Happy New Year
The past few days have been, without question, an excellent break. It’s cliché, but I feel like I’m living my life to the fullest right now, and that is even reflected in my time spent on vacation. December 23rd through January 1st was a flash of friends and families, dinners, drinks, car rides, movies, hugs, handshakes and flights. Even upon my return to New York, it was preparation for a New Year’s Eve dinner party at our apartment, a commute to midtown, live music and new companions. Yesterday was really my only day of absolute lethargy. I slept late, streamed episodes of Parks and Recreation and The League through Netflix, then watched two movies, a documentary called Earthlings and the Coen Brothers’ True Grit. And then, after all of that running around, I woke early this morning to return to my current reality – lesson planning, emailing and working from 10 AM until this moment. It’s a lot, but I think I’m getting by.
However, there is something to be said about rest and its importance in our lives. For those who may not know my dad, Steve Williams is a Methodist pastor in Libertyville, Illinois. He recently won an award for excellence in his craft and was recruited to deliver a sermon for a television program, 30 Good Minutes. He touches on the importance of rest in his televised message and I whole-heartedly agree. Amidst all of the commotion of life, it is vital that we stop, that we rest, that we reflect and appreciate where we are. As Ferris Bueller once said, and my friend Billy once reiterated in his high school senior quote, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
I am calm now. I am typing away in the comfort of my room in the comfort of my new life. All is well. I appreciate this moment and am conscience of its temporality. I am not in control of this life of mine, but I have given faith, and it has led me here.
That’s the one thing I keep returning to – the one broken record that runs over and over in my head. You are not in control, but do not be afraid. It is my mother who insists that listening to voices in your head is not just for crazy people – she is also a pastor with a strong sense of spirituality. And I agree. There was an inner voice that drew me out of my shell in January of 2011 and said quite clearly – become a teacher. It wasn't necessarily something I heard, but I thought it, and that thought made me happy, and the more I thought about it, the happier I became, until finally I realized that I had no other option but to pursue this wild ambition. And the corresponding events that have transpired since that moment have seemed so well coordinated that it cannot be coincidence. You can be skeptical, but it’s far more enlightening to remove your doubts in favor of faith.
For instance, maybe it’s not a coincidence that you’re reading this message right now. Maybe this will inspire you to reflect on your own life and personal calling at the start of this New Year. I am not a preacher like my parents, but I have a separate mission that I’m pursuing and it is as impassioned as the case for faith. But we don’t need to be reverend doctors or teachers to share with the world the things that we know – and right now, with supreme confidence, I can tell you this; the universe has a purpose for you. There is such a thing as a best self. And it is up to us to listen as intently as we can and to reflect within ourselves as honestly as we can, to draw out the amazing person we are meant to be and the amazing mission we are meant to serve.
Happy New Year to all of my family, friends, and random readers out there – 2012 will be an excellent year.
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