A thought by Bob Goff, from his book, Dream Big (Kindle Locations 626-627). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)
And we need to do what we can to find it.
Bob said, “You may not even know about these places or have taken the time to explore them. Answering the question Who are you? requires we stop entertaining ourselves building snowmen on the Surface and get under the ice cap. That’s the only way to figure out what’s really going on underneath our actions.”
He goes on, “If we can learn what the core motivations behind our actions are, we can figure out where they came from and take the action necessary to make progress forward. Not a course around them but through them. It can sometimes be weird and ambiguous work to access our big ideas, and headway is often made through small openings. Yet this work is absolutely necessary if we want to make some bold moves toward those few ambitions that will be worth the effort to accomplish.
“If we don’t take the time to discover what’s beneath the surface in relationships, or faith, or careers, we won’t go for what’s best; we’ll just keep reaching for whatever is available and easily accessible. Going under the ice cap requires asking ourselves Why did I do that? Make a time and a place to do this. If you needed dialysis, you wouldn’t miss the appointment because a meeting came up. Trust me, you need this uninterrupted time. Do whatever it takes to get it.”
He continues, “I have a friend who has taken this suggestion of mine so seriously she actually goes to the parking lot outside of a dialysis center each week, parks the car, and spends time reflecting on those things underneath her life that are driving the things on the surface. She treats this time like an appointment she can’t miss because she recognizes that how she lives her life depends upon it.”
He then says, “An unexpectant life is one that is merely on repeat. A life lived in constant anticipation, on the other hand, is one willing to do a load of self-examination. We can’t fix what we won’t take the time to understand. If you’re willing to make the trip under the surface, you’ll find some pretty great Stuff there. Some hard stuff? Sure. Some scary stuff? You bet. Some stuff you’d rather avoid? Definitely. But at least you’ll understand the real you. You’ll be dealing with the real causes of your insecurity, not merely the manifestations of it. You’ll confront the actual impediments in your life, not just the perceived ones. Why settle for the surface-level version of yourself when you can go a little deeper and discover the core of who you really are? Don’t waste another moment without getting to know yourself. You’re worth it. Don’t believe this simply because I say so, but because God does.”
So, let’s start our exploration, our adventure, okay?
Yes, yes!
