Lately I’ve noticed that there’s something that unites all people regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or any of the other identity/demographic markers we sometimes focus on. I’ve noticed that everyone, every single person, is working on something.
Working on something? Striving toward some goal, learning a new skill or competency, working on a character trait or attribute.
So here’s my hypothesis: to be human means to be under formation, in process, changing, evolving and hopefully growing.
Some of the work we’re doing is conscious, intentional, and goal-oriented. Some of it is subtle, unconscious, and maybe even concealed from the person who is doing the work. Some of us are working on things we don’t need to work on and neglecting things that do need some work. Others of us are singularly focused on areas of deficit and weakness. But we’re all working on something in some way, shape, or form.
It’s true for my 16 month old son. It’s true for me. It’s true for the students I teach and their parents. It’s true for Barack Obama and every other leader out there. We’re all working on something.
Let’s take a moment to pause and identify some of the meaningful work we’re currently undertaking. Let’s see if we’re working on what we want to work on and what we need to work on, or whether we need to reallocate of efforts to another area.