Silent but Violent
As Chris and I have entered the world of podcasts, one of my recent assignments was to begin to listen to a variety of podcasts to continue learning and improving. One particular episode that I listened to by Andy Stanley mentioned the idea of an unworthy goal.I started thinking about the idea. Some people are very goal-oriented. Others are not. But few of us ever consider if the goal we’re striving for is a worthy or unworthy goal.The more this idea rolled around in my head, the more convinced I became that not only is it important to consider if a goal is unworthy, but it’s also important to identify any goals that have gone unspoken. Many people who say they don't have goals actually do. However, these goals haven’t made it to our lips, let alone a piece of paper or a keyboard.
So, what are your unspoken goals?
Are you hoping to fit into a particular group? Are you expecting a certain level of income? Are you disappointed if you can't go on the vacation that everybody else appears to be going on? Do you desire for your children to have a certain level of acceptance or success?Unspoken goals can be both positive and negative. What parent doesn't want her child to have the lead in the play, or to be the star on the team? Perhaps you imagine being someone who gives lavishly or runs marathons? In your mind, do you imagine living in a certain city or running a specific ministry? Have you dreamed of adopting a house full of children?Do you see where I'm going? We must first identify our silent goals. It’s only if we speak them that we can then determine if they’re goals worthy of pursuing.Regardless of your season of life, I challenge you to do a brain dump. Use your voice memo, find a piece of paper, or open a new Word document and get to work. Perhaps interacting with the following statements and questions can help pull unspoken goals out of you:Finish the thoughts….
- One thing that I long to do is …
- I don’t think I’ll ever be satisfied if I don’t …
- I’d be disappointed if …
- One day I want to …
- I really want my children to …
- I’d know I’m a success if …
- I’d feel content if …
- I know I was meant to …
Unspoken goals have the same danger as unspoken expectations. They set us up for disappointment. Something in the silence keeps them from being considered. The longing sits below the surface and can never receive the attention it deserves to determine if it’s worth putting our energy towards or not.Start your list and join me next week as we consider how to know if a goal is worth pursuing. twitter | facebook