Robert’s life direction

For Robert Pinkston, life is busy but life is good.

For example, he recently flew to Haiti to volunteer in an orphanage, traveled to North Carolina to help his son, Zachary, get set up at university, and moved his wife, Sharon, and three girls to a new temporary home.

At the same time, he is preparing to launch a new collegiate church plant in Quebec at Bishop’s University.

Purpose. Focus. Energy. Direction. People tend to pick up speed when they are moving towards a clear destination – when they are going somewhere that matters.

His household buzzes with activity as he sits down to grab a quick lunch on his front porch in Lennoxville, Quebec. It is a warm summer day. Sure enough, the phone rings. This time it is Hulio, the head soccer coach at the University of Sherbrooke and a friend. As the assistant coach of the team, Robert quickly flips into French and talks about the upcoming game against Carlton University in Ottawa.

Paying attention to your life

A brief thought on a busy day:

Many things in this world will make you feel like your life doesn’t really matter. But it does. You might not be able to see and measure the difference that you make. But you do make a difference. You will make a difference.

So pay attention to your life. Try to make the best use of your life that you possibly can. Invest it wisely. Make it count. To borrow a phrase from a video linked to the previous post, “Give us what you have got!”

With that in mind, can you think of one specific and practical step you have recently taken in order to pursue your God-given potential and become all that you were intended to be? Would you feel comfortable telling people about it here at Career & Life Direction? Why don’t you take a moment to write down what you have recently decided to do and how you think it might fit with your larger life purpose. Send it on in. Here is the magical contact form.

And here are a few bizarre examples to get you thinking:

“Moving to the moon has been a long-term dream of mine. As I write this, I am half way up Mount Everest on my quest to get a little bit closer to my desired destination. The view up here is fantastic!”

“Joining a nudist colony has always been the only thing I really wanted to do with my life. The only problem is that where I live it is way too cold. But I have just decided to completely stop walking and drive absolutely everywhere I go in an attempt to accelerate global warming. Now if only I could figure out what to do about all the mosquitoes.”

“I recently decided to go back to school. And for no reason in particular. More or less just because. You see, I got a new VISA card to add to my collection and needed to find a way to spend the money. Your website has been a true inspiration in my life. Keep up the good work.”

Your comments will, of course, be much more inspirational. Feel free to include your name, city, country, and your brief written contribution to the cause.

And you never know. You just might encourage someone else to take the next significant step in their life.

Defining your destiny

The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker could have been known as, say, the Red-headed Headbanger or Jackhammer. Just imagine selling your old moped, trading in your scooter, and getting a Harley.

Oh yeah, in a moment – with a stroke of a pen – things could have been different for this poor little bird. Much different. A whole lot better. Exit disrespect and humiliation. Enter attitude and excitement, strength and determination. And either label would have worked; both would have been accurate descriptions. Different focus. Same bird.

Might be a moral to this tree-top story for a few creatures on the ground below.

Yes, as this tale is still mournfully told in the YBS community, some birdie had to stick their big, bright, yellow, belly right out there for everyone to see. There they were, strutting their stuff, standing in front of the naming committee on that fateful day. Plump and preoccupied; focused and fixated on one aspect of their appearance. Of all things. No mention of character or any positive personal qualities, just colour and size. For far too long I am the colour yellow and I have a great big belly! had been playing over and over in their tiny bird brain – really loud.

So much for positive and accurate self-talk. So much for illuminating self-understanding. So much for the future of our feathered friends.

To be sure, this muddled message had shaped their thinking over the years. Some tried to trace it right back to nest. Others blamed it on a few head-first crash landings back in the flight training days. And there was that recent high-speed incident with the window. Either way, this entrenched self-understanding would now – to a large extent – determine their direction and define their destiny. Yes, Name Day turned out to be one sad day in woodpecker world history. As the spotlight shone down, during an awkward moment of silence, things went from bad to worse:

“And what do you like to do in your spare time…Yellow-belly?”

“Soaring high in the sky with the eagles” would have been a good response. If only. “Hanging out with my California Condor friends” could have worked too. “Practicing my Meadowlark imitation” might have been an improvement. “Doing Kingfisher dives” would have caught the attention of the judges. Communicating an association with a few rock stars in the bird community was one obvious option. Standing next to some birdie with perceived stellar status was a standard strategy. The Red-capped Burgereaters did it all the time.

But this too was second-best. It would have been even better, so the YBS historians say, if Mr. or Mrs. or Miss. Yellow-belly would have said something more revealing about themselves. Preferably something about what made them unique – even special – in the larger community of creatures. Something that made them stand out in some way even among other creatures in the sky.

Sucking sap. Was that it? Did that phrase really define their identity? It does now.

And for generations now, young birds in Yellow-belly Sapsucker school have been given the following essay topic: “What our distant relatives should have said.”

Wings are even better, but words can help you fly.

Putting problems in perspective

It is playing even now as I write: that same old CD I have been listening to almost every day now for the past five months. I must have listened to this set of songs close to 150 times. And since you asked, yes, I am still enjoying it and plan on continuing with my lovely listening tradition at least until the end of April. The sad reality is that we will be moving then, and unfortunately this CD came with the house.

Not everyone around is quite as enthusiastic about this degree of repetition. If you happen to be familiar with any unflattering psychological terms (e.g. obsessive-compulsive, etc.) that might describe such excessive behavior, someone I know – not to mention any names – would be happy to hear from you. For after casually suggesting that I might need to buy my own copy now, I discovered that could be grounds for divorce. Some people just have no appreciation for good music. Of course, I am kidding.

