I have been inspired by many of John F. Kennedy's stories and speeches so I was surprised I hadn't heard a certain story involving him before. It was the story about when he visited NASA and saw a janitor mopping up the floor. JFK asked him what his job was at NASA and the gentleman said, "I'm helping send a man to the moon."
Talk about understanding the big picture. The idea of teamwork. How each small act adds up to something extraordinary.
We can all use that message in our lives every day. Are we always focused on the destination or do we enjoy the journey? Do we crumble when things don't go our way, or do we think about what we can learn from a setback? How it will allow us to grow?
Another parable I heard on this topic was the one about the three bricklayers. A traveler came upon three men working. He asked the first man what he was doing and the man said he was laying bricks. He asked the second man the same question and he said he was putting up a wall. When he got to the third man and asked him what he was doing he said he was building a cathedral.
They were all doing the same thing. The first man had a job. The second man had a career. The third man had a calling.
Do you look at what you do every day as a calling? It doesn't necessarily have to be the job of your dreams, but can you see the big picture in your daily actions? Do you realize what a difference you are making?
We may be laying bricks every day, but if we can envision the cathedral and move through our days with intention and passion, we are living our best life.