Martin Luther King Jr. said “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?'” That’s a good reminder that we weren’t put here to park but to travel, to actively make a difference. It’s far too easy to just take permanent residence in the comfort zone of the routine.
You don’t even have to change careers to have a cause. In fact, your cause may be in what you are doing right now, with a dynamic new energy. Your legacy is linked to the urgency of your interests. How do you spot that interest and turn it into a cause?
- What burns in your heart? Look around you. What ignites your enthusiasm or stirs your emotions? What vacancy of interest or action do you see?
- What’s your perfect fit? What do you see that has your name on it? What needs to be done on the job or in the community that causes you to think, “I COULD DO THAT!”?
- What do others ask you to do? Sometimes our “cause” is wrapped in a request or invitation. Many life-changing commitments have started with a comment or command that turned into a conviction!
- What public issue needs your personal touch? Do you see an urgent need that you know you could meet? Social, political, financial, or spiritual, there’s a cause that’s “up for adoption.”
King’s influence started with an observation or experience that became a burden, that resulted in a cause—that became a legacy. What’s your cause?
–Stan Toler
