What if

Am I the only one who spends too much time on the "what ifs" of life? I wonder what they will think; what if it makes things awkward; what if they don't agree with me; what if I am wrong; what if if makes me look foolish; what if...

"What if" often leads me to doing nothing. I let my insecurities keep me from living life at its fullest. Can we become too passive and settle for just okay because we are afraid of the "what ifs"? It may be okay for me to ask "what if" sometimes, maybe even wise, but I can't let it keep me from moving forward. Caution isn't bad, but fear of the unknown or being uncomfortable can't be an excuse for not taking action.

I think I realized today that if I keep from doing the hard things because of my insecurities, accepting that things can't change, and that the risks aren't worth moving forward; then I may some day reach the point that I am asking a different kind of "what if" question. "What if" I had tried to make a difference, what if my silence lead to a friendship being lost, what if my insecurities kept me from impacting someones life, what if...

Towards the end "what if" sounds more like regret than caution. Will I fall? Will I make mistakes? Will I still feel insecure in my decisions? - probably, but I would rather try to pursue what is right, than live passively and with regret for the things that might have been.

"What if" can be seen with the view of the glass as half empty, but it can also see the potential of the glass as half full. I want to live a life of risk, not one that settles. So what do you think? What if...

The Gutter

I just finished reading "The Gutter" by Craig Gross. Let me quote from the ending of the book:

"So often pastors or professional speakers can say all the right things and have three-point sermons that sound great, but the Bible should compel you past words and into action. Jesus' words are not meant just to be read once a week, or heard on Sunday morning. Jesus spent little time actually speaking; He was mostly involved in doing.

Too often we sit through church, and when it's over, we think we're done with our work for the week. That is wrong, wrong, wrong. You cannot live out your faith based solely on what other people tell you; you cannot be okay with merely consuming information. You must be convicted to take action for God."

So what is your action? The gutter you are called to may be different than mine. It may look totally different in how you approach it. You may have different skeptics and different people telling you that you can't do it that way. The gutter we go to isn't the main point. The point is that we take Jesus' love there. Are we going to do something or are we content to sit on the sidelines and be critics? Being a critic is easy. It doesn't involve any effort or risk. Also it doesn't look much like Jesus. Bottom line - go and do something!

Both sides of the coin

It's that time of the year when people seem more likely to give and still it is also the time of the year when selfishness can rule. I have been thinking a lot about this recently. Those able to give and those in need each have a unique perspective. I've been on both sides of that coin. Having plenty and barely getting by.

What if I spend a couple thousands dollars on a new TV, or laptop, or buy a new car, or new clothes? Do I need it? Could that money be better spent on helping someone who is struggling just to get by?

What if I am struggling just to make it from paycheck to paycheck? Can I rejoice in the blessings that others have? Can I truly be happy for them and not feel envious of them or jealous? Not holding it against them that it seems like they may have more or even God for that matter?

See each has the ability to give. Some may have the ability to give materially, but we all have the choice to place others ahead of ourselves. We have the ability to give grace and love. That may look like paying someones bills instead of buying something else for ourselves. It may also look like celebrating the fact that someone else may be able to buy things you can't. See it isn't really about the amount of money we have or even the things we can or can't buy. It is about looking outside of ourselves and seeing the important. It is that time of the year (really it should be that time of the year all of the time, but...). What side of the coin are you on? Will you choose to give today?

Learning new words

I love Thanksgiving week. It seems like most people are already in Christmas mode (which I love Christmas as well) and tend to just fly by Thanksgiving. That's a shame. I like that we have a time that is set aside to pause and realize some of the things we can be thankful for. We don't seem to do that enough. We are so focused on the next thing that we seldom slow down and consider what we have that we can be thankful for. Thanksgiving and contentment don't seem to be real popular in practice. Seems to be a good theory most people buy into and want others to have, but aren't willing to experience it themselves. So what or who are you thankful for? Good question for me to ask myself as I wrestle with being content and trying to love others in my life.

A few random words that caught my attention this last week - opaque and editable. Lisa and I were discussing what it meant if something was opaque. I thought it meant you could kind of see through something, but not real clearly. Lisa thought is meant something more like a frosted window. She was of course right. It means impenetrable to sight. I'm not even sure that editable is even a word, but it was being used to convey that it was something that could be edited and not locked down. This was in a meeting that I was in for work. I was rather amused because I kept thinking edible in my mind. As they discussed it more, I kept trying to imagine someone trying to eat the things they were talking about. This is what happens when a creative mind (or maybe I am just A.D.D.) gets bored in a meeting. You start making things more interesting in your head to keep yourself entertained.

