I deeply believe that what you feed will grow and what you starve will die. Some of us will fulfill our Purpose, and others will die with their purpose not fully unattained. Yet, each of us has a purpose. Purpose is awareness, sometimes an unconscious awareness, of our unique opportunity to enhance the human experience for others and ourselves. That awareness is what turns on the light. Once we look at that opportunity, we begin to develop a vision for the possibilities. That is where the excitement comes from.
I have a friend who asked me to "consider Harlan at his greatest self. This Harlan in the distant future who has fulfilled his destiny." Then he challenged me to describe him in specific detail. After doing this, I was so damn excited that I couldn't wait to get moving in that direction. A second later, I realized that I was already moving in that direction. That reflection time generated a massive amount of Enthusiasm. That is what reflection does for us. Taking time to stop and think fuels us. It fills our tank. Enthusiasm is like a bolder at the top of a large hill or the "red button" in the Batmobile. Enthusiasm is knowing that you have what you need to do what you need to do.
Enthusiasm comes from taking time to reflect, mediate, or just think. In that quiet time of reflection, we can discover wonderful things about ourselves. There's an old Baptist song we used to sing that goes, "As I look back over my life and think things over, I can truly say that I've be blessed. I got a testimony." The Greek philosopher Plato said, we do not learn from our experiences but from the thoughtful reflection upon those experiences. That thoughtful process creates the Energy (NRG) that helps us feel competent and capable to move. Think about how you fill when you have a full tank of gas. For me, I feel like I can go anywhere and do anything. A clear destination (passion) a nice car (you) and a full tank of gas (energy) will guarantee a fun ride.
Once you get the car running or the machine going, we are ready to kick things in gear and start moving. I'm a planner. I'm pretty good at planning. I can tell you every detailed step necessary to build a pyramid. However, this gift often stands in my way of actually building pyramids. Getting in gear requires that steps be taken. Action, in this sense, is bringing the abstract to the concrete. It is our highest gift from God. It is evidence of God's presence. The greatest thing God ever did was to create something from nothing. What was once a thought in God's mind is now the earth, moon, stars, galaxies and the universe. As we were made in His image and likeness, we are blessed with this gift to see in our minds and manifest in the physical world the visions of our hearts. This is done through Action. As we careen through the wonderments of our lives, we leave behind a trail of colors and textures that paint the evidence of our existence. These adventures can be considered our careers. My friend, you are now painting consciously. Your actions are being guided. Your steps are ordered and you have decided to GO. You are creating a beautiful mural of life.
There is a mural of the great Paul Robeson at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio. That mural is a collage of his experiences as an All-Star Athlete in Football, Baseball and Track and Field. It includes his accomplishments as an actor, scholar and activist. It glorifies his birth, life, struggles and death. This single mural exemplifies what it means to live a beautiful purposed life. Clarity of Purpose increases ones enthusiasm. With increased enthusiasm, energy increases. More energy leads to more action. More action leads to greater Results.
Although, we are challenged live life detached from the outcomes, it is good to look back over our lives and see that we have walked through the maps of our minds and created the visions of our hearts. Hopefully, others will benefit from our example.
Go live and create.
Coach Hodge
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