NOT Waiting on the World

As I was sitting at a red light, John Mayer’s Waiting on the World to Change came on the radio. It began to make me think. What motivates us to change things and why should we wait? My conclusion is passion or “zeal.” Zeal is described by Webster’s Dictionary as an, “eagerness and ardent interest in pursuit of something.”

Motivation is an interesting and often unstable human drive. It requires setting realistic goals and dealing with setbacks and sidetracks. Once the initial thrill of a decision is over, it is not so easy to make the effort to keep going. In the past few years I have lost my passion and become lazy, and I did not even know it. Instead of aggressively pursuing my dreams, I have been waiting for opportunities to come to me.

When I was younger, without children, learning and experiencing new things, zeal was easy, and I was motivated to change the world. I could not understand people who became complacent and were no longer excited about life. People said I would settle down once I had a little more experience with disappointment and defeat. I disagreed then, and I hope to always disagree.

Zeal and passion that cannot survive the disappointments and defeats we encounter will become laziness that prevents us from making a difference. Being zealous and having a passionate spirit are necessary to change the world, but laziness can creep in and quenches our spirit.

As a mom, I cannot be everything to everyone. (BTW, this is daily struggle of mine.) I understand that people and circumstances can distract me – most of the time unintentionally. I know I need to recharge and not try to be the Energizer bunny. I was talking to an older lady recently who treats herself to tea at a nice local resort and enjoys a book in the quiet lobby. It refreshes her and gives her time alone to reflect on life 🙂

I need to learn to make time for myself. Since I have had two kids, I have become a “home body,” and I put a lot of my focus on my children. I am sorry, honey. It is easier to put the focus on them than myself because it is exhausting volunteering and serving others. But in the end, my children are going to leave home, and what will I have? Where will my time and energy go?

At the end of the day, I am a mother, a wife, but most of all I am Jennifer who is “fearfully and wonderfully made.” My dreams are my dreams. I need to not lose sight of my purpose. There are people who need me, and in the end, they will bless me more than I bless them.

Even though I get tired physically, spiritually and emotionally, I want to remain zealous and passionate. I want to change the world. I want to be zealous, even if it takes me a little longer and I have to go a little slower. Life is too short to be lazy. The world is ending, and I am not getting any younger. And, I do not want to be a spectator. I do NOT want to wait for the world to change. I want to be a part of it.