Here is the connection I made this morning between this two words (and you just thought it was some random story). As I have attempted to become less transparent with some people, or more opaque if you will, I have realized my life has become less editable (not edible, stay focused here). Without the transparency, I can become more set in my ways. I become less open to change because I can keep it all hidden from sight. Like an opaque window you can't see what is going on behind it. It might be good for privacy, but rarely does it help us to edit the areas in our life that may need to change. So what do you think opaque or transparent? Is transparency kind of like Thanksgiving, good in theory, but not something people put into practice? Wonder if my desire to be transparent works in a world where most people are more comfortable behind their opaque images?

Forgotten

Are you bitter? Have you been betrayed? Do you feel disconnected? Have you been broken in life and don't know what to do? Are you one of the forgotten? Do you approach life as a skeptic? Are you an outcast? Are you the religious one?

I'm reading "Jesus Loves You This I Know" by Craig Gross and Jason Harper. Do you see yourself in the list above? Those are the ones Jesus loves. They also happen to be who each of the chapters are about and how Jesus loves them.

Just finished reading the chapter titled "Jesus Loves the Forgotten". A little quote from there.
"We are taught to step over or on top of others to get ours. They tell little Johnnie to be a "go-getter," but a go-getter is one who takes. Along that trail, we can pass up people who need a smile, a word of hope, a lasting shoulder to lean on. And to stop on the go-getter trail means we get passed up or passed over. That promotion at work rarely goes to the kindest or most compassionate employee. The caring often get kicked and stepped on. So many are consumed with their world that they forget about others. Those others who need to see hope, friendship, and lasting compassion."

Have you ever been the forgotten? Have you ever needed someone to talk to and been alone? Maybe you go unnoticed. Another face in the crowd. Maybe you are surrounded by lots of people, but are still forgotten. You feel that no one sees you. You are the overlooked. I often feel like the forgotten. Fighting against the insecurities of feeling rejected or worse yet, against not even being noticed. But there is hope, Jesus saw the ones everyone else overlooked. Those are the ones he was drawn to. He sought out the forgotten. It is what he does. It is what those who are pursuing Him are supposed to do. Love the forgotten, the broken, the skeptic, the bitter, the outcast and even the religious. Who do you need to love today?

Finally Friday. Let the fun begin!

Working on a new theory here. What if you started each morning trying to accomplish what was stated in the songs you listen to? The last several songs I heard this morning on my way to work were "Apologize" by One Republic, "Smile" by Uncle Kracker and "Say" by John Mayer (the main chorus says "say what you need to say"). Those sound like a good way to spend the day - smiling, saying what needs to be said, and apologizing when necessary. Now here is where the theory runs into a little trouble. What about the songs "Fireflies" by Owl Cities and "Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare" by Matt & Kim. Haven't quite figured out how to work those in yet.

Have you noticed when someone adds "technically speaking" to what they are saying that means "well if you want to be anal about it". I wonder how we came up with some of the phrases we use?

Couple of realizations that blow my mind. I have been married almost 18 years. I remember when I was 17 and my parents celebrated their 25th anniversary thinking how amazing that was that they had been married that long. (They celebrate 50 this next year. How awesome is that!) Really it seems like it has just flown by. Lisa and I both continue to change and learn new things about each other (Even if she thinks she knows what I am thinking most of the time, which she doesn't. Well, okay, maybe she does as I tend to have two or three reoccurring themes in my thoughts, but still...) while we still date each other and experience life together. Second thought that I still am trying to fully wrap my mind around is that I have a teenager. I have worked with high school students for almost 18 years and now we have one living in our house. Just another one of those moments where I feel like I woke up and was like "Wow! How did we get here so fast!"

Finished the book by Donald Miller the other night (highly recommend it) and have started on "Jesus Loves You This I Know" by Craig Gross. Also still reading "What The Dog Saw" by Malcolm Gladwell (excellent writer and speaker) and "The Gutter" by Craig Gross as well. Any must read books that you have read lately?

