Growing up in a Christian environment has allowed me to be exposed to "Christian events" such as, Acquire the Fire, Revolve Tour, Women of Faith etc etc. These events are mostly geared towards the younger generation (middle school/high school age). They are usually weekend long events that fill youth up with that Jesus fervor they can get at summer camp, they leave pumped and ready for anything. Their hearts are tender and ready to love, their ears are open and vulnerable enough to hear even Gods whisper. I remember leaving those events telling myself that one day I want to be able to do that, I want to be apart of something that life changing. Today, I came across this blog: http://influencenetwork.blogspot.com/ its a really neat organization filled with great tools to equipping young women to be inspired, its literally a blog of influence ... just take a look yourself. Anyway, on this blog I found a link for their "Influence Conference" and there was a giveaway to win a plane ticket, conference ticket, hotel room just this whole package giveaway to attend this conference. I clicked on who would be speaking at this event, just to see if I could recognize any of the names... I didn't. Then I found myself looking at the speakers and entertainment for the other conferences I've attended as a youth and that's when it hit me. Where are all the people of minorities encouraging and inspiring people? Not just inspiring other minorities but just inspiring people in general? I mean sure we have Martin Luther Kings message ringing in our ears when we experience adversity and Rosa Parks to remind us we don't always have to be the one to give up our seats, we have Oprah to give us free cars, and we have Montel fixing all our crazy relationship problems...cool. But where are the people to tell us that we are beings who are capable of so much more than what people tell us? Where are the women who remind us that we don't need to be on Little Wayne's video to be beautiful or worth looking at.
Where are the motivational speakers who are not just of one race?
So here's the thing... this blog is not about race, or color at all. This blog is... well I suppose its answering the question I know is creeping around the corner; "What do you want to do with your life?"
I've gotten this crazy idea that I want to inspire and motivate people for a living. As in, I truly want my profession to be inspiring people... Is that a thing? And I don't mean inspiring people to eat better or to lose weight...sure that could possibly be part of it depending on the persons situation but I want to be apart of something where people leave refreshed, encouraged and their inspiration cup overflowing.
Okay...Confession, I sometimes imagine myself speaking on one of those very same stages that I stared at for so many hours as a teenager. I imagine a microphone in my ear.... my bible on a stand somewhere next to me, probably a cup of some type of iced coffee, and then there I am, sitting on a stool just having a conversation with a room full of people who think that I have something to say worth hearing.
"What do you want to do with your life?"
I want to motivate people to be the best that they can be. I want them to pull back each layer of who they are and stare in awe of them, celebrate them, love them and then put them to work for something really good.
"What do you want to do with your life?"
I want to have countless conversations with young girls who think that their worth is measured in the amount of make up on their faces, or in the conversations they have with the opposite sex. I want to
"What do you want to do with your life?"
I want live as shamelessly, fervently and passionately for Christ as I possibly can. Not only through facebook statuses, scripture captions, or verse filled blogs but through the way I hug people, or hand someone their coffee.
"What do you want to do with your life?"
I want to spend it making sure every person I encounter knows that they deserve to be loved.
As a little girl, I used to say that I was going to be a famous singer, dancer AND actor with an alter ego of course...
Then I said I wanted to be a teacher...
Then I got exposed to psychology and it made me want to understand people better so that I know how to love them better...
Now, I can't shake these images of myself standing on a stage having real conversations with real people searching for answers I can't give them but knowing that I know who can answer them. I want to simply be the tool that points people in the direction that maybe they've been trying to go their whole lives. I kind want to be the push they need to fall in the arms of their creator.
I can't help but think about all of those conferences, and one day hope that my name could maybe be on a list of speakers. Oh my goodness it gives me butterflies just thinking about it.
What do you see yourself doing?
What is that little recurring vision you see yourself in that you keep shaking away because maybe its not all that "realistic"?
What is that one thing that you know you are passionate about? Where you can see yourself doing it everyday and it never getting old?
That one thing that keeps you inspired and reminded that you were created for that specific purpose?
I encourage you to really think about those things, I encourage you to believe that you can absolutely make a difference doing something that you love AND that you're good at. Gosh dang! Doesn't that sound glorious? He gave us gifts for a reason. Don't just burry them...plant them and watch what fruits you produce. I dare you.
"...I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. "
Ephesians 4:1-3
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