That's All I Can Stands!

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."
~Harold Whitman

Is that not one of the all-time greatest quotes? I love it.

Isn't it amazing how each of us is wired? Think of it, no one person is wired the same exact way you are. Each of us have different likes and dislikes. Something that makes one person bored completely lights up another. That's incredible to me.

I once heard Bill Hybels give a talk about a topic called Holy Discontent, which he also wrote about in a book by the same name. He said that he spent some time pondering what preceded vision. What happened inside of Billy Graham that made him want to rent his first stadium? What happened inside of Martin Luther King which birthed his dream?

He came to the conclusion that vision is preceded by something that wrecks us, something we can't stand. Something so strong that it spurs us into action.

Popeye had moments like these. They were typically when his beloved Olive Oil was being harassed that he said, "That's all I can stands, I can't stands no more!" At this point he would gulp down his spinach and then open up a can of you know what.

So what can't you stands? Answering that question will help you to discern what God made you for. It will also help you to understand what makes you come alive. And this is what the world needs, just ask Harold Whitman.

What the World Needs

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

Howard Thurman

I listened in on a conference call yesterday afternoon to a writing "expert" being interviewed. She said that the biggest mistake that writers make is that they write a book without doing their market research to determine what is not being written about. She said you don't want to write about something that has been frequently written about.

On the surface, this makes sense. If you are writing your book for financial gain that sounds like pretty good advice. However, I believe the best advice would be to write what you're passionate about.

The same is true about what we do in life. That's why I love Howard Thurman's quote above so much. He's got it right. Each of us are wired in a unique way. We were crafted this way by God because He wants us to use the gifts and abilities He has given us to do the things that make us come alive while serving Him and others. When someone is operating in their "sweet spot," everyone is better off...that person and the world.

So when's the last time you asked yourself the question, "What makes me come alive?"

Passion

Last night, my family and I went to see the David Crowder Band (pictured above) in concert at a church north of Detroit. They were fantastic!

There were a couple of warm up acts before they performed, Seabird and Danyew. They were also very good.

Although I liked Danyew, they were probably my least favorite of the three. Despite that, I found myself drawn to one of their band members more than any of the other performers last night There were only two members in Danyew: one sang and played the guitar while the other played drums and generally pounded on anything that was around him. I found myself focusing on the drummer which I thought was odd, as most times I primarily watch the lead singer.

I think I spent more time watching the drummer because of the passion and intensity with which he performed. Someone performing with passion is very magnetic to me whether they are on stage, being a parent or working in an office.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.

Colossians 3:23

Passion

Yesterday at church, Andrew Smith did a great job of explaining the importance of passion in our lives. This is a subject that is near and dear to my heart. I love to see people passionate about what they do. I love to see people chasing their passions.

Andrew had a large, ordinary looking flower pot sitting on the table next to him. Throughout the service, I kept wondering what he was going to do with it.

He finally went over to the pot and explained that the pot was just like us. Sometimes we can feel like we are going through the motions and we can feel just like an empty pot sitting on a table.

He then pulled out some flowers and some potting soil and began to transfer the flowers to the pot, transforming this plain, ordinary pot into a beautiful thing.

As soon as the flowers found their new home in the pot, Andrew explained that the pot was fulfilling its purpose. Cool stuff.

He concluded the service by challenging us to chase down our passions, even if it meant being impractical. That hit me hard. I realized that I had not been encouraging my daughter Molly to chase her dreams.

She dreams of working in the music industry somewhere because she really is passionate about music. I haven’t discouraged her from this but I haven’t been overly enthusiastic about it either. You see, I’m a pretty practical kind of guy and working in the music industry sounds anything but practical.

When we got home, I told Molly that I really want her to chase her dreams and her passions. I told her I want her to continue pursuing the music thing but I want her to look for ways to do something for God while doing it. I apologized for not supporting her more. I think she was appreciative of this. Hopefully, this will be a lesson I can hang onto.

Dreaming

The Dreamgiver by Bruce Wilkinson is one of my favorite books. In it Wilkinson shares a parable about a guy named Ordinary who lives in the town of Familiar. He wakes up every day and goes to the Job and then comes home every night and watches the Box. Sound familiar?

Then one night, Ordinary is visited by the Dreamgiver and his life is forever changed. He gets a dream for his future. What separates Ordinary from most everyone else in Familiar is that he decides to chase his dream.

The book goes on to show the challenges and the joys that Ordinary experiences during his journey. It truly is a great read and very inspirational.

The reason I like this book so much is probably because I'm a dreamer. I like to look at situations as they might be. Some might say I'm naive and that it is a weakness. Perhaps that's true; however, I prefer to look on the bright side of things. It certainly is more fun than the alternative.