Well those are the random Friday morning insights into my mind. Have an incredible weekend! Find a way to make someones weekend extraordinary.

For your consideration

How do you keep the team approach from becoming the committee approach? Big difference in feelings when you talk about someone being a team player versus being on another committee. So what's the difference between a team and a committee? I want to be a part of a team, but can do without more committees.

If you know something you do isn't right, but still carve out that you will still probably do it at times anyways - what does that say? Another favorite of mine is when I am told by someone "that is just the way I am." So can't people change? Isn't who we are determined by our choices? Is "that is just the way I am or the way things are" ever an acceptable answer? I get that people don't like change, but to say you can't change just doesn't seem right to me.

Can't most wrongs or sin be traced back to selfishness? Seems to me if we determined not to be selfish that most of the issues we deal with would be eliminated. Not saying that is easy in any way, but I don't think anyone should ever be told pursuing to be more like Jesus will ever be easy. Probably more fairly stated that it isn't for the weak and may very well be the hardest thing you ever do. Honestly serving your desires is easy compared to trying to serve others.

These are the random things I have been thinking about today. What has sparked your thoughts today?

A memorable scene

I guess this would be part two of my earlier thoughts as I continue to read "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years" by Donald Miller. I don't know if it is the creative side of me, the part that wants to write, the piece of me that yearns to live a life of significance, the glimpse of an incredible God, or maybe some combination of all four, but this book is challenging me in a completely different way.

The following grabbed my attention and just keeps running through my head tonight. "A good movie has memorable scenes, and a so does a good life." I was thinking about several of those important conversation that I have had during my life. Those life-changing moments. Most of the ones I remember are set somewhere memorable and somewhere different. A conversation had on an observation deck overlooking a lake. One that took place on the top of some rocks that we spent several hours climbing. On Federal hill overlooking the harbor in Baltimore. A conversation while watching the Freemont experience in Las Vegas. The scene wasn't the most important thing, but it was part of what created a memory that I won't forget. What are some of those memorable scenes from your life?

What if our lives were lived in such a way that created memorable scenes in other people's lives? What if we were intentional in making our lives stand out from the normal? What if the way we choose to respond, the way we choose to serve, the way we choose to love - what if those were memorable scenes we could paint into someones life? What if those moments were like the altars that God often had His people build in the old testament? Those reminders of when He rescued them or they were given grace. What if our lives created memorable scenes that others looked back to as they remember seeing a glimpse of what God is like? What memorable scenes are you going to create today?

Writing your story

What is your story? Is your story what you want it to be? I started reading Donald Miller's "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years" yesterday. One of the main things he talks about is that we are all telling a story with our lives. Kind of like a movie it can either be a good story or an average one. One of the stories he talks about is his uncle's funeral. His uncle sounded like an amazing man. He writes "I think there was such a sadness at his funeral because his story wasn't finished. If you aren't telling a good story, nobody thinks you died too soon; they just think you died. But my uncle died too soon." Made me wonder if I died if people would think I died too soon or just died. Is your life just another movie that you forget when you walk out or one people thinks ends too soon? I want mine to be one that people think ended too soon.

Another thing it brought out was that in a movie it is the conflict in the main character's life that draws people in. Think about it, if the main character is passive and just dreams about things it wouldn't be a movie that would be worth watching. If our life is just a passive one where we don't do anything, is it a good story? Conflict isn't necessarily fun, but conflict is where we see what the person is made of. If we spend our entire life avoiding the hard things or conflict, do we miss out on seeing the type of character God is developing in us? Where do you need to jump in? What hard thing have you been avoiding? A passive life is one that is soon forgettable. What part of your story are going to write this week? Are you going to develop the character or just let it be an average one?

Kind of like Batman and Robin, but not

When you think of things that make a bad combination, what comes to mind? Idiots and cars? Lousy parents and having kids? Mayo plus anything? (Sorry Kelli, but it is true.) There are a lot of combinations that just shouldn't happen, but I think the worst may be pride and selfishness.

Pride keeps us from reaching out to others and convinces us that we are always right. In may be something as minor as asking directions or may be something more serious. That pride may keep us from going where we need to go or doing what we know we should. Our pride keeps us from being able to open to others. We don't want them to think less of us, even though we may be thinking too highly of ourselves anyway. We keep hiding behind the mask of our pride, not willing to lay it down and be transparent. We don't reach out because it may mean we have to depend on others.

