The Ordinary Impact

Everything has a beginning.  Everyone has an origin story .  When we understand it, things begin to make sense.  As we reflect, we begin to see (and hopefully understand) why. Why are we here? Why did this thing, event, success, tragedy, obstacle, celebration happen? Why? What happened? (Including the main characters/people involved) What choice was made? (Including my reaction/decision and where it took me.) There are more positive things that happen in life than maybe we realize on a day-to-day basis. Our story is bigger than just us. Much bigger. Even though there are problems that occur in our story, it will eventually turn out okay. The obstacles we encounter help us grow and eventually succeed in the future. The people we encounter (even the negative ones) help us understand how to live life (and how not to live life). Everything we experience helps create a bigger picture and potentially a greater success. Too often we think of the why a...

I’ve heard people say that life should be lived unapologetically. People should be unapologetically themselves. “Be unapologetically you.” Thinking about that piece of advice (or lifestyle choice), I can’t help but wonder if that is true? As I think it through, I feel the need to dispel the misconceptions: It does not mean that a person can do whatever they want to another person without the need for an apology. It does not mean that a person should live a life without concern for the well-being of the world around them (and the people within that world). It does not mean that a person should be content to live a life in a manner that is less than what they are capable. I have seen, all too often, people choose to follow a trend or try to fit into the crowd rather than living their life. I have seen women choose to be subservient because the “social norms” of their region of the country pressured them. I have seen diverse groups of people made to feel far inferior because...