At some point last weekend, my mom asked my dad and I this question: "Are you defined by what you do?" Good question. My mom has a habit of engaging our family in very deep and philosophical conversations. I'm not sure if I know what I think about my mom's question. I guess my answer would have to be "sort of", which I know is a very easy, safe, middle-of-the-road answer. I definitely think that other people's perceptions of who we are is very much molded by what we do, our actions and activities. However, I think that the very essence of who we are, the core of our identity is not even something that can be physically measured or determined. I think that who we are will be revealed by our actions; however, not neccessarily in what we do, but how we do.
How does this affect me?
I am a college student. But how do I do college? Well, I'm a slacker. I procrastinate, and do the least amount of work neccessary for me to keep my scholarships. I only read about 1/4 of the reading required of me; again only that which is neccessary to make the grade. You may be thinking "that's completely normal", I know. I have entertained those thoughts in pursuit of some sort of apathetic justification of my actions. Do I want to be defined as "completely normal"? Do you?
I am a son. I am a brother. I am a grandson. I am a singer. I am a writer. I am a friend. I am a leader. I am a Christ follower. I work at a newspaper. I sing on a worship team. I listen to music constantly.
How do I do all of these things? Well to be quite frank, for quite a while I've been doing everything rather half-you know what. I don't want to be defined as normal. I don't want to be defined as good. I want to be defined as someone who does everything with passionate excellence.
May I live a life worthy of the calling I have recieved.
Just a few "random thoughts"!
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3 comments:
Sounds like "Extreme Makeover: Brett Edition" is really getting started. Keep sharing. Hope all is well at the Newspaper. I'm totaly stoked for you with that.
A conflict that people often face is the question of whether to do or to be. Of course, we have to both do and be. Nonetheless, there are conflicts there, one of them stated explicitly in one of my favorite pieces of literature, Ursula K. LeGuin's Earthsea books.
"perceptions of who we are is very much molded by what we do"
"is" needs to be "are" :) I love you Brett and you bring up some really good points here, but you and I both know that it wouldn't be fitting for an Engl. major to read another Engl. major's blog and not proofread. :)
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