Selfishness is the other partner is this bad duo. Selfishness says that I am the only one who matters. It is about what I want. What I desire. I want to control things. I want and I don't care about others. Selfishness also keeps us to ourselves. We don't want to think about others before the things we want. We close out others so we don't have to even consider them. Selfishness is a quick way to being alone. Have you sees community or unity destroyed? Look closely and I will bet that one, or more likely both, of these are involved.

So are you prideful? Are you selfish? If so, what are you going to do about it? Don't let it tear apart the good things that are possible.

Well behaved is overrated

"Well behaved people have rarely made history." Saw this on a bumper sticker the other day on my way to work. I like this. Not only does it appeal to the part of me that wants to keep people guessing, but I think it rings true. The radical is what makes the difference. Fitting the norm, rarely impacts the bigger picture. So the question is are you radical or well behaved? We are told to be well behaved, but really if we lived a radical life don't you think it would be noticed?

Seems strangely like what Jesus did. He lived a life that turned everything upside down. He was a king, but his purpose was to serve, not be served. He had compassion and loved those that the well behaved said were to be ignored. Instead of being in the church building and hanging with the religious, he was out with the prostitutes, the down-and-out, and the ones society said had no worth. So again, are you making history? If you are a Christian, shouldn't you be a radical instead of the watered down version that we are told is well behaved? Just wondering. Seems I might need to go rock the boat a little and upset the well behaved. The well behaved will be forgotten in the next year (maybe the next hour), but the radical could impact history. What do you think?

Wait...wait... wait for it

Wait. What does that simple word bring to mind for you? Does it create a warm, fuzzy feeling for you? Are you the type who doesn't want to pray for patience because you don't want to wait on the time it will take for you to learn it? Most of us probably fall in the category of not liking to wait. Maybe tolerating it at best. We are the reason that Pop-Tarts can be microwaved. Who has the time to wait 25 seconds for the toaster? We need it in 5 seconds. Matter of fact is there a way we can get it done quicker in maybe 2 seconds? We want it now and we don't want to wait for it.

Most of us probably wouldn't make good farmers. See you have to wait on the harvest. You work and you do the things you are supposed to, but still you have to wait for it to grow. And growing takes time. So you wait. And wait some more. And then probably even a little longer before it is time to harvest. (I have no farming background, but that is my understanding of how it works.) Some things need that time to become usable and serve their purpose.

The other side of waiting is that sometimes we are too slow in acting. We hit "wait" mode and never move forward. We wait for exactly the right time before we make a decision. We want to ponder every possible variable and try to control it all. So we wait, and wait, and continue to wait without moving forward. Then we miss the harvest. We waited too long to plant, we waited for the ideal day with 75 degree temperatures and a slight southerly breeze to act, we waited when we should have been doing our part to help it grow. We wait on the wrong things.

What should you be waiting on? Where do you need to act and quit waiting? My guess is you might have both areas in your life right now. Somethings are worth waiting for, others may require you to act now. So what do you do? No nice solution to wrap it all up. You will just have to wait for that.

It is pretty simple

What is the gutter you came from? Do you remember or are you content in the little bubble you now live in? These are some of my thoughts as I read "The Gutter" by Craig Gross. I tend to forget we all have our own gutters we came from. Mine may not have been the porn industry, a horrible marriage, a drug dealers lifestyle, an absentee dad or prison, but that doesn't mean I didn't come from the gutter. We can't deny our past nor should we forget. We need to remember how lost, alone, and in need of love we were (and still are). As Christians it should drive us to the gutters to show that His love is available to everyone who wants it. It really is that simple. We want to make it more complicated than that, but really the only difference of our faith is that we have been brought out of our gutters. We know His love. We aren't better, just relocated. Two quotes from what I've read so far in the book.

"Don't blame the dark for being dark. Blame the light for not shining on the dark."

"While the missions couldn't be simpler, I've noticed that many of us in the Church would rather sit back and criticize what others do instead of actually doing something ourselves." (The mission is to go to the gutter and show His love. Seems strangely like the Great commission to me.)

So where have you been and what are you going to do? Pretty simple, huh?

