April 16, 2026- Where we never looked

If you think life‘s purpose needs to hit you like a lightning bolt, you’ll overlook the little day-to-day things that fascinate you.

~Derek Sivers

The majority of the formative moments in our lives are just not terribly exciting. We may hunger for a made-for-TV, magical moment to provide inspiration or clarity, but those moments are rare. It’s OK to wish for them, but we can’t do so at the expense of ignoring all the little moments that could add up to something even more life-altering.

We become good professionals by taking care of the little stuff – the mundane, day-to-day tasks that need to get done. The same is true of being a good friend, a good partner, becoming educated, getting fit, and being a good human. We can’t afford to keep our eye on the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow if we’re going to miss every opportunity to dance in the rain that is causing it.

We are blessed with so many opportunities to find beauty in our lives. Often, they come in small doses, and they are right there in our path, just waiting to be noticed. We fail to see what is there because we are so caught up in what we’re looking for. It’s not our fault; our brains are designed this way. We can counter that by being more intentional in our search for purpose, and for beauty.

In our minds, we may have a clear path to our dreams. While on that path, it may serve us to turn over a few stones and peek behind some bushes. We may find our true purpose, our real calling, where we never looked.