I have built my life and make my decisions through a filter that I have created in tandem with my wife.

Loving Powerfully, Living Supernaturally, and Transforming Society

It is something that we created over the span of about 6 weeks that we have found to embody our passions, dreams, and desires. When we have significant life decisions to make we run it through this filter. Is this decision going to enable us to love more powerfully? Is it going to increase our need for our dependency on our Deity? Is it going to increase our capacity to impact culture around us? If so, we will almost always run whole heartedly into whatever that is. We parent our children out of this as well.

For example, in 2008 early on in our marriage we had an opportunity presented to us to move to Northern Colorado. It was about a 1400 mile move and there was no family in the area. As we dialogued through it, we found that at the end of the day it was going to challenge all three facets of our life and was way more enticing then the alternatives. So we jumped in, and have learned more about loving and choosing each other, depending on our God, and have made incredible impact in our current sphere of society.

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We are unfortunately finding that our passions are not still correlating with our energy levels...I guess that is what happens...our passion is actually increasing but our capacity looks way different then in our 20's...we have to be a bit more calculated with our life choices as to not over extend our selves and deplete our passion.

Two of my favorite ancient Proverbs are:

1. "Guard your heart, for from it flows the wellsprings of life"
2. "Without vision people perish"

Guard Your Heart

I have found these to be true in my life. I can give my passions to people and things with little to no thought or plan. The result is that whatever it is uses up my passion and leaves me depleted at zero wondering what the hell am I doing with my life. One of those things being depression. My heart goes out to people suffering with depression, especially when its instigated by trauma that was beyond their control. You do not have to look far to find it. But to run to these people and sit with them, I found myself just listening and being with them and allowing them to eat up all the life in me. Before long I have nothing to offer them but a pat on the back, which helps for like 7 seconds...maybe.

Vision Required

Living a powerful life that matters requires intentionality, focus, and especially vision. Their is a major difference in the heat and power that comes off of a bottle rocket versus a well built fire of red hot coal. Does your life actually exist with any real lasting heat and power? I can now step into the world with a hurting person suffering in isolation and depression and help without allowing myself to be consumed. It was not a matter of experience, it was a matter of seeing the bigger picture of what people actually need. They do not need someone to sit and just listen, they need help and support in dealing with their trauma, addressing the pain and memories. They need help seeing the future rightly. This has meant I have had to learn, gather tools, talk to smart people so that I can give hurting people what they need. It has taken time and energy to do the work - all of which has been fueled by a vision to genuinely help. Inspiring and leading people to greatness is a norm now in my life. One that I continue to think about, learn how to do well, and apply where I can.

What Are you Living Your Life for?

If you don't know thats okay - but figure it out! My wife and I just got back from our 10 year anniversary trip (no kids...it was amazing). We were at an all inclusive resort and met lots of people. One of things we found is that with all-inclusive's there are a lot of drunk people...in the middle of the day. And drunk people love to talk. What I heard was sobering. Many people celebrating, anniversaries, birthday's, honeymoon's (generally 2nd or 3rd marriages), which is awesome the need to celebrate is major key in light of living a powerful life.

However, most people were sharing their pain. Few of which seemed to talk about it with any real hope. Rather there was a sense of getting away from the pain for a time and then heading back to manage it. Of course this is not everyone we met, I was merely surprised by the amount of free information coming off of people (no doubt alcohol induced). Managing pain is a sad way to live. But how often does our pain hinder our ability to actually see the bigger picture and the purpose of our lives?

Living Powerfully, Induced by Vision, Enabled by Discipline

I leave you with this, whatever your age, live with a vision that is bigger then yourself. If you are unsure, no problem. Spend a few hours, or days asking yourself that question. What do you want to accomplish with your life? Ask a few of your friends what they think you are passionate about. Write a eulogy for yourself. When you are 80 and 6 feet under what do you want said about you? What do you want your kids or grandkids to think about you?

Specifically for the parents with youngsters - life is crazy right now. Find a date night, pull away with your spouse, spend the money on baby-sitters, whatever it takes...get away with your spouse and remind your selves of what you are doing with your life - remind yourselves of why its worth it - then smooch...it helps

There are no right answers here friends! But get some vision...it will help when it gets hard and the personal discipline is waning....

Happy Sunday! Thanks for Reading! Live Big Today and Dominate Life!