Preparing for significance

Notes for Chapter One)


Maya Angelou quoted, "Ask for what you want and be prepared to get it."  And throughout many spiritual, self-development, counseling, and teacher circles the same mantra is usually spoken. Furthermore, I have heard and said the following: If you believe it you shall receive it or if you speak it, you will see it; or seek and it will be found. Positive, powerful, and encouraging words, right? Those statements is not the issue I have pondered. I agree, a cheerful heart does the body and mind good. On the other hand, it's the "between point" I wrestle with. There is a place between unbelief and belief, thinking and speaking, and  seeking and finding. That "place" few pundits, pastors, preachers, teachers, coaches and counselors prepare to provide a solution for. This place, position, or state is what most people call the "gray area", when things in life are not clear, difficult, and confusing. I have had my share of gray areas and stood in the between place many times, shocked, dazed and confused or sad, mad, and defeated. That is why I am pushed to reflect a little deeper into this feeling of awkwardness of life. And I have a resolution, an insight, a possible explanation for it-- preparation. Preparation for significance.


Have you jumped in water, in a pool or ocean on a scorching hot summer day with expectation of cool relief? You emerge in the water, and as you go deeper the cooler the water feels. A quietness is all around you, peaceful, then you need air and a sense of urgency rush over you. You swim up, quickly; you see the sun's brightness the closer you get to the top, and finally you reach up to push that last time to reach the surface and gasp for air. This illustration gives you a picture of the preparation for significance.

Life can become hectic with pressures and perplexity. Relief is all we want. Answers are all we need. So we jump in aimlessly; go to whatever and whomever to get help and solutions to our problems. Temporarily, the advice and support is the relief, the thought of someone understanding and helping to meet a need is the peace we seek. Yet, without a permanent solution, the problem will lurk again and we will rush to relief...for another answer, help, a little air. Life can have a dunking effect, ups and downs, only if we choose to resolve problems with temporary solutions and always depending on others for the answers. Instead look within. Deeply within.


The path to significance is stretching yet glorifying.I discovered that problems are merely exercises to gain knowledge, wisdom, understanding and contentment. Yes, a permanent solution to heated and hated problems is contentment: the realization, on earth, we will walk a thin line between meaningless and significance. In order to learn, we must lose. In order to succeed, we must fail. To navigate through what seem to be suffocating problems, we must rest and not resist....breathe. And in that deep, cool and quiet place, a place of peace above understanding, is where significance resides. Preparation for significance comes when you toil with tears of submission, with encouraging speech, love, and faith. Trusting the process. Significance comes closer each day when you choose to dive into the deep, with quiet confidence, learning, not running from the lessons, welcoming ascension. Living higher than the problems, greater than yourself.