"You were born to do this!"

How would you feel if you heard those words from someone who you respected? Sure, we know nationally known performers who've probably heard those words, American Idol types, pro athletes.... But ordinary people?

That was the message I heard on my cell's voice mail a couple nights ago. It was recorded by a friend I deeply respected. "I want you to know Jeff, you were born to do this!" I hit replay. Tears welled up in my eyes. It was almost surreal. "How can that be?" "What do I have to offer?" At the same time, a deep "yes." "Yes, I was born to do this!" "This is who I was made to be and what I was born to do!"

I think I've caught glimpses of "born to do this," but mostly overshadowed by the, "I wish I was really good at something. Even acceptable!" And frankly, I was somewhat jealous of those, including people like my own wife (a teacher, author and leader of Soul Care) who would regulary make comments like, "I can't believe I get to do this!" "I'm the luckiest girl in the world!" "Is that normal?" I would ask myself. "Should it be normal.... for me?"

DO ORDINARY PEOPLE GET TO HEAR, BELIEVE AND EVEN EXPERIENCE THE SENSE "I WAS BORN TO DO THIS?"

I fully believe the answer to that question can be "Yes." "Yes, you can!" However, that doesn't mean getting there will be instant or easy. Like most things worth doing, it takes focus, effort and opportunity to unlock a dream. I believe this is the next great frontier. A new revolution in unleashing a human's divine potential: Helping ordinary people (like you and I) confidently know where and how to look for, discover and engage the best of who we can be, could be and should be. Live out our callings and dreams. Whether simple and little known, or on a world stage. No other agenda but to help them experience the glory and possibility of becoming human beings fully alive. Fully engaged in the task of utilizing the complete them. Nothing more. Nothing less. Nothing else.

"The secret of a happy life is to live for a dream that is bigger than you are," said Michael de Montaigne. Randy Pausch, author of the national best seller The Last Lecture wrote, "I knew that despite the cancer, I truly believe I was the luckiest man because I had lived these dreams."

Isn't that the deepest longing of the human heart? (Of course after basic needs for food, shelter and security met... and I will add to authentically know the God who created us). It's the desire to answer these deep longing questions: "What was I was born to do?" "What is my best value added to human history? "Is there something I can do that no one else can quite do in the same way, in the same place, for the same people?" And, at least within reason, we would want to be confident and have others confirm that this was indeed us at our best.

Changing the world one dream at a time starts right here. A group of people who decide they will do whatever it takes to discover and engage their "this is what you were born to do." And trust me, there's no one more surprised than me that I could ever count myself among that group! But, what makes us think we should settle for anything less?