself… “let me not count Andy out so quickly”, and I’m glad I did not.

Yesterday Andy played BEYOND exceptionally well. The Andy I saw yesterday was not the Andy I remember from prior years. I was truly inspired by him and he (and the game of tennis I love so much) taught me another lesson (or at least served as an impactful reminder) that when you truly give your all you can never lose! It’s like that good ‘ol saying, “shoot for the moon… because even if you miss, you will surely land among the stars!!” Andy truly landed among the stars and will forever be remembered for his effort on yesterday as much as (if not more than) Federer will be remembered for breaking a record that day.

So what does this have to do with getting to MY destiny?

This is an easy and obvious one! It was a reminder that I must give my goals and the pursuit of my intended destination ALL that I have!! I cannot hold back – holding back is not an option! Holding on IS the only option!!! Whether it is in love or in a career… I’ve got to give my WHOLE ALL! I may have to change some things. In fact, I want to change those things that are not making me a better and more effective person. I am renewing my commitment to getting to my destination right now. And, I continue to pray that God places in my life the right people and experiences to help me be that better person I need to be to make it to HIS appointed destination.

I would bet that Andy believed that yesterday would be the win of his life. And, while he didn’t get the prize for which he aspired, it really was probably the biggest win of his life to date!! He gained so much more as a player and as a person for having lost under those circumstances and having truly played the best game of his career to date. He clearly has the ability to rise to heights he may have never thought (there were 32 games played in 5th set – max in sets 1-4 is 13). His heart and determination meant so much when matched against someone who has remarkable natural talent and ability. Regardless of whether you were rooting for, Federer or Roddick, those who watched the match were truly touched and inspired by Andy Roddick.

If (or when) Roddick wins the Wimbledon title, I hope he will look back on the journey, embrace and appreciate every step along the way - even this one. He has absolutely NOTHING to be ashamed of. He taught us all a lesson in giving, determination, commitment, graciousness and strength. I will take that lesson and apply it to my life. And, while some of my journey - like his - may be tough and painful, in the end it’ll be worth it. For maybe I too can be an inspiration to at least one someone. In the meantime, I’ll do my best to enjoy the ride!

I'm Learning To Be Just Like The Sun! Shining Each Day Even When The Clouds Are Grey!

A while ago I came to a point where I realized that I needed to shed some things – some beliefs, some people, and some habits. I needed to shed so I could be a different person – a more beautiful person. Yes, at 40-something I felt like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly. I realized that for a very long time I had my identity tied up in what I did as a profession, to a lesser degree what I had accomplished or where I failed, where I had been, and the friends I had had in my life. Realizing I had to shed some things became a defining moment for me because I realized that all those things couldn’t really define me.

In a few days I will have reached 10 years living in Atlanta. 10 years ago I made the conscious and proactive decision to move here in hopes that I would make a comfortable, happy and successful life for myself. Success, I defined at that time, was a fantastic career, a loving family, a nice home, and a full and committed spiritual life which would provide me opportunities to be of service to others – all things most people would say are components of success. However, just about 6 months ago, realizing the 10 year mark was approaching, I began to assess whether I had made the right decision to move to Atlanta. Had I accomplished what I had set out to create for myself? Was I “successful” and had I been better off for making the move? I believed the answer was no. First, my career had been totally derailed due to layoffs and years of a tough economy. The relationship that held promise to produce the loving family with a great husband and beautiful children plummeted to the ground, crashed and burned due to unforeseen challenges. That event destroyed that particular chance of familial happiness and delayed the start of another. I am thankful to God that I do have a nice home. And, while I have opportunities to serve in the churches with which I have been associated, some of my more painful personal interactions have been with persons involved with places of worship. So, I began to seriously challenge myself to search for the right way to make adjustments in my life so that I didn’t spend another 10 years working towards my goals to only look back and not feel like I’d not been successful.

As with all of my prayers, God answers one way or another. In the process of my search, God began to change my thinking. He helped me see that I needed to think of and see myself the way God sees me. I needed to simply “be” who God made me to be. Though things may not look like I am who He says I am, I simply must believe it and walk in it and just be. A career or lack of a career does not define who I am – I might have a job today but not tomorrow. A family or lack of a family does not define who I am – I might be single today and married tomorrow. A church affiliation does not define who I am – I might worship at this church today and another tomorrow. I am simply who God made me to be.

I was driving home yesterday and noticed how overcast the sky was. There were lots and lots of clouds. I immediately thought of all the times I’ve been on a plane taking off from Atlanta’s airport on seemingly cold and dreary days like yesterday. Shortly after takeoff and once the plane travels high enough and through the clouds, the skies are generally blue and clear and the sun shines brightly with no more grey clouds in sight. The sun is there all the time, the beautiful skies are there all the time, although sometimes the clouds simply cover up the sun and we can’t see or experience it as easily. The weather and climate situation changes daily. So we may easily see the sun or not. But, the reality is that the blue skies and beaming sun are there each day. The sun doesn’t take a break. On yesterday, even though the low clouds cast a feeling of drudgery over the city, the sun was still there and it was still, in reality, a beautiful day! In the same way, I am who God made me to be regardless of the situations that arise that cloud the ability for me and for others to really see who I am. Regardless of how things may “seem”, there remains the reality of who I am.

So what does this have to do with my journey and getting to my destiny? Well, in embracing me, the true, authentic, essence of me, I had to let some things go. And, I am working on embracing and accepting concepts about me that are new to me while they are really not new at all. I am being transformed by the renewing of my mind so that I see myself as God sees me without the clouds of career, family, or any situation to define my reality. Who I am is bigger than any situation. But, mind renewal is a process and is the transition to which I refer. I’m letting go of the old perception (which can be difficult because it’s comfortable) and embracing the new perception of me (which can be difficult because it’s not so comfortable, at least at first). So, when I feel the tug of doing things or thinking of things the old way simply because that’s how I’ve always done it, I have to check myself. The process takes time. But at the end, regardless of the situation, I will continue to be who I was made to be. And that’s a peaceful and restful place.

Even before the cocoon, the caterpillar’s destiny is to be beautiful and fly – that’s a fact. I have to believe if I were able to talk to a young caterpillar it would have a vision and a sixth sense about how beautiful it would become and its ability to fly in spite of its current physical state of having no wings. I would imagine it would have had dreams about where it would fly and the flowers it would rest upon with no way imaginable of how it would happen just knowing it would. I can imagine the enthusiasm, assurance and faith in the fact that in its own time, it would have those wonderful experiences. Who has God created you to be? Have you embraced who He has made you? Do you dream about where He will take you in spite of where you are today? Recognize that by simply BEING the authentic you, not necessarily DOING any particular thing, you will transcend any situation that may suggest otherwise. The transformation process may take a while, but you can still enjoy the ride!