I've been wanting to blog for weeks now and have just not found the time. It's crazy how life can become so consumed. My last post was all about throwing out the "to do" list for a bit and I guess since blogging is usually on my to do list, I just didn't get around to it. Funny thing happened when I moved away from my "lists". I felt really lost. Very out of control with life. Isn't that sad? I feel like I had no direction for a few weeks.
Then I happened to read, Cure For the Common Life, by Max Lucado. The premise of the book was to cause the reader to become more aware of where your "sweet spot" is. The sweet spot is defined as a place in your life where all of your unique abilities are focused on your favorite topics, in the best situations, surrounded by the right people. The place in your life where you say "Yes! This is what I was made for. This is where I should be". The book talks about how most people don't enjoy what they do for a living. They go to and from work hating the whole day. They hate it because they aren't using the unique abilities that God has given to them in the situations that they are passionate about.
The best way to get direction for your future is to read your life backwards. Look back over your life and see what you were passionate about. Stop and really think about what moved you. What did you love to do a a child?...... As a teenager?...... In your 20's? ...... 30's? etc...What were certain times in your life where you can remember thinking "I was born to do this".?
"The current of life's river keeps dropping you at a particular bank". Where is that? Is that working with children? Is it baking or cooking? Is it your skill in music? Is it your ability to use hand language to reach others? Is it your athletic ability? Your ability to color code and organize? To serve others? To clean a house? To stop and listen to others? To sit and visit with elderly?
I sat and thought a lot about where I have ended up time after time through my life. And no surprise there, if you read my last post you'd know, it's mostly organizing. I also love to help other people. I love being the go to person that people go to when they need something. I love that my husband can ask me at anytime to help with something or to know where something is and I can help him in that way. I love supporting him in his career. When I had a career I loved being the one that knew how to get things done and support the ones that were above me.
Guess what didn't rise to the top? Get ready for this....Being a mom. HUH? Shock and Awe. I know! It's crazy. My whole life I was told by people "you were made to be a mom". "you are going to be such a good mom one day". Imagine my surprise when I finally reached the glorious throne of motherhood and I was like "wait a minute, this is what I was meant to do? This does not come natural for me at all!"
Being a mom is not my gifting on some days. I wish I could say that it's the main gift that I've been given. But it isn't. I'm good at it on some days and fail at in on others. But then again, what is being a mom but a mixture of gifts and defects right?
When I was reading this book I started thinking about how I could live in the "sweet spot" at this part of my life where I'm not exactly in the situation where all of my skills are utilized all of the time. I'm out of the career world, for now. Right now my job is being a wife and a mom. Then I started seeing the whole picture. I am a better mom when I allow myself that time to sit and plan out meals. To get dinner ready in the afternoons when I know I'll be running kids around that will need dinner right when we get home that night. To make sure the bills are paid so my husband doesn't have to worry about that. (I might secretly like to do that so I have control over it too :) To organize my family and support my husband and kids is my sweet spot.
The definition again is: The sweet spot is defined as a place in your life where all of your unique abilities (organization and supporting others) are focused on your favorite topics (my family), in the best situations (everyday life), surrounded by the right people (my family and friends).
For the last few weeks I've been looking at my "job" in a new frame of mind. I may not be creating spreadsheets or crunching numbers (well beside paying the bills). But I'm raising a little family and supporting my husband while he is in his sweet spot. It's my sweet spot for right now. And I honestly love it. I love the days when everything runs like a well oiled machine. And I'm learning to like the days where it doesn't run that way.
I'm sure there are those out there that love the days that are chaotic and sporadic. People who love flying by the seat of their pants. Mom's who are super creative and crafty with their kids. Dad's who can create a project for their kids in no time. Grandparents who have gift of reading a great bedtime story. People who rearrange their living room 2x's a month. That's what I love about people. Everyone is so different but yet at the core we really desire to be doing what we were each gifted to do.
Stop and think about what your gifts are. And if you aren't in your sweet spot, how can you change your situation? Or how can you pull your gifts into your situation to make it your sweet spot. And if you can't use those gifts in your main job how can you incorporate them into other area's of your life?
I'll leave you with a quote from the book:
"The strength of your youth unveils they passion of your life".
