The Story Behind the Blog: “Where’s the Fun in This?”

“Since you are so obsessed with your next big career move,” he suggested, “write down a description of your ideal job, to include your work environment, the type of industry you are in, the types of people you are working with, the business results you are achieving, the talents you are using, and also describe what the non-business parts of your life look like: your faith, your family, your community involvement, your hobbies. Be creative.”

I hadn’t done one of these Visioning exercises in a long time, so I agreed that might be a good idea, to take a big step back and ask those basic questions again:

Fun? You didn’t say anything about making it fun! My career is serious business, man! And my family is a big responsibility! I don’t take those things lightly.  Then I drew his attention to the bullet point describing my European vacations. That’s fun, isn’t it?

“Your homework for next month is to have fun. You must have more fun in your life.”

After spending a few minutes discussing the definition of what “fun” is (the fact that I had to define “fun” in and of itself is a very bad sign), we narrowed down my fun interests to a few creative outlets. We also emphasized the importance of tapping back into the creative side of me. We decided I should begin to write.

“I would love to write,” I said, “but what do I have to write about? I don’t have any big ideas.”

 ”Write about your faith.” Dr. Payne replied.

My faith? What faith? I’m a business executive, not a pastor! What is there to say about my faith?

Well, maybe that’s the point. Really, maybe the act of writing about my faith, even with my doubts and struggles, would somehow be spiritually therapeutic and a creative outlet and fun all at the same time. I agreed to at least give it a try. I decided I would write ten minutes a day and see what comes of it.

So now you know my story. I have started a prescribed course of action that includes writing about my faith and work through this Blog, getting mentored by the good Doctor, finding joy, having fun, and somehow opening my heart and ears to God’s mysterious calling and purpose for my life. This is the hardest and easiest thing at the same time.

Isn’t it funny: after just two meetings with Dr. Payne, I realized that I have spent the last 15 years of my life so focused on my career and the next big advancement, the next promotion, the next ego-boost, that I had forgotten how to think about life in more simple terms: fun; gratitude; relaxation; joy.  And in the process, I have kind of deferred God to a back seat in my life. But now I am sensing that God is challenging me to let Him have more of a say in my life than ever.

Dare we say that Dr. Payne was sent by God?