Often times, I feel as if I live two different lives, divided by two different worlds. In one world, I am a hero and in the other a coward. As a hero, I am passionate about faith, people, even politics. I do everything in my power to make a difference where I can, to speak out, and to step out. The problem is that this is a very small world. The world in which I am a silent coward is much bigger, and I tend to spend most of my time in this world. It is an easier world, where I am not bothered by the woes and needs of those around me, where faith has very little impact, and where stepping out simply means getting some fresh air. The smaller world is where I find my friends, my faith, and my purpose. I could expand the world and bring my business, my job, virtually my whole life into the world in which things actually matter. But this world is a hard world; it is filled with unpopular choices, rocky hills, and deep valleys. I prefer to play it safe and keep my business, and most of my life, in the world where I don’t have to care. In fact, in that world, caring is considered politically incorrect. It is easy to not do the right thing because values and morals are not respected nearly as much as power and money. The only issue with this much larger and popular world is that the longer I am in it, the less I live. This world accepts apathy and puts “fitting in” way above standing out. Each second that I spend in the apathetic world erases part of the world that holds my true identity. Very soon, there could be nothing left of me but a mirror image of the hero I was meant to be. But a mirror image is just that: a reflection, unable to care, powerless to feel, incapable of actually living.
Of course, we all want to live worthy lives; we all want to make the best decisions in our businesses, at our jobs, and for our families. But we have also been taught by society to find the path of least resistance, to not make waves. Oh, there it is. The truth comes out. We want to find the path of least resistance. But, what if the path to a worthy life, to all the best decisions, to becoming the person we were meant to be, is a bumpy road? Would we ignore it? Does the desire to live without hindrance and trials supersede our desire for everything else?
This need to find the path of least resistance forces us to live a life separated by two worlds. One world is where we go on Sunday mornings or the occasional volunteer shift at the shelter. The other world is where we run our business, operate our lives, and form our life choices. But what if we could combine the two worlds? What if we could operate our businesses and perform our jobs with our faith as the foundation? What if we were to walk through life unhindered by political correctness that tells us not to feel, not to believe, and never to hope?
