Day 31. Understanding Your SHAPE

Day 31. Understanding Your SHAPE

Since Warren is continuing yesterday’s discussion so will I with more of Five Secrets. But first a quote from Rabbi Harold Kushner: “A life of meaning is achieved not by a few great deeds but by a lot of little ones… the challenge is to find something truly human to do every day of our lives. [We need to] belong to people. Accept pain as part of our lives (or we would never dare to hope or to love). Know that we’ve made a difference.” (1)

Life is about relationships. Service is about relationships. The use of our abilities, personalities, experiences is about how we use them in relationship. Life is what we do every day. Unless we are true to our relationships with God and others (Great Commandment) every day, we settle for something less than our being true to ourselves and our calling.

Izzo (2) suggests that we evaluate each day. That's what he means by being intentional. I’d like you to answer the questions from the perspective of using your true self (spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, experience) in relationships and service.

- Did this day feel like my kind of day? What would make tomorrow or next week feel more true?
- Was I the kind of person I want to be [today]? In what way do I want to be more like the kind of person I want to be tomorrow?
- Am I following my heart right now? What would it mean for me to really follow my heart right now?
- How do I want to live this secret (be true to yourself, live with intention) more deeply next week?

As you can see, no one can answer the questions for you. But remember, we’re not talking about great deeds, but the little ones. Yesterday, Rosemary talked to her sister about life, and called her best friend from our Army days and talked for an hour. Relationships. I have a hunch that when the last conversation was over, she felt like she’d had "her kind of day." And she had served those relationships with her SHAPE.

How can you employ your SHAPE in service to God and others more deeply next week?

Blessings,

Rick

(1) Kushner, Harold. When All You Ever Wanted Isn’t Enough. (New York: Summit Books, 1986) page 166 and 168.
(2) Izzo, John, The Five Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die. (San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Pulishers, Inc., 2008) page 45