Who Are You?

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new opportunity begins to dawn in my Sweet Home Alabama! There is so much hope, opportunity, and promise in THIS day and I am genuinely excited to live it! :)

Early this week I was working out and listening to a Christian radio station. The hosts were visiting with the new Police Chief in Houston, TX. One of the hosts was joking with the new chief stating if it was her, she would make everyone call her "Chief." She then asked him how he handles this critically important new role. He then said two very profound things - paraphrasing here:

1. I am not "Chief", I am [and then he said his name]. And then this...

2. This position does not define me. God has simply given me this platform for this season of life. I do not know how long it will last however I am simply called to be a good steward of it for however long it lasts.

So a few questions for us this morning:

1. Who are you?

Spoiler Alert - it is not your job or whatever title(s) you have. Neither your job nor any of the titles you have - be it President, CEO, Pastor, Husband, Wife, Mom, Dad, Son, Daughter, or any of the thousands of countless other titles there are - define you. They very well may define your responsibilities or accomplishments but they are not who you are. They are a part of your story but they are not your story.

Have you ever encountered someone who defines who they are by their job or title? They will often introduce themselves and make sure you know their title very quickly. I have found that these folks often want to remind others of the pecking order at work, they are often times workaholics, and they are power hungry - after all, it is what gives their life value, meaning, and purpose. 

I promise you, Friends, you are not your title(s). Your job, nor any other person or their role in your life, defines you. You were created for so much more than that...you are so much more than that.

2. What platform have you been given to steward?

Have you ever thought of your vocational opportunities that way? Whatever your position or title, it is not yours. You may have the honor and privilege of fulfilling that role or having that title for now, however it is just yours for a season. And most importantly, it is a platform - an opportunity to impact other lives, to speak your life message in word and deed, to fulfill your life purpose through your job. You can do with it whatever you want - you can choose to use it to grab power or you can use it to empower others. But please realize, it is not yours forever. At some point someone else will come behind you and they will have your title, the responsibilities that you have today, and they will have your office. Will the things you do every day be a launching pad for their success or a stumbling block to be overcome? Will they be empowered and equipped for success by what you did, what you created, or will they have a whole lot of work to do to overcome the things you did?

It is a just a platform however it is a platform. I don't care what your title or your job is - it matters. Instead of looking at wherever you will go today to do your work as a "have to", I want to encouraged you to look at it as a "get to". You get to go fulfill your role today. You get to go interact with the people that are in your life today. You get to live your life purpose through the job you have today. It is a platform you have been given today...please, don't waste it. Be a good steward. You are going to have to give it back one day.

3. What is your purpose?

I am talking about your life purpose here. I really want to encourage you, if you do not know, to spend time in thought and prayer really seeking to understand your purpose. The Bible tells me that you and I - and everyone else! - has one. Until we do the hard work of really understanding and identifying our purposes, we are blown back and forth by jobs, titles, and circumstances. When we find our purpose, something incredibly special begins to happen...our souls are set on fire. We are no longer just living, we are suddenly alive! It is truly an awakening...something that you must do every day because it is so much greater than a job, title, situation, or circumstance.

I really want to encourage you all to take 18 minutes this weekend and go watch Simon Sinek's TedTalk, titled Start with Why. If you simply do a Google search for Simon Sinek's TedTalk or Start with Why TedTalk, you will find it. Now, it is aimed primarily at helping businesses find their purpose however you will get the personal application as well.

For those who are rolling their eyes, who there is not a chance in the world they are going to go watch it, please allow me to share a few quotes from Simon that I wrote down last night when I watched the talk for about the 1,000th time! :)

"Why - what is your cause, purpose, or belief? Why do you get out of bed in the morning? Why should anyone care?"

And for anyone who is thinking, "I have to go make money!", Simon addresses that and points out that making money is not a purpose, it is a result. :)

"People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it."

He repeats this statement over and over again throughout the talk. People don't buy into your title and they don't buy into you job, they buy into what your cause, purpose, or belief is. They buy into your Why?

And then, there is this nugget which is closely linked with "people don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it" and it is this, "What you do proves what you believe." Please read that again...""What you do proves what you believe." As hard as we all try to say and do the "right things" what we actually do is a reflection of our beliefs. We will not be walking in complete integrity - which, by the way, is defined as "being whole" - until what we believe and what we do are in complete alignment. Though we may be able to fake it for a season, our actions will ultimately prove our beliefs.

In the video, Simon talks about what he refers to as the Golden Circle. "Why" is at the center, "How" is the middle ring, and "What" is the outer ring. He beautifully illustrates how most companies, and people, communicate from the outside in (here is What we do, here is How we do it, and, if they actually even know their Why, they will communicate their Why) while the inspiring leaders communicate from the inside out (Here is our Why, here is How we do it, and then they communicate their What). I want to strongly encourage you to figure our and clarify your personal Golden Circle. I have been thinking a lot about this and have tried to do it myself.

Why - I believe that every person, every life, has great value, meaning, and a purpose.

How - I was placed on this earth to encourage, empower, and equip others to become all that they are capable of becoming - to recognize their value, to find their meaning, and to live out their purpose.

What - I am intentional about putting positive messages on Twitter and Facebook every day that encourages, empowers and equips others to recognize their value, to find their meaning, and to live out their purpose. I write a blog every Friday and I do wood carvings, both with the exact same aim. And finally, in the life I live every day, I look for the value, meaning, and purpose in every person and I encourage, empower, and equip them to see the same in themselves. 

I have said this before, it doesn't matter what job I have, what title I have, my purpose never changes...it is what God created me to do. Whether in my vocational or familial roles, my purpose is to encourage, empower, and equip others to become all they are capable of becoming. My most fulfilling days are days when I am giving myself totally to this purpose and the least fulfilling days are those I simply live for me.

So, who are you? Why did God create you? What purpose do you have? What is the cause, purpose, or belief that is burning in your soul? Whatever that answer is, please live it fully, every day of your life. That is who you really are! :)

Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious families, and please stay well! :)

Kev