Make Your Place in the World
The world isn’t ready for you. Not because the world doesn’t need you, but because the world doesn’t know it needs you. It’s not preparing a place for you because the journey you must take to get there prepares you for the place. All too often we find ourselves waiting in the lines of positions and promotions in hopes there comes a day when our turn finally comes. The day in which the world looks us in the eye and says, “We have a place for you.”
While of course there is nothing wrong with seeking a position or striving for a promotion, I can confidently say these endeavors will never be enough to satisfy the desire we have to find a meaningful place in this world.
I am a person who has always believed there was a place for me, and I was lucky enough to be raised in a culture that encouraged me to be confident in this belief, so you can imagine my surprise when I grew up and felt like the world didn’t need what I had offer. In fact, in many instances, what I had to offer simply wasn’t wanted.
After a couple of years of striving, wondering if I should change, shaming myself for who I was, and feeling humiliated by my rejections; I decided it was time for me to realize I had missed it all along. I wasn’t as special as I thought I was, and if the structures of the world told me I wasn’t ready, then I needed to trust that to be true. I settled into my lonely place in line and grew weary as I waited. The hopeful vision I had for my future started to disappear and the confidence for who I was started fading too.
You see, there is a high cost for waiting on the world to tell you where you belong; it will eventually convince you to surrender your identity. Your personhood. Your potential. Your interests. Your needs. Your hope. At best, you’ll lower your standards and decide that living for the weekend is good enough. At worst, you’ll question whether life is worth living at all.
Yet do not be mistaken. Walking away from the crowd standing in line comes at a cost as well. Claiming your place in this world is the riskiest thing a person will ever choose to do; it will require you to surrender your comfort. Your reputation. Your people-pleasing. Your façade. Your control. At best, you’ll raise your standards and live a life fully fulfilled. At worst, you’ll end your life knowing you didn’t wait for the world to believe in you.