We get to…

I’ve been reflecting on the words of one of my HR leaders a great deal in recent weeks: “We get to change.” I’d credit her by name, but I do my best not to call out the details of my “day job” in this blog. That job and my other paid and unpaid occupations, like this blog, are, sadly, required to be distinctly separate endeavors. That said, let me just share that the woman is incredibly inspiring and engaging. In fact, she is ushering us through a monumental period of change with an admirable cocktail of guts and skill. She even inspired our CEO to pick up this mantra and in the original version of this blog post, I misattributed the quote to him! Recently, I heard him give her the credit and I am thrilled to update my blog now knowing two women I admire have utilized this messaging. But I am getting ahead of myself…

The brevity of that mantra and the substitution of the words “get to” for “have to” or “must” evokes anticipation, engagement, and action. That is what she intends and that, coincidentally(?), is also what we are called to do with our own lives. We “get to” engage. We “get to” be excited. We “get to” be who we were born to be. If you are a believer, like me, you believe you “get to” be who you were created to be.

A short time ago, I had a great weekend of reminders about this. First, I attended the celebration of life of a 91-year-old veteran who understood what it was like to “get to” be alive and to “get to” be him. I laughed and cried as I heard stories of how he fully lived out his life, relishing it, caring for those around him and squeezing the juice out of every spontaneous moment.

Then, my more than equally inspirational and engaging pastor reminded us of this as well, in one of her sermons, when she spoke of how we are each just as much a miraculous and unique creation as the heavenly and natural objects that we stand in awe of each and every day.

So yes we “get to” change AND we “get to” be who we were created to be. Those two things are not mutually exclusive by any stretch of the imagination.

In fact, if you or your organization are going to embrace change or even ride the waves of change – you must bring your entire self to the table to do it. That means you need to step back, in the midst of change, and take stock of yourself. Are you being true to your calling? Are you fully realizing all your gifts and talents? Are you bringing your whole self to every endeavor, every project, every conversation, and every relationship? Are you languishing in who you “have to” be or are you truly maximizing who you are?

I challenge you, today, to stop wasting time being who you have to be and instead realize who you were created to be…now get out there and be who you “get to” be.