I hope these words are able to
inspire you even more than the picture. Here are the twelve lessons. Please
know that as a person I am a work in progress and fall short of these
principles, but every day I strive to live by these I see more freedom in all
areas of my life.
1. Don’t Try to Read the Map while Driving
Let’s think back before we had GPS
and Google Maps to assist us with our travels. Take a second and reach into that
small side pocket in the door of your car and pull out the old map. The ones my
family had came with our AAA auto insurance policy. Go ahead and open it up and
you will find a large static piece of paper showing an entire landscape
covered with the network of roads, highways, and interstates that cover the
United States. After orienting yourself and recognizing where the roads lead
carefully choose your route.
As you make your goals in life
make sure to take the time to read and understand the map. Don’t freak out if
you lose your way either. Just pull off to the side of the road and reach into
that side pocket pull out your map again. When you follow this method you achieve
progress. It’s easy to get caught up moving in the wrong direction due to the
business of life. Evaluate how you are spending your time. See if it actually reflects
your goals - your destination.
2. Forgive Always
You will not ever be able to
achieve happiness while harboring hate for another person. When you refuse to
forgive someone you a taking a weight upon yourself that is not meant to be
carried, and this weight will go with you wherever you go. Picture a man
getting ready for work in the morning, straightening his tie, combing his hair,
then promptly picking up a bag of bricks and carrying it on his shoulders out
the door. It seems out of place, because
it is. Yet every day we make the choice to pick up the burden of
unforgiveness and bitterness. I promise you that life is better without this
burden, not only for you but to others around you too. When we cast down these
burdens our capacity to genuinely love and care for others will flourish and
you will see more joy in your life.
3. Serve Others
3. Serve Others
I am part of the group of young men and women who chose to go to college and get an education regardless of the cost. Sitting
where I am today three years out of college, I will be paying off student loan
debt for years to come. However, the lessons that I learned during those years
have proved to be invaluable. It is Alma College’s mission to raise up students
to think critically, serve generously, lead purposefully,
and live responsibly. During college I had such a constant flow of service trips and
community enrichment projects that serving others became second nature. Start
saying yes to these opportunities and let helping others become a regular
habit. Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be great must become a servant (Mt.
20:26).” Furthermore, when you choose to serve others you are actually ensuring
that you will be taken care of no matter what. In the end what is more valuable,
dinner at a four star restaurant or being able to feed a family of five who
wouldn't be able to eat otherwise.
4. Go to Class
When I was in college I was not a
straight A student, and there were definitely times where I played too much
Super Smash Brothers, but I hardly ever missed class. I can think of a few
classes missed to deathly illness such as the Norovirus of 2008, or a fever,
but other than that I was there every day. Even though I was not the smartest
or the most disciplined student I was able to scrape by good marks because I
was physically there and engaged in what the teacher was saying. This principle
does not stop when you graduate from school. Strive to be the person who shows
up to work physically and mentally. Work is an opportunity to create, change
the world, and grow in character. When treated like this it becomes much more
than doing the bare minimum in order to collect a paycheck. It becomes more
than working hard to achieve a promotion or recognition too. Work as if
pleasing your customers can change the world, because it does!
5. Create Something of Value
Take Bob and Larry for example.
Say Bob decides to watch a TV show. No matter how funny, action packed, and entertaining
the show Bob is still in the same position at the end of the show than
he was at the beginning. Say that instead of watching the show Larry decides to
write a few pages in his journal. When he finishes writing, Larry has advanced
his position by creating two pages of writing. Regardless of the quality of the
writing Larry has produced, he created a work 100 percent unique to him that no
one could have made.
In America we live in a consumer
culture, from a young age we are taught to outsource every area of our lives.
Food: Go to a restaurant and have someone make it for you instead of preparing
it yourself. Car: take it to the auto shop to get it fixed. Ripped pants: buy
new ones. There is joy in taking your life back. We live in an amazing world
full of opportunities far greater than what is next in the Netflix queue. Start
posturing yourself to create and let your old consuming habits die. There are
scarves to be knitted, books to be written, cars to be fixed. The main reason I
love writing is because it satisfies my desire to create something of value.
Although it means I must forsake my fear of misspellings and wrong uses of the
word “there.” It is my victory to silence the voice inside me whispering, “you
have nothing important to say."
6. Be Quick to Listen and Slow to Speak
6. Be Quick to Listen and Slow to Speak
There is nothing more validating than
when a person faces me, meets my eyes, and truly listens to what I have to say.
When a person puts down everything to give 100 percent of their energy to me
they show respect; a respect that is reciprocated when it is their turn to
speak. Plus developing your listening skills give you the ability to key in on
the values of others. Often times you get a glimpse of what life is like from
their side of the table. When your turn to speak does come you will be able to
meet that person where they are at. When you show a capacity to listen and
understand others your likeliness of being heard increases.
