CLARITY. PURPOSE. PEACE.

 

We all age differently. But we all are journeying to the same destination.

 

Whether we feel 39, whether we act like teenagers, and even if we sometimes default to silliness over substance, we all face a reckoning that jars and jolts us back to the place on the timeline where we belong.

 

That’s not to say we can’t enjoy youthfulness and its fantastical attractions… clothing, makeup, manicures, pedicures, beauty enhancements from our eyelashes and eyebrows to our ankles and heels.

 

But the face we fix must face reality. The heel we loofah must heel to time. The spanks we inhale into will be peeled off to give way to an exhaled shape.

 

What, then, will the mirror tell us?

 

If we walk in faith, we know we are created in the image of God and are chosen to imitate His incarnate Son. We are eternity-minded; we seek the Kingdom here on earth. We remain humble and find joy in simple things.

 

Our interior life can sustain us, and buoy our very existence, when we turn away from the material and seek what matters. Finding clarity. Finding purpose. And with those two beacons of certainty, finding peace.

 

Each of us is born into a family of origin, living within its context which sets the tone for our lives. Our values and the virtues we learn to seek are laid out in the dynamic of the household in which we are raised. We are formed in faith, or seek some deity or set of life principles which we follow obediently but often unknowingly.

 

When we arrive at adulthood, we launch ourselves into a sphere more of our own making. Perhaps family retains importance and either geographic or emotional closeness, but we are informed by the circles in which we travel… our work associates, our play partners, and our fellowship of believers who share our faith walk, whatever that turns out to be. Relationships blossom - some even last forever.

 

We may start and build our own family. New priorities, new goals and aspirations form our minds and command time and treasure. We raise our own family and inform the next generation’s path.

 

Then we age through to become the older ones. The wiser ones. We must find ourselves again. Looking at our last chapter becomes a practice of reflection and contemplation, asking questions of ourselves. How do I reconcile where I am today with where my 39-year old self thought I would be? What legacy will I leave behind? What bucket list items can I still do? Where is my heart today?

 

Now life’s reckoning truly comes into perspective. We all seem to find that as we synthesize the times that came before today and try to crystallize what we want the times ahead to look like, three important pillars form in our minds as objective truths worth seeking: We want clarity. We want purpose. And we want peace.

 

Clarity might mean asserting our presence while forming honest boundaries in relationships. Purpose likely follows our heart’s desire for meaningful moments that we might be able to stretch into hours or even days. And peace… how do we even describe its absolute necessity at this stage of life? Amidst the drama, the chaos, and the pettiness of everyday happenings, we find we can only function if peace is our watchword.

 

Let us all, together, shed the expectations life may have placed upon us, and consider this time earnestly. We have a window of opportunity to get this right. And we have the time and treasure to make a difference.

 

How do you see this next chapter of your life? Are yours the same 3 pillars as mine?

If so, I wish you clarity of the most brilliant kind, purpose that sets your heart on fire, and peace deep within your heart, always.