Always Finishing … January 14, 2013

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The key is in changing your wanter.

Yes, there are things I want in life, but honestly, most of them are temporary ticklings in my soul rather than permanent inclinations. Perhaps that’s the definition of maturity–understanding that what I want right now is going to change, so instead of becoming stubborn about it I should learn to be prepared to change my wanter based upon availability.

One of the worst pieces of philosophy being propagated in our society is that we should have a dream and stick with it. What if our dream sucks? What if this vision of our future is riddled with inconsistencies, with no acknowledgment whatsoever of our factual abilities? Then we’re not dreamers–we’re just fools, waiting for the next bus to hit us as we energetically step off the curb.

I arrived at All Saints Lutheran Church in Tamarac, Florida, yesterday morning. Here is what the average person would ask me about my morning’s activities:

1. Do you really, really, really want to be there?
2. Is it a fulfillment of your dreams?
3. Do you consider it a stepping stone on your way to your five-year goal plan?

You see, this is the kind of garbage they write about in self-help books. It has nothing to do with the reality of the soup in which we are stirred. So let me answer these questions as a soul who has learned the quality of changing my wanter:

1. Do I want to be there? Well, I am there and it is my next best possibility toward acting out my heart’s desire in front of a group of people who may be particlly interested in listening. It is my experience that the quick door to success is often located on the edge of a cliff. It is better to slowly, meticulously, intelligently and joyfully work with what you’ve got, change your wanter and convince yourself to do immaculate work as if you were doing it in a larger venue in front of millions of people. I did not give the congregation at All Saints Church a presentation based on the size of their particular configuration. I gave them the best that Jonathan Richard Cring had on January 13th, 2013. That’s what I deserve, that’s what they deserve and that’s what God anticipates.

2. Is this a fulfillment of my dream? My dream is to be usable. When I start trying to illustrate that dream with a picture in my mind of the ideal, I arrogantly eliminate most of the real possibilities that will come my way. If I want to be taken seriously by millions, I must faithfully finish my work in front of the ten, one hundred or one thousand sent my way. So if this all ends tomorrow, I can complete my course knowing that I put on a show that was worthy of millions in front of the audience provided.

3. About my five-year goal plan–I don’t like stepping stones. That connotes that everything is located beneath my feet instead of being embraced by my heart. Those beautiful people yesterday were not a stop-over on my way to my journey–they are my journey. Maybe in the process of the journey I will meet more. Or perhaps I will end up with fewer. But I will finish what I set out to do with the vigor, height and depth of my talent.

Sometimes when I’m on stage I close my eyes. Because I am a believer in faith, I also recognize that everything I am doing is being transported to some eternal storage facility where it will be valued. It is my treasure. I will finish it with flair. I will learn from my mis-steps. And I will change my wanter to match my “got it.”

I feel so fulfilled today because I was granted the immense opportunity to share in front of the precious souls at All Saints. After all, what can be more humbling and blessed than being allowed to proffer your limited resources in front of all the saints?

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