7. Pay for your Friends Meal
Most of us have grown up seeing
the world as a place of scarcity, rather than a place of beauty and treasure. A
world of competition rather than co-creation. There are countless opportunities
to show the people you care about that the world is not dog-eat-dog. Whether
it’s paying for your friend’s meal, a small gift, or doing the dishes, I am
convinced these small actions will change the way the people around you see the
world. By doing the small things you say, “This world is not dog-eat-dog, at
least not when I am around.”
8. Read Good Books
Let’s take a second and compare
the content that you find in TV and movies to the content in books. There is no
comparison books win by a landslide! When you watch a TV show or movie keep in
mind they are often created by big production companies who are less concerned
with enrichment. The end is to draw you in and entertain you for an allotted
period of time. While there are many books that strive for the same, there are
host of amazing pieces of literature and self-development resources available
only in text form. Be careful what you choose to consume, because what you
read, watch, and listen to becomes a part of you. I say fill yourself with the
good stuff and don’t look back. Not to mention we have the map to life the
Bible. This should be the start and finish of everything we consume.
9. Don’t Be Afraid to Go Back
Sometimes I will drive home on
weekends to Ann Arbor, Michigan to spend time with family and old friends. On
one particular weekend I was passing Pioneer High School and decided to pull
into the old parking lot. Instantly I was filled with memories. One of the best
being carpooling with my friend Alex after school. At Pioneer the second the
last bell rang… the race to get off campus began! Alex and I had a leg up on
everyone else because we rolled in his 1998 Jeep Wrangler. When Alex was
feeling bold he would turn the wheel, hop over the curb onto the grass, and
proceed to cut in front of the entire line of cars. We would pull onto the main
road and high-five, because we were on top of the world!
Going back not only brings fond
memories it also opens the door for healing. We live in a fallen world. A world
where others have hurt us and we have hurt others. Strive for righteousness in
all your relationships. Confess to one another the ways in which you have
fallen short, and you will see light brought into situations that you thought
would never change. Your bond with friends and family will grow stronger, and
you will be able to go through life knowing that someone has your back.
10. Be More Concerned with Character not Reputation
“Be
more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your
character
is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others
think
you are.” ― John Wooden
No
matter how much you spend on a nice house, a car, or clothes you still have no
control over the way others perceive you. Yet we don’t have to look far to find
occasions to develop our character. In fact, when life presents us with a
challenges they are opportunities to do just this. Look at examples of people
who have great character. I am convinced that Nelson Mandela’s smile would not
be as captivating if he hadn't spent 27 years in prison. Consider it a joy when
life gives you trials because a steadfastness worth more than anything you can
buy is being instilled in you.
11. Never Underestimate the Impact you have on
Others
This is the one that I struggle
with the most. So often I will go through my entire day consumed with myself.
It is impossible for me to impact others positively when I am focused solely on
fulfilling my own needs. When I think of this lesson I think of this old
Liberty Mutual commercial.
Even just a small act of holding the door for someone or picking up litter on the street changes the world creates a positive impact. One of the greatest tools you can use to impact the world is your words. Words have power to either bring death or bring life to others. Encourage with your words, empower with your words. Strive to let no unwholesome talk come from your mouth. Seek to build others up rather than tear them down.
Even just a small act of holding the door for someone or picking up litter on the street changes the world creates a positive impact. One of the greatest tools you can use to impact the world is your words. Words have power to either bring death or bring life to others. Encourage with your words, empower with your words. Strive to let no unwholesome talk come from your mouth. Seek to build others up rather than tear them down.
12.
Posture Yourself to Receive
Last Christmas on my way back to
Ann Arbor I stopped in to have Christmas dinner with some of my extended family
in Livonia. My plan was to eat dinner, visit for a while, and then get home at
a decent time to be with my immediate family. As we finished up the meal we sat
at the table catching up with each other. My aunt announced that they would be
opening presents soon and that was my cue. In the next ten minutes I was out
the door and in the car. When I was halfway home I received a call from my aunt.
I was so eager to get on with my agenda that I did not notice that they had bought
me gifts for Christmas and I had left them under the tree.
Look at the principles that I have laid out: Serve Others, Go to Class, Create Something of Value, and Pay for your Friends Meal. There is no way that you can do all this without posturing yourself to receive. This has to start with receiving from God. God does not bless us based on our need. Rather, he blesses us based on his abundance. There is nothing we can do to deserve his love and grace besides have faith that Jesus has already paid the price for our sins. Right now we are living in a time where his victory is available to those who believe. The principles illustrated are simple do what is right, yet they are impossible unless you accept God’s righteousness. The good news is that when Jesus saves he also gives us a new identity in his holiness like a white robe that envelops from head-to-toe. Grab on to his love. Hold fast to his promises, and you will do what is right.