Thou Art Not a Template

“…when you follow your bliss, doors will open where you would not have thought there were going to be doors and where there wouldn’t be a door for anyone else.” -Joseph Campbell

When God spun the heavens, gave birth to subatomic particles, and made rivers flow downhill, do you think He bothered to make us unique? I mean, do you think He intentionally made your eyes just a shade different than mine? Do you think He made my thoughts to be a bit different than the next guy’s? I do.
I recently took a brief but meaningful silent retreat. While away, I spoke to a Catholic Father who said the most inspirational words to me.

He told me that “God gives everyone a mission and equips us with the gifts to carry that mission out for Him and His people.” He said that “our calling is within us—leading us in a certain direction. We know our calling intuitively—we “go with” what is meaningful. At the same time, our calling/mission is always a mystery. We are unaware of who we are touching/affecting around us.” (Kind of sounded like the message in “A Wonderful Life” ).

No, my friend—you are not a template and neither is what you offer professionally. Despite the Wal-Marts, sell-it-yourself real estate services, online discount brokers, $99 web site tools (yikes!), and other cookie-cutter products, you have something amazing to offer. You possess the richest commodity on earth: Yourself.

Next time we’ll explore a most important step in discovering what is uniquely yours to share.