Set Apart

Do not free a camel of the burden of his hump; you may be freeing him from being a camel.

G. K. Chesterton

When was the last time you considered your uniqueness? Consider for a moment that there are about 327 million people in the United States and there is only one you. There are over 7.5 billion people on the planet and there is still only one you. You are singular, unique in all of the known, and likely unknown, universe. That is pretty amazing.

Let’s walk this path a bit further. Look in the mirror. That face is yours alone. The contours, lines, colors, expressions, and even imperfections are yours alone. Yours. Behind those eyes are hopes, dreams, fears, and memories that belong only to you. In those hands and in that mind are capabilities that belong to you alone. No one brings them all together quite like you. Think about it all and that too is yours. No one else thinks quite like you do. Only you can look into that mirror and see what you see.

A Specialist

You are a specialist, a highly trained expert. You have a specific mission and were purpose-built for it. No one else can complete it for you. No one else has the right stuff. You are the only person in the universe who can live your life. The only sentient being capable of being you and taking up that space in the universe that is uniquely yours. You will be the only person to ever leave your fingerprints on anything. What an awesome responsibility!

With all of that mind, what is it that you are supposed to be doing? If we are purpose-built to a specific mission, what is that mission? Think about that for a moment. Is it unclear to you? What if you knew exactly what your mission was?

Imagine waking up today, you found a folder laying on your nightstand. In that folder are the details of your mission clearly spelled out. Now, there is no mystery. There are no gaps. Reading the brief, you know precisely what your objectives are and the deadlines for each one. With clarity and focus, you can walk into your life with certainty and confidence. With that kind of clarity, even the hard choices would be easier. After all, they are simply one more part of completing your mission.

Alas, when you woke up this morning, that folder was not laying on your nightstand. All you’ve got are a few fuzzy remnants from a night of dreams and a lifetime of trial and error. Sure, you have your old hopes and dreams floating about but they sit beyond today. The day before you has only the expectation of a specific schedule and the uncertainty of surprises that surrounds our existence. Still, even within the uncertainty, there is one nagging constant: your singularity.

The Call

In the midst of all of our uniqueness and the uncertainty that surrounds its purpose, what keeps us going? Why do we aspire or seek? Why do we so often feel stuck? There is a persistent call. We know it’s there; the quiet whisper. It echoes through our days and waits, impatiently, through our nights. We may choose to ignore it. We may hide from it. But there it remains, saying, “You’re not done.”

Wherever we are in our life, the call continues because we are called to more. But more of what? More of us. More of who we are and who we might be. We are made for more and we will continue to feel incomplete, unfulfilled, and dissatisfied until we respond. We don’t need to execute perfectly or achieve in a certain way. We must walk our path, use our talents, and work toward that best version of ourselves in all that we do. There is no arrival in this journey, it is a way of life. 

You are set apart. You are unique. Only you can fulfill your special mission. Only you can live your life in the way it’s supposed to be lived. There is no field manual. There is no user guide. You only have that distinct combination of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual elements that sets you apart from every other person on this planet. You just have to figure out how best to use them.

The Right Direction

Fortunately, we are given a compass. It is a special compass that helps us discern the right direction, if we choose to follow it. We are also given others who appear in our life to help us along the way. We may be set apart but we are never alone. Unless we choose to be. Curiously, it doesn’t have to be difficult to find our way. Make no mistake, it will be challenging whichever direction we take. But finding our path doesn’t need to be elusive. There will always be signs along the way, if we choose to see and to listen.

What is the right direction? Look. What should you be doing? Listen. Remember all of the unique gifts that make you who you are. Now, go out and use them. Be a force for good. Be a light in this world. You are called to more. Choose to listen. Walk the path that is only yours. Be bold and faithful. Trust that you have all you that you need and give fully of yourself. In this way, you will fulfill your purpose. Here, you will find the joy of fulfillment.

Don’t stop seeking. Eyes forward. Chin up. Keep walking.