You’re Enough
“Love God; love others; do your best in all you do, even if you fall short!” – Bethany Hamilton
Over the past several months, I’ve been helping our daughter Helena with her driving. She is 15, and she is excited to hit the magic 16 so that she can qualify for her official driver’s license.
As she puts it, “I want to do whatever it takes to make sure that I have my official driver’s license on the day of my 16th birthday!”
I’m unsure how the Texas Department of Public Safety works when it comes to issuing a full-fledged driver’s license on the day of one’s birthday, but I’m sure that Helena will do her homework so that she can be driving solo on May 19th of next year.
The Podcast
After Helena drives to Antonian High School here in San Antonio, I make my way around the car and into the driver’s seat. She wishes me “goodbye”, and off I go in her white Hyundai Kona.
To keep my mind occupied during these additional drives, I often find myself listening to podcasts, and I recently heard one with a mother sharing something lovely with her young daughter.
The daughter was concerned that she was failing to meet certain expectations with school and life in general. When she confessed to her mother how she felt, this is the response she heard…
“Look, Sweetie! You are a lovely girl, and we are so very proud of you. I know you want to be better at everything you do, and that is fine. But, as I hold your hands and look into your pretty eyes, I want you to know that you’re enough!”
You’re Enough
For those of us in the competitive business world, “You’re enough” may have the connotation of status quo … of settling for something less.
However, I think we have to look at this motherly advice in an entirely different way.
For most of the things we do in life, the expectation is that we are present in the situation. When a problem arises with our family or friends, we are not expected to break out our laptop and create an MS Excel spreadsheet to evaluate alternative options.
Instead, much of what happens in life, including in the workplace, requires that we are present and ready to help as needed.
Here are some quick examples …
Our friend experiences a death in the family.
Our boy’s football team loses a close game.
Our daughter falls short of expectations on an exam.
Our friend at work fails to qualify for a promotion.
I’ve listed just four examples here, but there are countless others that are similar in nature.
We Are Enough
Over the past few years, I’ve taken a different perspective in life.
When I commit to something, I show-up and do my work. I also ask the Lord to allow me to serve in a way that is humble and appreciative of what I can bring to the table.
The fact is that I am no longer interested in being the first in line or the person who receives the notoriety.
Instead, I want to be present and do what I can to help others. By doing so, I am enough, and I am a much happier person.
Inspiring Quotes
“If you try to do your best, there is no failure.” – Mike Farrell
“Do not watch the clock. Do what it does. Keep going.” – Sam Levenson
Homework Inquiry
During the next week, here’s your homework inquiry: What makes you whole?
I use this opportunity to share with you a unique story and a couple inspiring quotes. Oh ... as a professor at heart, you guessed it, I have a homework inquiry for you. This is a powerful question that might just trigger you to take action on something that really matters in your life. If you feel the Catalyst Newsletter brings benefit to you,
please share this link with others!
See you next week!
Dr. Jimmie Flores