What is the Content of My Character?

Once again today, I watched the "I Have a Dream" Speech by Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4AItMg70kg). While his speech is often referred to in discussions of racial prejudice, I was thinking today that it was likely deeper than that. Near the end, he adds religious references as well.

I think he must have hated ALL forms of prejudice. I reaffirmed that I feel the same way, but the worst prejudice is any one that I allow myself to feel.  I've added this to my list of future blog topics, so we'll come back to that another day.

The question I was asking myself today was, "What is the Content of my Character?" This was fueled specifically by Dr King's dream that his children would one day live in a country where they would not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I immediately hoped the same for my children. In fact, I wanted the same for me, too.

As the weight of what I was hoping for began to sink in, I realized that the "content of my character" might yield judgments I wouldn't be pleased with. I want my character to be worthy of the judgments I hope for, and I'll be looking more at myself as we start the new year. I won't go "public" with my character flaws for now, but I'm talking to myself about specifics. I'm sure the people that know me could fill some space here, but I'll hope for their kindness as I plead for mercy.

If you choose to consider your own character, please feel free to share any of your thoughts.

How will I Change the World?

This is the last question I was asking myself while watching my Mom in the Intensive Care Unit. (For a little more detail, see Dec 18, 2010 post)

I know that one person can change the world.  Famous people may change nations or history. Gandhi decided to protest the British taxes by marching to the sea, and thousands followed him. But he would have walked alone.

Most of us won’t have that scope of impact.  Still, we can have the same kind of impact, if we will. How will I change the world? What will be my cause? Will I walk alone if necessary? Is my belief strong enough?

Even if I can't change the whole world, or even our nation, how will I change my world? Will I leave this place better than I found it? really? how? specifically. What will really change because I made it change?

Please tell me how you're changing your part of the world.

Who will I believe in?

This is the third question I was asking myself while watching my Mom in the Intensive Care Unit. (For a little more detail, see Dec 18, 2010 post)

Every person has greatness inside, but we all need help to bring it out. Sometimes it only takes one person to believe in us. That person could be ourselves, and it probably should be, but sometimes it can’t be. Our faith in ourselves might be weak or beaten down from our life experiences. We might just be too young to have proven ourselves even to ourselves. Part of it might be related to our personality. For whatever reason, we might need to lean on someone else for that faith. 

For me, that person was my Mom. She always made it a point to tell me I could do anything. Even when I couldn't believe that, she always did. As part of yesterday's post, I wrote, "My job is to keep knowing they are good – to keep believing."


Now I ask myself this question: Who will I believe in?

Obviously, I want to be that for my kids, and I hope when they're grown and look back on their time with me, they really believe that like I do about my Mom. But I think I should be bigger than that. I think I should believe in people at work or church or wherever I have a chance to really make a difference. I hope I will live up to that.

Care to comment?

How can I look past people's shortcomings and focus on the good in them?

This is the second question I was asking myself while watching my Mom in the Intensive Care Unit. (For a little more detail, see Dec 18, 2010 post)

All people have shortcomings. Sometimes the things they do and say irritate me or hurt my feelings. How will I react to those things? Will I react with similar words and deeds? Will I defend myself?

Or will I make myself look past that and see the good inside that person? Can my heart be that big?  Will I let it?  Will I demand it?

How can I know their heart is good when their actions are not? My job is to keep knowing they are good – to keep believing. I only need to expect the best from them, and help them achieve it. How will I bring out the best in others? How will I help them grow & realize their potential?

I should never presume to understand a person's motives, or judge them. I have enough trouble with myself.

Feel free to add your thoughts.  thanks!

How do we know what’s inside us without being tested?

I went to visit my Mom while she was connected to the Ventilator (breathing machine) in the Intensive Care Unit. At the time, she was breathing on her own, but she was unconscious and unresponsive. In fact, she was at death’s door. I knew she might leave this life at any moment, and I was already feeling the loss that seemed inevitable.

While I watched her labored breathing, I began to think about her battles with so many forms of cancer, and the grace and strength she had shown since her first cancer nearly forty-five years ago. I also thought about the example she set for me and her influence on my life.

I now believe that a person cannot be the same after a close encounter with death - either their own, or that of a loved one. It makes us face our own mortality and evaluate our priorities. This is one of the questions that came to me that day.

How do we know what’s inside us without being tested?

How does a person develop the ability to go forward when everything around them says “give up”? What prepares some people to be “heroes” when called upon? The size of the person inside has nothing to do with the size of the person outside. How can a person suffer terribly, yet keep a smile on their face? How can they look past their own problems and worry about other people’s needs?

What do I really believe, and believe in? What could cause me to turn back? Will I press on?

What do you think?

What is the meaning of Life?

I decided to have a question of the day as my theme. Okay, maybe I could have started with something a little easier, like "What is the meaning of poptarts?"  But this is my first blog post afterall, so maybe you'll give me a break.  Besides, I'll get the tough ones out of the way while no one is following.


So what is the meaning of life? No easy answer for sure, but it seems the answer must include some notion of purpose, loving others, giving of oneself and finding satisfaction in oneself. It's hard to ponder something like that without touching some notion of God.


Maybe my question should have been, "What is my purpose in life?"  Maybe, "How do you know what your purpose in life is?"  I would offer that a purpose should inspire energy and action.  It's the kind of thing that makes you want to improve something or help someone.  And not because you might get something for your actions. You feel like doing it because it's the right thing to do.  Doing it IS a reward.


Without pulling a "bait & switch" make you'll allow me to change the question to, "What is the meaning of MY life?"  I've decided that I have a lot of things I want to do in the time I have left, and I need to be a little more active in doing them.  I don't think I have just one purpose, but having a purpose, or "cause" isn't hard.  What's hard is getting your purpose turned into values, and your values into priorities, and your priorities into actions.


That's my take for today.  Please help me by sharing your views.


thanks!