What your choices determine

"Who we become is determined by whether we settle for what is permissible or strive for what is beneficial." - Mark Batterson

When we settle, we accept something less than what we could have. When we strive, we pursue something with great energy. Which would you rather describe you? Settling is so easy. It is our comfort zone. It is the familiar. It has the least road blocks. We decide to accept the okay instead of pursue the great. Are there any areas where you would choose the fourth best of something when you could have the best? Settling is a compromise of what we believe. We decide to take the easy instead of working for the harder.

I like the part that says "who we become". The choices we make, the areas we settle in, the things we strive for... they determine who we are becoming. We can wish we were becoming somebody, but the choices we make will determine who that actually is. So are you just living to the minimum standard? Are you doing just enough to get by? Are you settling for the okay? Or are you pursuing the important? Is the best what you aim for?

Take a minute and take a hard look at your choices recently. What are you pursuing first and what is getting your leftovers? Do you like who you will become with those choices?

Mustard or ketchup?

I wonder which section of the grocery aisle your church looks like? Seriously, next time you are in the grocery store, take a look at the section for mustard. How many different varieties do you have to choose from? There is yellow, brown, spicy, Grey Poupon, and probably 15 different other variations to choose from. There is a wide diversity in the choices you can make and types of mustard available. Now take a look at the ketchup aisle. Well... there is ketchup. Different brands, but all basically the same. No variety. No differences. Just your normal, plain ketchup.

Ketchup is comfortable. The brands are all just like each other. I wonder if that is what our church is like? A place where diversity doesn't exist. Does your congregation look exactly like the one down the street? Are you doing the exact same thing as them? Maybe you are a different brand. Maybe they are methodist or baptist or Church of Christ or whatever, but do the people, programs, etc. look exactly like yours? I wonder if we are called to be what are community needs? Maybe that should look a little different than any other church name you could pull out of the phone book. Maybe our church should look more like the community with diversity in race, age, ethnic cultures, etc. Maybe we need to do things differently to reach people instead of offering the same type of ketchup as everyone else. Ketchup is comfortable, but really it isn't very exciting. Just wondering. Should comfort and familiarity be what defines us?

Quick book update

Mentioned a little while back (Can't believe I didn't post anything for nearly three weeks! Lots of thoughts, just not many to write about on here.) that I had several books lined up to read. I finished "Forgotten God" by Francis Chan last week and am currently reading three other books right now. They are very diverse which may make my thoughts even more random than normal. (That should scare you.) Current reads include "What the Dog Saw" by Malcolm Gladwell, "The Gutter" by Craig Gross and "Scouting the Divine" by Margaret Feinberg. Just wanted to give you a warning as I am sure these will invade my thoughts and influence what I write here. Basically what I've read so far deals with the following - Have we denied the power of the Holy Spirit? (Forgotten God), random interesting stories of people that have influenced your life that you may not ever have heard of (What the Dog Saw), the difference between "them" and you is small (The Gutter), and how the life of a modern shepherdess brings to light a lot of what the bible has to say in its use of shepherding language (Scouting the Divine). Just wanted to give you a quick update (or warning depending on how you view it) of some of the things that are on my radar.

Not sure if I will give a full review on any of these books (not really my thing), but I am willing to give a recommendation (unlike Lane and movies now) if you want more details. I really appreciate the encouragement from Sheyenne and Joel about reading "The Gutter". From the other books I've read by Craig Gross, I really like his style of just telling it like it is. I like the challenge to be thrown down. Sometimes we need that raw challenge instead of trying to wrap it up all nice and neat so that it doesn't seem as daunting. When it seems so great that I can't handle it just means that I will have to rely on God to do it. I can guarantee you that will produce better results every time. Hope you encounter some of those challenges this week. Hang on as we enjoy the roller coaster.

In the middle of the mess

Life tends to be...umm...a little messy to say the least. We currently have a mini-van with a rear door that won't completely close. (I have this vision of my wife driving down the street with it flying wide open. There is absolutely nothing on the inside of the door that you can tie it down with.) We have a son who took a kick at our neighbor's...umm...private area yesterday and now is not particularly liked by his parents. (This also being our currently reforming thief and liar.) We spend every payday figuring out how exactly we are going to manage to pay the bills, feed three boys (with usually at least some occasional friends thrown in as well) who seem to eat all of the time (You know it is a bad sign when the people at Wal-mart are impressed with how many groceries you are buying and it is just a normal amount for you. Two carts tends to be the norm these days.) and maybe have enough left over to go on a date if we had the time. Sporadic friendships; the busyness of work; chaotic schedules of soccer, basketball, gymnastics, scouts, and guitar lessons; ungratefulness for the things we have...again life is a little messy. The thing is I don't think we are unusual. Maybe our messiness looks different than yours, but I am guessing we all experience a slightly chaotic life at times. But through all of the chaos is woven hope. Hope for what is to come. I was reading Lamentations this morning (not a particularly uplifting book by the way) and realized again that it is the hope in God that makes it worth it.

