Bidding a friend farewell as she went out to meet a couple of some other friends who were not in our own circle of friends, I realized just how relevant she was/ is. I smiled to myself and told her to keep being relevant. Of course she didn't understand what was going on as she wasn't aware of the thought being processed in my head at the time. I spared her the trouble of explaining the weird response though and left her puzzled...Now to the real puzzle of the day, I have observed that amongst our close niche of friends, we portray a strong and confident personality, but outside this circle, when situations arise to test all that confidence, our response is usually a different story entirely. Why?
Using myself as a case study, I belong to a wonderful unique clique of friends (league of extraordinary gifts), where we use our talents for the advancement of God's kingdom. The league has given us something to be proud of and made us realise just how important we are. We have a central place where we all feel at home and function at our best but outside these walls, its a tug of war to remain as relevant as we were at 'home'. It’s almost like we are a different people.
All we think of is how to come back and enjoy each other’s company. Now this isn’t wrong in itself as it shows our bond and strength in love. However, on the flip side, it reveals a big weakness. If the motivation for coming home is to just be with loved ones rather than because you are bored of where you are, it’s ok. But that is usually not the case.
Yeah, I'm sure you are about to say that there's no place like home, I agree, but we can't dominate the world by staying at "home". Now, DON'T GET ME WRONG, its not that I'm against staying in our comfort zones where we are accepted and valued, but I'm against getting TOO COMFORTABLE THERE. I want us to realise that if we want to be the impactful, relevant people we talk of, then we have to get comfortable with adapting to 'foreign lands'.
Remembering my friend I referred to in the beginning, maybe you now see everything I saw in that seemingly common situation and maybe understand my reaction a little. It got me thinking just how valueable she was (at least that was how I saw it, I know its a long shot). I think the question that should be foremost in our minds now is “Just how relevant am I and what is the boundary of this relevance”. What am I doing to become relevant anywhere at any time? Answering these questions will prepare us for life's uncertainties. This post as much as I’m writing to everyone is also to myself. As for me, I have made up my mind not to be a local champion or be limited by the geography of a place. I'm going to be sharing "how" I plan on being relevant everywhere and anytime in my next post. You can join me, there’s still space for some international stars.
Cheers!!!
