Acting Is My Vocation

Remember that you are an actor in a drama of such sort as the Author chooses--if short, then in a short one; if long, then in a long one.  If it be his pleasure that you should enact a poor man, or a cripple, or a ruler, or a private citizen, see that you act it well.  For this is your business--to act well the given part, but to choose it belongs to another.--Epictetus

First, let me note that I have never considered myself very stoic and am not particularly Providentialist . . . .  Yet I found myself particularly inspired upon reading the above quote from an ancient Stoic.

The idea of our world being a stage on which we have very clear and specific parts has always intrigued me.  I first encountered this concept in Shakespeare's As You Like It, where the jester Jacques suggested the idea as a wise perspective on life and trouble.  It is rather a comforting thought because it gives a sense of purpose and direction to our lives.

There is a sense of purpose to be found in being chosen to play a specific part on life's stage.  One must be found worthy to play a part.  He must possess those characteristics that best suit him to play it well.  In this realization, there is inherent well-being and self-confidence.  Being given a structured part also assures one of the value of his experiences.  Love is more meaningful, sorrow less hopeless, joy more all-encompassing--because there is purpose in each event of life.  Nothing is for naught.  Thus, the over-arching sense of purpose creates a second good in the drama of life--a sense of direction.

This sense of direction is the framework of life for those who will accept their part and determine to play it well.  Doing one's best to follow the natural plan for life protects us from death and disease and stress and pain.  Such is "the good life" that has long been sought.  Those who rebel against natural laws and authorities find their paths strewn with difficulty.

Thinking of acting under God's direction makes the idea of vocation so simple.  I really like simple.  Following God's plan for one's life does not need to be difficult or stressful.  It involves making each decision--assessing each opportunity--in light of what God would want us to do each moment.  We must act as God would have us.  Then we have to trust God to bring the right opportunities and help us to make the right decisions.  That is the hard part--trust.

But God has given us wondrous promises if we will trust Him, and part of the joy of following His plan is the beautiful surprising that would not exist if we planned life ourselves.

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your heart and minds through Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:6-7)

"Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.  Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass." (Ps. 37:4-5)

Boring is the New 'Exciting'

While talking to a friend recently* (who will remain unnamed), I was just thinking about what makes people exciting.  It's not being able to change the world.  It's not being President of the United States or running some high-powered attorney firm.  It's doing the small things right that lead to the big things.  The things that really change a nation aren't always the things that stand out.  They're little things--like being dedicated to God, and to family, and to hard work.

The little things that are a part of good character and good relationships are also the building blocks of a strong church, a strong nation, and a better world.  Sometimes things that look boring on the surface are actually the most exciting in the long room.  It is possible to being both boring and exciting, so I am working to compile a list of some personal characteristics that are more advantageous than we might first think.  Please add your own ideas.

#1: Being willing to work hard until finishing a job rather than being sidetracked by the next shiny plan that comes along is valuable because it makes success achievable.

#2: Taking the responsibility of learning and growing for oneself rather than just expecting maturity to fall in one's lap is important because it speeds progress toward any charted goal.

#3: Learning how to really sacrifice for others that are close by rather than giving only when it is convenient and fun or only when it makes us look better to those outside our little circle enables us to make a difference locally as well as in countries around the world.

#4: Listening attentively is a skill much prized because it creates an environment suitable for growth.

#5: Being willing to sincerely apologize and quickly change when wrong removes many obstacles from the path to progress.

Don't worry if you feel boring or too normal because you do not have the noticeable talent of some others in your acquaintance.  Take responsibility.  Work hard.  Make small changes.  Some of the things that are not so glitzy at first--the things that take a lot of hard work rather than a little bit of talent--are the really important things that make the future look bright.  Maybe boring and exciting are synonyms after all.

See.  Boring things can be exciting!

*originally published at http://chooseyourchange.blogspot.com/2012/06/boring-and-exciting-synonyms.html on June 3, 2012.

Pianos with Personality

There is a vast difference between listening to a recording of piano music and listening to it played in person by someone you know.  Recordings seem dull and dead when you cannot see the person playing.

But in person you can see their expressions, hear the intonation and emphasis--see the pauses between songs and hear the progression of moods within their choices--learn something about the person from the style of songs they choose.  You can know whether they use sheet music or not, how often they touch a petal and with how great of force, whether they sing along as they play or listen in silence, whether they are still or if their movements are fluid or fidgety or energetic.

Look at him--personality!

While listening in person, it is no longer just piano music; the piano becomes the voice of a human soul, just as the body is its physical manifestation.