Cure for the Common Life
As a writer, I’m also a reader. You can’t be the former without the latter. They work together. And, I often read near a body of water so I can sit back and take in the sights and sounds of my environment as well as the setting of the novel or nonfiction story I’m engrossed in.
I love books that speak to me, educate me, inspire me, and develop me as a writer and a person. Next to the Bible, one nonfiction book that has deeply affected me was a gift from my friend Mike—Cure for the Common Life by Max Lucado, America’s bestselling inspirational author with over 140 million books in print.
Why has this book resonated with me for the past seventeen years? I suppose it’s because it speaks to my innate “search for significance.” We all feel it. We all want to be relevant. To make a difference. To make our life count. After all, it’s natural to desire a sense of purpose.
This book talks about living in your sweet spot—and finding your God-given uniqueness. Lucado says:
“Look back over your life. What have you consistently done well? What have you loved to do? Stand at the intersection of your affections and successes and find your uniqueness. You have one. A divine spark. An uncommon call to an uncommon life.”
He explains we were all made for a one of a kind assignment. Find the assignment to live an uncommon life.
The question the book asks that most intrigues me is: What is the fire that consumes you? Thus, what were you made to do? After thinking about this—for me, it’s writing. Because if I don’t write, the fire (of desire) consumes me.
Yet, for me, it isn’t just about writing—it’s what I write about. The issues and relationships in life that I believe warrant contemplation, a second look, deeper consideration, or focused concentration. It’s how I’m wired. The way I think. How I derive the most pleasure. And hopefully, based on feedback I’ve received, I’m living in my sweet spot.
What’s your sweet spot? Have you ever asked yourself, what is the fire that consumes you? What have you done consistently well—and loved to do? Have you ever thought about how, in the words of Max Lucado, your life makes sweet sense when you find your sweet spot?
Your sweet spot is using your gifts and talents, knowing where they came from, and realizing, in Lucado’s words, “You can do something no one else can do, in a fashion no one else can do it.”
Could there be a better cure for the common life?
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SOMETHING TO CHEW ON: If you stand at the intersection of your affections (what you love to do) and successes (what you have consistently done well), what would you say is your sweet spot in life? I’d love to know. (jamescmagruder@gmail.com)
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Photo by Ben White, Unsplash.com
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