switch foot

There is a lot to be said for silence.

I often find myself caught up in the swing of things, starting days only to find the sun suddenly setting and so much left “to do” - when in reality, my “to do” list is filled with mostly busywork and mundane survival tasks that never really serve a greater purpose. I realize that everything does not need a deep, symbolic meaning; sometimes mundane is necessary and even refreshing. However, living a mundane life day-to-day is so unfulfilling. And I find it fascinating that we are all so easily swept up into living in mediocrity instead of keeping focus on the few, simple, beautifully purposeful things that make each of us unique.

We all have a purpose - I am convinced.
And yet, very few of us can say that we live each day ON purpose.

I am in love with this city. I can close my eyes on the subway and listen to the music of millions of lives interacting endlessly. I feel at home jaywalking across busy streets amongst the hubbub of diversity. I would love to spend time every day sitting in a neighborhood coffee shop watching everyone pass by. And while I enjoy the chaos of this place, I refuse to let the bustling pulse wash over who I am and control my life. I choose purpose. I choose passion.

I choose investing in people, risking heartbreak, living with meaning -- because I know that empty vacancy we all experience, and a vacant life is really just depriving ourselves of the vibrancy of life. Emptiness is an option. None of us were created to see this world through a melancholic perspective. There is so much out there to be experienced ... and it amazes me how incredibly easy it is to wallow in our own self and become blind-sighted to the opportunities, people, and experiences all around us every single day.

There is so much out there - and we can all become caught up in the pointless business of our lives - but truly, what we really need is to focus on who we are. And how can we even begin to realize what those are without taking the time and effort to stop for just a few minutes and ask ourselves? Is it really such a foreign idea to look yourself in the eye and discover what’s behind that face? When we look in the mirror, why stop at the facade of a face -- aren’t you curious what lies beneath? Don’t you want to live ON purpose, WITH purpose? Isn’t that so much more appealing than just going from place to place, class to class, shift to shift without so much as a thought towards why you were put in this life?

Every good performer knows that there is a lot to be said for silence. In fact, silence can speak volumes more than words could even attempt. So why shy away from something so simple, so beautiful, so meaningful?

YOU were meant to be someone. Isn’t it time we started living that way?