“The purpose of life is not to maintain personal comfort; it’s to grow the soul…’The work’ does not need to be grand, only fitting. It is guided by asking ourselves over and over: What is the next right thing?”
~Christina Baldwin, The Seven Whispers: A Spiritual Practice for Times Like These
My daughter auditioned for a high school theater production yesterday. This cannot be classified as “typical” or “expected” behavior. As she grows up she leaves behind some old fears about risk, exposure and failure. It is her “next right thing.”
My son moved into his dorm today and starts class on Monday. This is his “next right thing.”
A friend says “yes” to a call to serve his church. His “next right thing.”
A client turns his belief system into concrete actions for his team. His “next right thing.”
A friend commits to a daily writing practice. She’s going strong a month and a half later. Her “next right thing.”
As for my next right thing…something fitting…I am trading, piece by small piece, “competent composure” for “human presence.” It sounds abstract but it’s concrete as can be. It means to feel what I’m feeling instead of lifting the shield.
It means that when I am terribly sad and reach for the phone seeking consolation via text message, I say instead, “I’m terribly sad and I am just going to feel it.” That feeling has something to teach me and my challenge is to learn.
My life is not a competition to be won through sheer force of will. It is not a race to be run at full sprint.
It is a quest to grow my soul by asking over and over again, “What is the next right thing?”
DAVID BERRY is the author of “A More Daring Life: Finding Voice at the Crossroads of Change” and the founder of RULE13 Learning. He speaks and writes about the complexity of leading in a changing world. Connect with him on Twitter at @berrydavid.
