The quote and question after which I titled my first book is, “Are we not safer leading A More Daring Life?”
The motto of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) is Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam, meaning “For the Greater Glory of God.” I first learned this phrase in college, at Loyola Marymount University.
When combined, these two phrases form the statement of my personal aspiration:
To lead a more daring life for the greater glory of God.
I know that I am meant to become the fullest possible expression of myself, using the gift of my very life, as well as my innate and developed abilities, to make a positive difference in my family and community.
I know that I am not meant to play it safe, but to venture inward, exploring the territory of myself, and outward, exploring the territory of relationship and learning, in order to risk and to grow. And to always do so in service of something larger than myself, both terrestrial and spiritual.
I cannot say that I have achieved this because I remain a work in progress. I can say that I aspire to this, knowing that my failures are another opportunity to learn. I would rather fail attempting to live up to a high standard, then to set it so low that I guarantee my “success.”
Today is yet another day to lead a more daring life for the greater glory of God.
AMDL/G
