Rewind! Throwing it back to a post from last year that will, I hope, help us ring in this holiday season like no other.
What if we all took some time this week to ask ourselves this question? What if we started the same conversation topic around every table we find ourselves at this week? Kitchen table? Board room? At bingo night? Over a card game? What if?
There is profound power to be found in this. The power to improve lives. The power to be a blessing that someone has no idea is about to hit them. The power to scale a mountain (or perceived barrier). The power to upend the status quo. The power to use our gifts in such a way that those around us are all better for it.
What if…
What if you knew the woman in front of you in the carpool line was just diagnosed with cancer, and she is silently being courageous for her kids, though she desperately needs support? What if the family at church that seems to have it all together really doesn’t, and is struggling to pay their electric bill? What if your child knew that three kids in their class of 20 don’t have enough to eat at home, let alone have the means to sign up for organized soccer. (By the way, statistics show it may actually be more than three. Folks, there are a lot of people that leverage their lives on credit cards, trying to act as if they are fine. Sadly, it’s the American way.)
We can take this into the work place, our retirement communities and many other directions.
We so often get caught up in our own lives. What do I need to accomplish? What is going on with my family? How am I going to navigate the busy fall schedule?
What if we put all of that aside and shift the conversation to others?
There’s power in dialing the focus over to how to use our gifts – time, talent, resources, treasure – for other people. How about we move in the direction of making an impact on those around us? A simple Google search can tell you, for example, the number of people who are food insecure in your zip code (check out feedingamerica.org). What if we all grab a friend, and identify a school, or some other community within our neighborhood to impact together?
WHAT IF?