There was something about the white t-shirt this lady had just handed me.
She had told the story of Toms and explained how for every pair of shoes bought, a pair was given to a child in need. But as I walked out that room that Saturday morning, the words on the t-shirt stuck way more than the story she had just told. In big light blue print, the t-shirt read: "START SOMETHING THAT MATTERS."
I couldn't put it on. I looked around as almost everyone walked out the room with their t-shirt on but resolved in my mind not to do same because it would ruin my outfit. Unlike everyone else wearing jeans and shirts, I wore an orange dress and just didn't think a white t-shirt with giant blue print across the front of it would match. So I folded it and took it with me, but all I could think about were those words: "Start something that matters." When I got home after the weekend, instead of putting it away in my closet, I unfolded the shirt and I pinned it up on my wall. Now that's typically not what people do with shirts right? They wear them. But the words on this shirt had made me think very profoundly, and everyday I woke up I wanted to be reminded.
At 18 years old, I had no idea what I wanted to be, and sometimes I add the words "when I grew up" at the end of that statement because for some reason, I felt like growing up meant doing something very significant with my life. Just when I thought I could take some time to figure it out because after all I was just 18, I would go on social media and see people accomplishing things that I wanted to accomplish but just never got the opportunity to even explore. I am sure you can see how this threw wet blankets on my aspirations.
Growing up I had big dreams. I always said, like every other ambitious person, that I wanted people to know my name. I wanted to be successful in a way that I didn't have to introduce myself when I walked into a room. I wanted flashing lights, and red carpets; nice dresses and perfect make-up; private jets and mansions. In simpler terms, I wanted the perfect life. In my late teenage years when I started to battle my frustrations with what seemed to me as my lack of success, which was derived from my own view of the perfect life, God chose a simple way to work on my heart and change my perspective. On one Saturday morning, at a breakout session at a conference, I had received a t-shirt that read: "Start something that matters."
See every time I thought about what I wanted to be, my thoughts surrounded this whole idea of fame and fortune. My drive was to do something that would make me be famous and wealthy. My determination to work hard was fueled by the life that I pictured for myself - this perfect life. But this was exactly the reason why I was watching everyone around me, but me, achieve the dreams that I had. I didn't understand purpose. Suddenly the words on one t-shirt had put things in perspective. I needed to understand who and what I was living for.
Growing up to me meant doing something significant with my life, but how I had previously measured significance was fame and wealth. Therefore, until I had a huge bank account and became a household name, I hadn't achieved anything significant. However, now I was beginning to recognize that the real measure of significance isn't fame or wealth, but something that matters; and that it wasn't necessarily something that I had to attain. It was something that I could start. Slowly, the perfect life started to mean something completely different to me. It was more about what I could give, than what I could get; more about what I could do, than what I could achieve.
Although I haven't completely arrived at a total understanding of purpose, the transformation of my mind gave a whole new meaning to my idea of significance, and that is what I really needed to understand the part that I am playing in advancing the kingdom. Our human nature makes us want to pursue the fame and the wealth, and there really is nothing wrong with that. But we need to realize that our spiritual nature calls us to lives of purpose; to make a difference around us, even if it is in the simplest way possible; to touch and change lives; to start something that matters. Would it be nice to walk into Gucci and Prada, or Louis Vuitton and pick a pair of shoes, or a purse, or maybe even sunglasses without looking at the price? Would it be nice to have dresses sold out in stores just because I wore them? Absolutely. But that isn'y my idea of the perfect life anymore. Working on something that matters, is.
So together lets change the idea of what matters. As you read this, just like TOMS challenged me, I challenge you! Start something that matters. If it's as little as a glass of water to someone working under the sun all day long, it matters. If it's as big as shelter to a homeless person, it matters. Start something that matters, then spread the word! And remember Matthew 6:33: Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and ALL other things will be added unto you!
That's Something That Matters... As I do it.