Even when life tends to be over abundantly messy, can we stop and be thankful? I am learning that when I am thankful, the messiness of life doesn't seem quite so bad. It doesn't necessarily change the circumstances, but it does change my attitude...and that can make a huge difference. So no matter what your current situation, what can you be grateful for? Take a minute and think about it. Is it the fact you have a car? Is the fact you have food to eat? Do you have people who love you? Maybe you need to just pause and remember there is hope. Maybe you need to write a note of thanks to someone. Maybe you need to go wash your car and be thankful for it. Whatever it is, even when life is messy, we have a lot to be thankful for.

When speechless isn't a good thing

A couple sits together in a restaurant, but they might as well be at totally different tables. He watches a college football game on the TV, she stares out at the people in the restaurant. No words spoken to each other. I watch them for close to an hour and no more than 10 words are said between them. Maybe it was an off day for them. Maybe they were having a bad day. I don't know what their situation was. I was just observing them at a restaurant in the airport. My thought though was how do you get to that point? How do you sit at a table with the person who should probably know you best and have nothing to say?

My next thought was how do I guard against that? How do I continue to communicate to Lisa how much I love her and the importance she has in my life? I don't think you wake up one day and you no longer have anything to say. You give it up little by little. You let the unimportant distract you from the important. You let your selfishness become the guiding factor instead of thinking of the other person. Really, we are all capable of being there. We have no problem focusing on ourselves, but seem to constantly struggle to place others in front of our own selfish wants.

I have no clue how that couple ended up there. All I know is that I don't want someone to one day be watching me sit at a table in a restaurant with my incredible wife and have nothing to say. (Unless it is because I am speechless because of how amazing she is.) How do you protect the important in your life? How do you keep from living your life based on your own selfishness? What's your plan?

Surrounded by isolation

It is funny the things you can see in an airport, especially when you are in Vegas on Halloween. I will just let your imagination run with that one for a while. You are creative people, I am sure you will come up with some pretty interesting scenarios all by yourself. Here is something I noticed though.

People everywhere, but most of them isolated. IPods turned on, games being played on their cell phones, working on their computers - everyone plugged-in and the rest of the world tuned out. We are constantly surrounded by people, but I wonder if we have forgotten how to interact with other people. We control our worlds. We have tons of friends on facebook or people we follow on Twitter, but still we are lonely. We choose to limit the people we let into our world. We are busy, rushed, always have a full agenda, with little or no time to give to others. We are lucky if we make time for our families, let alone time to invest in having a conversation with a friend. We rarely fully engage. We text and twitter others even while we are having a conversation with someone else.

Don't get me wrong, I am not against any of these conveniences and ways to keep up with people. They are useful and can be fun, but I wonder if they don't reflect our selfishness sometimes. It is easier to limit what people see on facebook and we can keep people at a distance when the only way we talk is through texting. Letting people into the middle of your life or making a commitment to be invested in someone else's can be hard. It requires us to be real. It requires us to make someone else a priority. It can be messy. Much of life is like that, but isn't that why we need each other. People to encourage us and who we can encourage, people to help us and for us to give to others, people to share our lives and people we can invest in.

I was thinking about how I often hear people talk about their college years and how much they wish they could capture that feeling again. I wonder if that is because that was when we made the time to hang out with friends. You could talk late into the night with others about the things going on in your life. We connected to others, we lived life together, we shared the experiences, we lived in community. Why can't we do that now? I think we settle for less because it is easier. Sometimes it might be better when we don't know any better, like when we were in college.

What about you? Are you plugged-in and tuned out or involved in others lives? Do you long for more than the surface level? If so, what are you going to do about it? Why are we willing to take the easy, when it is usually the harder things that shape us? These are my thoughts as I sit and watch hundreds of people live around each other, but still choose to live in isolation.