Joyful Pursuit

What are you joyfully chasing after?

Everyone is in some kind of pursuit. The pursuit of success, the pursuit of money, the pursuit of peace, the pursuit of security.

As the Declaration of Independence has it, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

We have a right, so to speak, to pursue happiness, because in a strange way, pursuit is wired into us, so essential to our nature as to land itself within something as basic as our fundamental human rights.

How does pursuit present itself in your life?

For me, pursuit looks like a mix of becoming and achieving. Let me explain.

If you are fearful, choose courage. If you frequently procrastinate, choose to take action now. If you have always waited for others to lead, use your own initiative.

-Paul J. Meyer

Pursuit as becoming is chasing after who you are meant to be. It is personal development, it is growth, it is maturity.

Pursuit as achieving is chasing after what you are meant to produce. It is personal productivity, it is fruitfulness, it is purpose.

Both require energy, focus, mental strength, confidence, reinforcing attitudes, and commitment.

Both require courage.

When I was a teenager, I suffered from intense depression and struggled to believe I had any purpose. When in the process of grappling with faith, identity, relationships, and so much more, I hit a low point like none other. Not only had my attitude slipped into a dark place, but my hope for the future dwindled to despair.

At my darkest moment, I awoke to stare for some time into the ceiling tiles of my bedroom, reflecting on this one thought: “I have no reason to exist today.” The slow ebbing away of my emotional, relational, and spiritual health, caused by my abandonment of growth and purpose, led to a crushing emptiness. We simply are not born to give up. It was the smallest seedling of joy left within me which saved me.

By sheer miracle, I went from living in the throes of constant anxiety and stress, to the pursuit of life and purpose. I went from believing I was worthless and void of hope, to, in short months,

becoming one of the most joyful, purposeful, and hopeful individuals I knew, and achieving more than I had ever thought possible up till then. And, as time would tell, pursuit was only just beginning.

Similar to any fruit-bearing tree, we are all called to grow—to mature into who we are in our truest form—and to produce---to achieve outcomes which are consistent with who we are. No matter what has come before, what we have suffered, how we have failed, or what challenges lie ahead, when we are committed to a worthwhile pursuit, and progressively realize goals consistent with who we are and what we are made for, then we begin to succeed.

At one time I thought I had to pursue something and achieve it in order to have happiness, then

I realized I was born to pursue joyfully, going after what I am called to enthusiastically from a place of courage and intention, with the right attitude.

Paul J. Meyer, founder of Leadership Management International, said, “If you are fearful, choose courage. If you frequently procrastinate, choose to take action now. If you have always waited for others to lead, use your own initiative.”

What would pursuit look like for you? Would it look like picking up the phone and having a courageous conversation? Would it look like finally taking on that coach, applying for that job, or attending that support group? Would it look like choosing rest, choosing a new route in life, choosing a real plan?

Well, you heard the man…“choose to take action now.”

BLG Means Growth