What's Your Why?

. . . To use my gifts and passions to bring glory to God.

Self-reflection is important and should be done often. In this fast-paced world of dream chasers, influencers, and false prophets it is easy to lose focus and let your 'why' slip and shift. There is nothing wrong with being well liked, influencing others, sharing a favorite product, or promoting something you enjoy or are passionate about. When our influencing and promoting becomes more about gaining followers rather than glorifying God is when things can begin to unravel.

                I believe our passions often come from God. He places things in our hearts and gives us gifts and talents to bring those passions to life. Writing is something I have always enjoyed. Shaping my feelings into words and letting those words fill a page more than therapeutic. Writing is a peace giving way for me to express myself.

                When I was a teen, I filled notebooks with poems and songs that were a tangible reflection of my innermost feelings. In school I embraced any opportunity to write a paper and display my writing prowess. English class my freshmen year of High School was the first time I realized how easily a well written paper or article can manipulate the emotions of the reader.

                I learned how to tailor my writing for whichever teacher was going to be reading it. I was playing the game so to speak. Now that is not to say that all of my writing was disingenuous, but I wanted that A. Academics can breed a competitive nature and feed into comparison. I was not immune and often my ego was stroked by getting a good grade on a paper that my classmates didn't do so well on. I was that annoying student whose papers were held up and praised.

                Encouraging this kind of tailored writing is dangerous because it promotes manipulation of your audience. We see this kind of manipulation often in today's world of influencers and promoters. There are algorithms that tell you what kind of content to create to make your target audience click and buy.  The influencer world tells us to stay neutral and away from anything too polarizing. Put on a show. Your thoughts are great, but they mean more if you are attractive. Somewhere in the middle of all the algorithms and show the message losing authenticity and effectiveness.

                There is nothing wrong with dressing nicely, wearing make-up, or using your talents with editing and digital art to push your message out there. The trick is to make sure you are sticking to your purpose. For me sharing my story and my writing is about raising awareness around child abuse and neglect and the roles addiction and mental health issues play in situations of abuse.

                While I know all advertising is based on manipulation, I try really hard to make sure my message shines brighter than my outfit, make-up, or gimmick I may include in a video or content. Writing is a gift God has given me. He has blessed me with so many things through this gift and my passion for advocating. With this gift comes the responsibility to maintain my integrity. My life needs to look the same behind closed doors as it does publicly. This is a constant challenge because I am an imperfect human. I make mistakes all the time.

                True character is often revealed in the wake of mistakes. How we handle ourselves in our moments of weakness reveals so much about our true hearts. Taking time to self-reflect and ask ourselves 'What is my Why?' Am I pursuing fame and the approval of people?  Am I pushing my message so that people will see and give me that ego stroking 'A'?

                 It was not until college that I really discovered my voice as a writer. I learned how to put my thoughts out into the world and to be comfortable with the knowledge that not everyone is going to like or agree with my thoughts. Wholeheartedly, I believe in living a life where my actions circle back to God and His goodness.

                So, what is my 'Why'? To use my gifts and passions to bring glory to God. To quote C.S. Lewis "Don't shine so that others can see you. Shine so that others can see HIM."  What is your 'Why'?