It was a gorgeous Sunday drive to La Jolla. You couldn't have asked for a nicer morning. The sun was beaming, the birds singing, and the beach was dotted with surfers, sightseers, and sun worshippers. I was a first-time visitor at a church service. The congregants were attentive, the message uplifting, and the choir radiated with joy. And toward the end of the service, we stood for the doxology. As I prepared to leave, I noticed something small and dark underneath the pew in front. It was a checkbook with a driver's license and credit card stuffed inside. The lady in front didn't drop it, and the people behind directed me to the admin office. They had never seen me before, yet they didn't think twice about me with someone's private information. I made my way to the office and turned it in to the staff. Pretty rudimentary, right? Maybe. Maybe not... Because I believe I was there by Divine Appointment. Similar to being the Chosen One. Someone hand-picked to perform a certain task. Some of you are scratching your head" ?so let's review the facts: 1) It was my first and only visit to that church. 2) Being late, I had to sit where there was an opening. 3) No one else picked up the checkbook or volunteered to turn it in. It was my task to see it through from beginning to end. Without any assistance. It even felt as if I was being tested. And just as Luke Skywalker was the Chosen One to bring balance to the Force: How about you? Have you been chosen to participate in your Divine Appointment? Are you supposed to fight the forces of evil without any weapon except your wit? Are you supposed to raise five hungry children by yourself when you've lost your job? Or are you supposed to become a filthy rich philanthropist but you can't even qualify for a loan? And after realizing how imposing your Divine Appointment may appear, do you pack your bags and run the other direction? Hoping never to attempt this difficult task. Quickly excusing yourself by thinking others are more qualified or more deserving than you. History records the story of a man who didn't like his Divine Appointment in the city of Nineveh. He bought a ticket to sail away in the opposite direction. Didn't work. It seems he got tangled in a storm, was thrown overboard, and was delivered to Nineveh. There he finished his task, but his heart was nowhere to be found. What about you? Have you been chosen to do something monumental? Something grand? Or maybe something more common and less newsworthy? Maybe you're already in the trenches and it's becoming rather difficult. Time-consuming. Instead of praises" ?you get complaints. And instead of moving forward: you idle, or drift backwards. Maybe you want to pass the torch to someone else. The Caribbean Cruise looks a lot nicer right about now. And tickets go on sale soon. Who would know if you'd quit? Who would care? You could train someone more capable to replace you. Well, I beg to differ... When you reach the sunset of your life" ?you'd know. All of a sudden" ?you'd care. You'd start asking those "What if..." questions. "What if I had stayed with my wife?" "What if I had never cheated on my taxes?" "What if I had gone to that seminar?" "What if I had written that book?" "What if I didn't retire early?" You can't replay those moments again. Once they're gone" ?they're gone. So it's vitally important to live in today's moment and find out if you haven't missed your Divine Appointment. And if you did, to figure out how to get back on course. But don't neglect the smaller appointments either... Do you have special tasks you knew you should have performed? Were you supposed to walk the little old lady across the street, but didn't? Were you supposed to hold the door open for strangers, but wouldn't? Are you supposed to spend more time with your kids, but haven't? Your smaller appointments show the world what you're made of. The stuff inside. The things that attract or repel the right people. The difference between doing well... and not so well. The smaller appointments open your eyes to see the larger ones. Because if you dismiss those, you've already dismissed your Divine Appointment. In retrospect, please ask yourself... If you were shown your Divine Appointment - something you knew you were chosen to fulfill - would you begin your mission? Would you start, and then quit when it got a little too hot? Or worse, would you dismiss it and never start? Ponder those thoughts, and until our next appointment you have my... Rich blessings. Tommy Yan helps business owners and entrepreneurs make more money through direct response marketing. He publishes Tommy's Tease weekly e-zine to inspire people to succeed in business and personal growth. Get your free subscription today at www.TommyYan.com. |