I believe that each of us has a dream and that we were made for greatness. I also believe that our gifts, talents and passions give us an indication of what our dream is. God has wired each of us a certain way on purpose and for a purpose. Check out this short video which talks about our dreams - click here.

So what's your dream?

Passion

Lombardi. It is a name that means a lot of things to a lot of people. One trait of Vince Lombardi that most would agree with is passion. While he was coaching, I was too young to be a true fan of the game but I have read a lot of neat stuff about Vince Lombardi.

Someone recently sent me this excerpt from a book, What it Takes to be #1 written by Lombardi and his son, Vince Jr.

Zeal and passion are emotions that move you. My father was once described by the late New York Giants owner, Wel Mara, as having, "The zeal of a missionary." And although the Packers held a special place in his heart, my father's passion and enthusiasm extended into all corners of his life. He could get excited about dinner at a good restaurant, a sunset, Christmas with family, and especially, a game of golf.

His passion overflowed. It was an enthusiasm that could be neither corralled nor fended off. "If you said 'good morning' to him the right way," said a friend, "you could bring tears to his eyes." His emotional ups and downs as an assistant coach with the Giants earned him the nickname, "Mr. Hi-Lo." A fellow coach once chided him for working up a lather over what seemed to be a minor football matter.

Lombardi said in response, "If you can't get emotional about what you believe in your heart, you're in the wrong business."

My father laughed and he cried. He communicated with every emotional tool at his disposal. "I've got all the emotions in excess," he said "and a hair trigger controls them." Spontaneity was the saving grace for this hair-trigger personality. My father could yell at a player and five minutes later honestly couldn't remember who he yelled at or why. People understood this and forgave him the excesses of his passion. Coach Lombardi never allowed his passion – and here we're talking about his anger – to become personal.

Passion and enthusiasm are the seeds of achievement. Enthusiasm is like an ocean tide, there's a certain inevitability about it. Zeal sweeps obstacles away. To motivate people, there must be a spark, some juice, desire, zeal, inspiration. It's rough to be a leader if you can't energize yourself, and then your people. They need to be able to tap into your emotional energy – and you need to be able to tap into theirs.

It's called passion today. In my father's day, it was called "emotion." No matter what you choose to call it, I doubt you could find someone who was as passionate – and this is important – as effective, as my father. Having a plan is important, but along with a plan there must be a hunger, and a zeal to achieve the vision.

Few of us are inherently enthusiastic. Even Vince Lombardi had to give himself an occasional pep-talk. For most of us, the passion to achieve, to be first, must be stoked. Every day you've got to lay on some kindling, strike a match and fan the flames of passion and zeal.
This quote from my father reflects his passion for everything he did...

"There's only one way to succeed in anything, and that is to give it everything. I do, and I demand that my players do."

I love what he said there. The only way to succeed is to give it everything. He didn't say this only applied to football. He said it applied to anything! Just like what Paul commands us in the following verse:

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart,

as working for the Lord, not for men. Colossians 3:23

Heart

I love to watch people who have passion for whatever they are doing. I don't care if it is mopping the floor in an ice cream shop or spreading fertilizer on someone's lawn, if their heart is in it, I love that.

I've even caught myself t times saying, "I don't agree with what they are saying, but at least they are passionate about it."

It all has to do with heart. Zig Ziglar has this to say on this subject in his book Something to Smile About:

Some things cannot be measured, and the heart is one of them. I think of three former NFL football stars. Mike Singletary, according to the experts, was too short and his 40-yard speed was not that great. However, they could not measure his heart and they did not measure his speed for the first five to fifteen yards, and at that distance he was exceptionally fast. As a result, when a running back broke through the line of scrimmage . . . Singletary was able to stop him in the first couple of yards. That made quite a difference.

Emmitt Smith's 40-yard speed was not earth shattering. . .but again, the experts could not measure his heart nor the burst of speed he was able to generate the instant he touched the ball. As a result, he was able to break through the hole at the line and pick up five to eight yards on a consistent basis and frequently break for much longer runs.

Jerry Rice is the other classic example. His 40-yard speed also was not record-breaking, but his commitment to excellence was not measurable. Videotape of Jerry Rice shows him running stride for stride downfield with a defensive back until the pass is thrown to him. At that point, Jerry turns on the afterburners and frequently leaves the defensive back well behind.

There's something here for all of us to learn. We can measure I.Q., speed, strength and a host of other things, but the will to win and the commitment to excellence will enable a person of average ability to excel. So, use what you've got, including your heart.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. Colossians 3:23