Connect to Something Greater

Why do you do what you do?
What’s it all for?
What will matter in the end?
How do you want to be remembered?

These questions help root us in meaning. Regardless of what we are doing, why and how we do things reflects our character. Mother Teresa said, “We can do no great things, only small things with great love.”

One of my favorite examples of what it means to connect to something greater happened during a visit to the NASA space center in 1962. President John F. Kennedy noticed a janitor carrying a broom and walked over to the man and said, “Hi, I’m Jack Kennedy. What are you doing?”

“Well, Mr. President,” the janitor responded, “I’m helping put a man on the moon.”

No matter how big or small your role, no matter how big or small the task, you are contributing to a larger story in your life and in your work.

In every moment our attitude, actions, words and choices do impact the larger spiderweb of life.

The smile you bring could shift someone’s entire day. A nod or hello could move someone from loneliness to feeling seen. The care by which you do small things could make all the difference.

Doing the laundry, taking out the trash, mowing the lawn, making a meal. We often rush through these tasks and see them as getting in the way of what we should be doing. When we take time to slow down and move through the questions above, we are reminded that these things are essential to our wellbeing and by doing them we are taking care of ourselves and the people we love most. Without these foundational and fundamental things in place, the rest will crumble.

For all the parents out there, remember that every minute you spend caring for your house and your family is an investment in a better future for all of mankind. When young people feel loved and supported they can go on to do great things, and when they do, you can pivot your time and energy to all the great things you want to do. You can have it all…just not all at once 🙂

As I consider my own journey, I often think about my life mission to restore love and hope. Yes, I am very blessed to have a coaching and consulting practice through which I can carry that mission out directly, but it’s so much bigger than that.

To restore love and hope, one must have love and hope. That’s a big inside job. You can’t give what you don’t have. My self discovery and development journey is critical to me living out my mission. I have to adhere to my morning routine so that I can come into each day filled with love and hope. I have to make time for rest and I have to say no…a lot. I can’t restore love and hope rushing around from task to task, I have to be fully present. I need to make time for connection with God who is my ultimate source of love and hope and my reason for doing small things with great love.

To restore love and hope I need to start with myself and the people I interact with everyday. So many of us are focused on the task that will get us recognition or the next big thing. We miss out on the work to do right in front of us and the impact we can make in our own home.

Each moment we have an opportunity to create meaning or to rush through. The fullness and joy we crave comes in shifting our perspective, slowing down and connecting to something greater. You only have one life. Are you honoring yours?

Why do you do what you do?
What’s it all for?
What will matter in the end?
How do you want to be remembered?