I've been thinking about this lately, just bear with me while I put it out there.
It seems like today, everyone wants to be famous, well-known, or "important". You know the type: center of attention, always looking for praise and recognition. It seems today's young generation is born with a sense of entitlement. But what is at the heart of this persistent void that needs filling, and is it something all of us long for?
Perhaps we want everyone to know us now, so they won't forget us later. We want to be remembered. We don't want to pass from this earth without making ripples, stirring hearts, or leaving a legacy. But does that mean we need to be famous? Because honestly, I don't want to be known for some of the things "stars" are famous for.
Now I know not everyone wants to be famous in the celebrity sense. But what if you just want to be popular or envied in your town, university, or even amongst your friends. Maybe for having the best wardrobe, the most glamorous internship, or the highest organizational position, etc.
I think the difference is in the recognition, meaning, stop looking for it. Strive to make a difference, but not for the praise or fame. In fact, if that is your aim, you may not even be doing the right things. Do it for the simple joy found in helping someone. Rather than a worldly reward, look instead to your heavenly blessings. Think about how great this world would be if people did things with purely selfless intentions, always putting others first. I'm guessing it would be nice.
Like the famous quote says, your character is built on what you do when people are not watching.
It may be difficult, but it is a challenge I present to myself. I struggled with this when I decided to get a masters in education. There would be no fancy jobs in finance for me at Goldman Sachs, no neat internship in risk management on the set of a Hollywood production, not even an account managing job at a national magazine. I will go to my 10-yr high school reunion and say, "I teach Math." And perhaps to some people I will never be more than a high school math teacher . I might not be destined to save the world, but maybe, just maybe, I'm part of a bigger picture- a puzzle piece- a single component in changing one person's world. And for me, that's enough.
Just a little something to think about.
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21
It seems like today, everyone wants to be famous, well-known, or "important". You know the type: center of attention, always looking for praise and recognition. It seems today's young generation is born with a sense of entitlement. But what is at the heart of this persistent void that needs filling, and is it something all of us long for?
Perhaps we want everyone to know us now, so they won't forget us later. We want to be remembered. We don't want to pass from this earth without making ripples, stirring hearts, or leaving a legacy. But does that mean we need to be famous? Because honestly, I don't want to be known for some of the things "stars" are famous for.
Now I know not everyone wants to be famous in the celebrity sense. But what if you just want to be popular or envied in your town, university, or even amongst your friends. Maybe for having the best wardrobe, the most glamorous internship, or the highest organizational position, etc.
I think the difference is in the recognition, meaning, stop looking for it. Strive to make a difference, but not for the praise or fame. In fact, if that is your aim, you may not even be doing the right things. Do it for the simple joy found in helping someone. Rather than a worldly reward, look instead to your heavenly blessings. Think about how great this world would be if people did things with purely selfless intentions, always putting others first. I'm guessing it would be nice.
Like the famous quote says, your character is built on what you do when people are not watching.
It may be difficult, but it is a challenge I present to myself. I struggled with this when I decided to get a masters in education. There would be no fancy jobs in finance for me at Goldman Sachs, no neat internship in risk management on the set of a Hollywood production, not even an account managing job at a national magazine. I will go to my 10-yr high school reunion and say, "I teach Math." And perhaps to some people I will never be more than a high school math teacher . I might not be destined to save the world, but maybe, just maybe, I'm part of a bigger picture- a puzzle piece- a single component in changing one person's world. And for me, that's enough.
Just a little something to think about.
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21
Well put my friend :)
ReplyDeleteReminded me of my teaching mantra:
“One hundred years from now
It will not matter
What kind of car I drove,
What kind of house I lived in,
How much I had in my bank
Nor what my clothes looked like.
One hundred years from now
It will not matter
What kind of school I attended,
What kind of typewriter I used,
How large or small my church,
But the world may be ...
a little better because...
I was important in the life of a child."
― Forest Whitcraft