About once a month Bryan Allain and I grab breakfast at this little restaurant called Country Gardens. Bryan generally orders something healthy (which I often predict, correctly, on Twitter), while I tend to stick with the artery-blocking, stint-inducing options such as creamed dried beef on toast or eggs and scrapple.
It’s always fun, catching up with another writer, stealing his ideas, talking through some of my own challenges. Something Bryan said this morning grabbed my attention.
Who are you burdened for?
In other words, what specific types of people do you feel directed to pour your life into?
Many people become teachers because they feel burdened for kids. Many people become marriage counselors because they feel burdened for couples going through rough times. Many people become circus clowns because they want to scare little children.
I’m starting to realize that I have a burden for people who have a story but can’t tell it themselves.
Maybe, just maybe, if you have trouble finding purpose in life, it’s because you’re not taking time to help the people for whom you feel the greatest burden.
Who are you burdened for? What are you doing to help lighten their load?
for the record, Shawn uttered words today that I will never ever speak.
Shawn, to the waitress: “Do you have mush?”
I just laughed out loud, and at least three people gave me one of those, “What’s-wrong-with-you-random-laughing man?” looks.
And yes, I did forget to close Outlook. Otherwise I never would have been distracted from my two-hour, high-quality, focused, creative time.
Thanks for that.
Right now I am having a burden for Lancaster county breakfast foods…creamed dried beef, eggs, scrapple…and even mush. Don’t forget the puddin’s!
Great post! Thanks for sharing
Great post, Shawn. My thoughts are in my blog today.
I also remembered that when I was in college, my friend Sarah and I began trying to take the command to “carry one another’s burdens” seriously. We try to share our pain with each other and let the other help us carry it. It’s been one of the most liberating and powerful experiences of my life.
Hi Shawn, I came here because of Andi’s post today. What an interesting question. I am burdened for those who are afraid to be creative, who are afraid to do what they came here to do. I find so many people are afraid to recognize their own gifts and to do them, and I encourage as much as I can to do what they love. Then of course I have to listen to this advice myself!
Great call Susan. I feel much of the same burden. We must be on the same wavelength – check out my blog today. Thanks for coming by.