Alignment: The Key to Accomplishment
Why can’t I get anything accomplished?
I am faced with this question from individuals on more occasions than I care to mention. It seems to be an epidemic these days. I have thought about what the formula for ‘success’ is for a long time and usually fall to a combination of my own experience, what I’ve learned from Scripture, and what I’ve witnessed in others’ lives. Here’s what the ‘magic’ combination seems to be.
Passion: What is your passion? What is that one thing that, if you were able to do it, you wouldn’t get tired of. You wouldn’t care how much you got paid – or if you got paid. It’s that one thing that makes your heart beat a little bit faster and evokes emotion deep inside you. For me that is the thought that I can be involved in the improvement of someone’s thought life.
Natural Talent: Everyone has skills. It might be art, music, math, mechanics... I look at natural talent as being able to do something without much contemplation. It comes naturally. You feel little self-doubt or fear when doing this activity. In fact, you might find the exercise therapeutic or cathartic. For me, when I was an engineer, it was sitting alone in a room to solve problems within a complex system or environment.
God’s will in your life: This might be the hardest one to figure out. A lot of us find it hard to hear that ‘still, small whisper’ of God’s voice. We sit in meditation, pray, read Scripture and talk to our spiritual mentor (if we even have one) trying to figure out what God wants for us in this life. Sometimes He speaks to us clearly. I spoke to one individual who literally said God ‘spoke’ to him. For me, I can honestly say he speaks to me in my dreams. Some people struggle to get what they can identify as ‘clear’ messages from God. I encourage everyone to keep seeking… Matthew 7:7-8 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for, keep on seeking and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who ask, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”
The magic happens when all three of these factors are in alignment. It’s like a combination lock that when all three numbers are ‘dialed in’, the door opens. So, what should we focus on? The easiest is probably what are you naturally good at? Does it fit in any way with your passion? Does God’s word in any way seem to validate these things. Ponder these things. Talk to your ‘mentors’ or ‘advisors’. Most of all, step out in faith. The best outcome is that you ‘dial in’ that perfect combination, but at least you’ll learn a new skill, insight, or awareness of your abilities. You have more than you think!
Jeff LaSpina, LCPC