Who were we meant to be? People of strength, or of weakness? Hope, or of fear? Service, or power?
I think we can all accurately answer those questions, but how do we attain the good? Unfortunately, we are often pressured to seek it in the wrong ways.
There is so much more that we could be if we truly allowed ourselves to be unafraid, uninhibited by expectations of perfectionism. It's rampant in our culture today, and it's so easy to be pulled into its lies. So here's the challenge:
I dare you to love
To love as though your life depended on it, because it does. To love fully, wholeheartedly, passionately, radically. To put all you have into the kind of love that matters and lasts. I'm not necessarily talking about romantic love (although, it's true, that people find worthwhile love within the bounds of a 'relationship'), but rather a love which crosses borders and challenges our perspectives. Love which is self-sacrificial and a true reflection of Christ.
I dare you to cry
Crying is not weakness, as so many would lead us to believe. Tears bring healing and release. It's a sign of something happening within the soul- crucial for growth.
I dare you to run
Go on an adventure. Seek what you've always wanted to look for. Don't stay within the confines of what you've always known, but challenge yourself to do something out-of-the-box and maybe even straight-up uncomfortable. It's those situations which push us which ultimately become the most important in our lives.
I dare you to try
Even if you don't think you'll be able to do it. Whatever "it" is ... try anyway. Put your best effort into it. Our efforts shape who we are in the future and prepare us for what we will later accomplish. Half the battle is the attempt, so don't be scared to tackle it.
I dare you to fall and lay on the ground
When life takes you down and wipes you out, take a moment. Sometimes that moment ends up being a day, or maybe longer. Process. Digest. Let it sink in. But then get back up and try again. Acknowledge to yourself that you hit a limit, but that next time, you'll push past it. Don't set yourself up for failure, but for success.
I dare you to feel
Perhaps the most frightening, because it means being real. It means not shutting down, even though that's often the easiest option. It means accepting the pain, the joy, the hurt, the ecstasy, the confusion, the strength that we experience because we are human. Everyone goes through it, and don't deny others the opportunity to assist you if you need it.
I dare you to be here now
Live in the moment. So cliche, but also extraordinarily true. It's when we live too much in the past or the future that we drag ourselves down. Learn from the past, prepare for the future, but be in the here and now.
Essentially, we're called to be saints. And if we can help each other attain that, all the better. It's not an easy road, but its one which will end in our eternal happiness. What more could we ask?
Embrace humanity, but strive for sanctity.
I think we can all accurately answer those questions, but how do we attain the good? Unfortunately, we are often pressured to seek it in the wrong ways.
There is so much more that we could be if we truly allowed ourselves to be unafraid, uninhibited by expectations of perfectionism. It's rampant in our culture today, and it's so easy to be pulled into its lies. So here's the challenge:
I dare you to love
To love as though your life depended on it, because it does. To love fully, wholeheartedly, passionately, radically. To put all you have into the kind of love that matters and lasts. I'm not necessarily talking about romantic love (although, it's true, that people find worthwhile love within the bounds of a 'relationship'), but rather a love which crosses borders and challenges our perspectives. Love which is self-sacrificial and a true reflection of Christ.
I dare you to cry
Crying is not weakness, as so many would lead us to believe. Tears bring healing and release. It's a sign of something happening within the soul- crucial for growth.
I dare you to run
Go on an adventure. Seek what you've always wanted to look for. Don't stay within the confines of what you've always known, but challenge yourself to do something out-of-the-box and maybe even straight-up uncomfortable. It's those situations which push us which ultimately become the most important in our lives.
I dare you to try
Even if you don't think you'll be able to do it. Whatever "it" is ... try anyway. Put your best effort into it. Our efforts shape who we are in the future and prepare us for what we will later accomplish. Half the battle is the attempt, so don't be scared to tackle it.
I dare you to fall and lay on the ground
When life takes you down and wipes you out, take a moment. Sometimes that moment ends up being a day, or maybe longer. Process. Digest. Let it sink in. But then get back up and try again. Acknowledge to yourself that you hit a limit, but that next time, you'll push past it. Don't set yourself up for failure, but for success.
I dare you to feel
Perhaps the most frightening, because it means being real. It means not shutting down, even though that's often the easiest option. It means accepting the pain, the joy, the hurt, the ecstasy, the confusion, the strength that we experience because we are human. Everyone goes through it, and don't deny others the opportunity to assist you if you need it.
I dare you to be here now
Live in the moment. So cliche, but also extraordinarily true. It's when we live too much in the past or the future that we drag ourselves down. Learn from the past, prepare for the future, but be in the here and now.
Essentially, we're called to be saints. And if we can help each other attain that, all the better. It's not an easy road, but its one which will end in our eternal happiness. What more could we ask?
Embrace humanity, but strive for sanctity.
**The timing (but not the content) of this post may or may not have been prompted by the impending departure of a person who will be internet-less for a long period of time and kindly demanded I write again before the departure occurs. You're welcome ;)