Some time ago, my husband hung a home-printed inspirational quote above our kitchen coffee maker:
For him, it's a reminder to stay physically fit for his role as a first responder. He knows that he has a significant responsibility to both his co-workers and the public to be prepared for any and all emergency scenarios, which are so often heavily taxing to the body.
I read this quote anemically as I pour my coffee each morning, my mind already flooding with consciousness of the coming day's burdens.
Mentally, I'm taking stock of the tasks to be completed, sorting them like a spreadsheet in order of value, importance, urgency, and whether or not I give a crap. I anticipate the supper menu with a cringe, innocuously praying for the rapture to occur before I will have to consider it in more concrete terms.
Emotionally, I'm preparing for the impending chaos as my children awaken. Will they be happy or cranky (like I usually am in the morning)? What will be the cause of their first argument? How will I react to their incessant whining and bickering? Do I have the fortitude to endure it all with grace and loving patience?
Physically... okay, let's just admit that's a back-burner issue. While I typically rise with the best intentions for my day's diet and fitness, usually envisioning myself in a bikini a few months down the road, I also know that that resolve will shatter around 2:00 p.m. when I am either bored, lonely, depressed, pissed off, or just plain apathetic. Certainly another summer of avoiding pools and beaches won't kill me.
Today is the first day of a new year and a new decade: 2020.
Remember when we thought it would never come?
Today I had to get up early and let the dog out because my first responder worked the night shift. I had to make my own coffee, which means that I spent a lot more time than usual staring at that Churchill quote as I stood waiting for the Keurig to spit out my twelve ounces of medium-roast liquid chutzpah.
In the spirit of renewal and self-improvement that New Years Day typically evokes, I began to wonder what my own takeaway should be from those inspirational words—replacing "man" with "woman," of course, and substituting feminine pronouns.
Am I uniquely suited for anything?
My belief system tells me that I have a specific purpose, although I may never be fully aware of what that purpose is. Whatever your belief system is, I hope that you find a purpose for your life. It doesn't have to be flashy.
It's funny, though—I grew up telling myself that I didn't need to amount to anything flashy. I never dreamed of being a professional athlete or an actor or a supermodel. But now that I'm living the unflashiest (yes, that's a word now) lifestyle I can, and I'm maturing and changing into a different sort of person than I was as a youngster, I sort of long for flashy.
I won't bore you with my life story, because it's pretty typical for my corner of the world and it's not really the point I'm trying to convey. My point is that we all need a niche, a bit of flashiness, in our existence. Some people's flashiness may be brighter or more publicly recognized than others, but if you agree with me that every person is intrinsically unique, then I think you will also agree that we each have a way to stand out from the crowd.
Now, let's take Churchill's quote a step further.
If I'm "uniquely suited" for a task or a purpose—and I'm banking on the belief that I am—then how can I best prepare myself to fulfill that purpose? Am I willing to put in the sweat equity to achieve my goal?
It's impossible to know when your finest hour will come. That's up for interpretation, anyway. But I think you'll agree that it would be nice to be prepared for whenever and however it arrives, because it's yours.
Dust off your ambition today, friends. Dig your potential out of that moldy box in the basement (maybe the attic for some of you) and start putting together a game plan for how you will be the best version of yourself this year.
Don't do what everybody else does—getting beach body fit, making a quick buck, going back to school. Figure out what's different about you and embrace it. Maybe you should help with some charity events because you're really good at organizing. Maybe you have a knack for quilting and it's time to go big. Maybe you've always loved to write and there's a bestseller aching to be let out.
The one fun thing about getting older is that you learn more about yourself and grow more comfortable with who you are. It shouldn't be an excuse to be sedentary or to get stuck in bad habits; it's a chance to turn your uniqueness that the younger you may have feared into an opportunity to shine.
Just do me one favor: don't get shiny all over social media. If it's part of your niche—a marketing venture, perhaps—then so be it. No, be flashy for you because it feels good to be you.
Can we top a Churchill quote with a Mr. Rogers quote?
"You've made this day a special day by just your being you. There's no person in the whole world like you, and I like you just the way you are."