~ ***shanpepe***~
Photo Credit Photo Credit Photo Credit Photo Credit
She had told the story of Toms and explained how for every pair of shoes bought, a pair was given to a child in need. But as I walked out that room that Saturday morning, the words on the t-shirt stuck way more than the story she had just told. In big light blue print, the t-shirt read: "START SOMETHING THAT MATTERS."
I couldn't put it on. I looked around as almost everyone walked out the room with their t-shirt on but resolved in my mind not to do same because it would ruin my outfit. Unlike everyone else wearing jeans and shirts, I wore an orange dress and just didn't think a white t-shirt with giant blue print across the front of it would match. So I folded it and took it with me, but all I could think about were those words: "Start something that matters." When I got home after the weekend, instead of putting it away in my closet, I unfolded the shirt and I pinned it up on my wall. Now that's typically not what people do with shirts right? They wear them. But the words on this shirt had made me think very profoundly, and everyday I woke up I wanted to be reminded.
At 18 years old, I had no idea what I wanted to be, and sometimes I add the words "when I grew up" at the end of that statement because for some reason, I felt like growing up meant doing something very significant with my life. Just when I thought I could take some time to figure it out because after all I was just 18, I would go on social media and see people accomplishing things that I wanted to accomplish but just never got the opportunity to even explore. I am sure you can see how this threw wet blankets on my aspirations.
Growing up I had big dreams. I always said, like every other ambitious person, that I wanted people to know my name. I wanted to be successful in a way that I didn't have to introduce myself when I walked into a room. I wanted flashing lights, and red carpets; nice dresses and perfect make-up; private jets and mansions. In simpler terms, I wanted the perfect life. In my late teenage years when I started to battle my frustrations with what seemed to me as my lack of success, which was derived from my own view of the perfect life, God chose a simple way to work on my heart and change my perspective. On one Saturday morning, at a breakout session at a conference, I had received a t-shirt that read: "Start something that matters."
See every time I thought about what I wanted to be, my thoughts surrounded this whole idea of fame and fortune. My drive was to do something that would make me be famous and wealthy. My determination to work hard was fueled by the life that I pictured for myself - this perfect life. But this was exactly the reason why I was watching everyone around me, but me, achieve the dreams that I had. I didn't understand purpose. Suddenly the words on one t-shirt had put things in perspective. I needed to understand who and what I was living for.
Growing up to me meant doing something significant with my life, but how I had previously measured significance was fame and wealth. Therefore, until I had a huge bank account and became a household name, I hadn't achieved anything significant. However, now I was beginning to recognize that the real measure of significance isn't fame or wealth, but something that matters; and that it wasn't necessarily something that I had to attain. It was something that I could start. Slowly, the perfect life started to mean something completely different to me. It was more about what I could give, than what I could get; more about what I could do, than what I could achieve.
Although I haven't completely arrived at a total understanding of purpose, the transformation of my mind gave a whole new meaning to my idea of significance, and that is what I really needed to understand the part that I am playing in advancing the kingdom. Our human nature makes us want to pursue the fame and the wealth, and there really is nothing wrong with that. But we need to realize that our spiritual nature calls us to lives of purpose; to make a difference around us, even if it is in the simplest way possible; to touch and change lives; to start something that matters. Would it be nice to walk into Gucci and Prada, or Louis Vuitton and pick a pair of shoes, or a purse, or maybe even sunglasses without looking at the price? Would it be nice to have dresses sold out in stores just because I wore them? Absolutely. But that isn'y my idea of the perfect life anymore. Working on something that matters, is.
So together lets change the idea of what matters. As you read this, just like TOMS challenged me, I challenge you! Start something that matters. If it's as little as a glass of water to someone working under the sun all day long, it matters. If it's as big as shelter to a homeless person, it matters. Start something that matters, then spread the word! And remember Matthew 6:33: Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and ALL other things will be added unto you!
That's Something That Matters... As I do it.
~ ***shanpepe***~
Photo Credit Photo Credit Photo Credit Photo Credit
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