Potential roadblocks

Close to thirteen years ago, Jason Lang went for an early morning drive with his father in Tabor, a small town in western Canada. You see, he had recently purchased an older Camaro and was up early on the morning of April 28th learning how to drive a standard. His dad, Dale, gave him a quick driving lesson, and then he was off to high school. It was Wednesday. It was just another day. Or so it seemed.

It has been almost thirteen years since Jason was standing in a hallway at W.R. Meyers High School with a friend, when a troubled young man appeared with a gun. And it was loaded. Before they realized what was happening, and had time to react, shots rang out and they both fell. But Jason would never get up. An ambulance came quickly and he was rushed to the hospital, but he died later that day. It was his older brother’s birthday. Jason was only seventeen.

A quest for clarity

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At first glance, “Raise a Little Hell” by the Canadian band Trooper has to be one of my all-time least favorite songs. And for obvious reasons, I suppose. For I am much more into heaven-raising than hell-raising.

But more than that, part of the problem with this particular song is that it is crafted well enough to have a musical hook; it seems to be designed to draw people in. Usually this is a good thing. In this case, however, once you are in, listening, alert…there doesn’t immediately appear to be much of value to hear – except the same old line over and over and over again. Which could make for a dull, boring, song.

On the surface, it is also disappointing. There is a sense of wasted potential. It could have been good. Or considerably better, anyway. A celebration song. An energetic anthem, perhaps, to liven people up and rally the troops for a worthwhile cause, etc. Or at least an inspirational beach-walking song if nothing else (e.g. “Find a pretty shell. Find a pretty shell. Find a pretty shell. Hey!”). A little on the loud side for a peaceful beach setting, but a lyrical improvement nonetheless. Anything would be, you might think. Anything except maybe “Let Viterra Sell.”

Do you have a clear view of yourself?

Helen Keller experienced it. Mozart did too. The apostle Paul had to deal with it. And then there was Moses. They all had to live with significant, and even serious, problems and limitations.

They couldn’t hear or see or talk – or at least not very well. They had obvious problems. Limits. It must have been embarrassing and frustrating, difficult and depressing. No, they probably didn’t like it. Not one bit. It must have felt like more than they could manage; it was too much at times. But, they had to learn how to limp along and make do. They had to keep on trying and living just the same. And do you know what? So do you.

But be encouraged. Most everyone has to face something painful and difficult – that just will not go away. If it isn’t in the past it will be in the future. Weakness has a way of making itself known. And it isn’t just you. No, you are not alone. The “beautiful” people have issues to. The healthy aren’t whole in every way. Your friend or co-worker who appears to be popular and successful is limited somehow. Count on it. Learn to look beyond the surface. Nobody has it all together, or at least not for long. Everyone is messed-up and mixed-up and lacking to some extent. When Mr. Wonderful gets home and is all alone…the cracks begin to show.

Personality and problems galore

Your personality will make a big difference in terms of how you view life. Attitude is also important, to be sure. Early childhood influences count. Family relationships matter. Friends can shape your thinking. Lots of things can make a difference in your perspective. If, however, you find yourself naturally focusing on what is wrong with the world (and there is a lot to focus on) rather than on what is right with it…realize that this could be, in part, because of your personality.

Sanguines are often so focused on enjoying people that they hardly notice problems. Cholerics are just too busy running things and making stuff happen to care. Phlegmatics notice, but because of their easy-going nature problems are no big deal. Hakuna matata! But, some melancholics reading this and notice and notice – everything that is wrong everywhere – and your thinking is clouded by anxiety. Stress is your constant companion. Worry is your middle name. And something is going to snap someday.

Thanks for visiting

This is a brief note to thank all who have taken the time to visit this website. This site is intended to be a resource that will help you, in some small way, to move ahead in your life. Whether you live in Canada or the USA or Europe or Africa or Asia, etc., I hope this online service has been an encouragement to you. May I encourage you to act on whatever significant insights you feel that you have gained from your time spent here so far. Reflection is all fine and good, but, in the end, action is what really matters.

God bless,

norwegiansoul

Relationships and the Trinity

If you happen to be looking for advice specifically about relationships, it wouldn’t hurt to begin by reflecting on the Trinity. That would be the three-in-one and one-in-three word used to describe God by most Christian people who speak English.

This suggestion, by the way, is nothing new and not at all original with me. Look into it, and you will find a small army of academics talking about it constantly. And it makes sense to reflect on such things; that is, if you have come to the realization that God is best described as a trinity. For here you will find an example of an ideal relationship.

Notice, that I didn’t say you should try to completely understand it. Even thinking about a little piece of this world, or part of reality, for too long will blow your mind. Don’t believe me? Give it a try. Very little that appears to be simple and self-evident actually is.

Getting advice while growing up

Thomas didn’t understand what was going on. Resistance, a feeling of resistance, was growing deep inside. But resistance to what? He didn’t know. Couldn’t seem to put his finger on it. It was almost as if a wall was being built around his identity; perhaps a boundary was being defined. Whatever it was, something had changed. As a teenager and now even more as a young adult there had been a shift in his thinking, in his feeling. Was this the beginning of a bad attitude or just part of growing up? He wasn’t sure.

Ellen felt the same way. She found herself pulling back as of late. Like a spring that was being compressed she was was getting ready. But ready for what? It was hard to say. One thing was clear though: her thoughts, her feelings, her preferences, her interests, here opinions, and her convictions were beginning to take shape. What had been presented or imposed from the outside, by others, was meeting with resistance on the inside now. Restless, she felt so restless and just wanted to get away. She needed some space to come alive, some room to breath. Why did she feel this way? Was this normal?