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Hi! I am Kris King and I hope watching and listening to my blog is assisting you to live your extraordinary life everyday – each day – feeling fulfilled and inspired. Perhaps 10 minutes to be present with yourself and open to the possibilities of conscious living.
Today’s blog is about creating meaning in your life… everyday!
As I have been reading the news and being aware of world events, I again realize that we live in a world where instant gratification is almost held as a right of the individual or the organization, that we want what we want and we want it now! Impatient, very often angry when we don’t get what we want, perhaps even blaming others for our outcomes, and then blind to the impact we have on others.
I think the results of this short sighted thinking, of personal gain over healthy and sustainable relationships and community, is a lack of meaning in our lives, and one of the most powerful causes of depression.
Thinking about “What am I getting?” instead of “What am I contributing?”
As I reflect on this, a Gandhi quote keeps running through my mind that I want to share with you.
It’s the action,
not the fruit of the action,
that’s important.
You have to do the right thing.
It may not be in your power,
may not be in your time,
that there will be fruit.
But that doesn’t mean you stop
doing the right thing.
You may never know what results
come from your action.
But if you do nothing,
there will be no result.
Take a moment to notice the impact of Gandhi’s words. What do they mean to you?
Here is a story that embodies what Gandhi’s quote means to me:
Imagine it’s a long, long time ago, in a village on the Eastern Steppes of Asia. A farming community and a busy place. A crossroads of trade…
It is a lovely Tuesday morning in early summer, and a small old man is out delivering eggs from his farm. He knocks on the door of one of his customers. She opens the door. They smile, chat for awile, he hands her the eggs she has ordered and then asks, “When would you like me to bring you eggs again?”
The woman pauses for a moment and says “Next Tuesday will be fine.” He nods, and kindly says “Til then,” and goes on his way.
On the following Monday the countryside is invaded by marauders… men on horseback wreacking havoc on the community and villagers, stealing, burning and maiming. The villagers are terrified, barricaded in their homes, hiding their valuables and protecting their livestock.
Tuesday morning, the woman and her children are hiding in their farm house, a heavy dresser pushed against the front door to stop anyone from breaking in.
She hears a knock on the door. She is petrified, signaling to her children to be still, be silent. She then peaks out through a shuttered window and sees the egg man! She pushes aside the dresser, opens the door, yanks him inside and says “Are you crazy? Don’t you know what’s going on out there?”
He calmly looks at her and says “It’s Tuesday, here are your eggs.”
When i first heard this story, I was deeply moved and astounded by the egg man’s integrity, commitment and courage. To hold his integrity so high that he would do whatever it took to fulfill his agreements.
What does it take to live life the way Gandhi and the egg man demonstrate? These are the elements I believe are necessary:
1. Having a clear vision
…Knowing what kind of person you want to be, what your deepest values are, what you stand for.
…Knowing what you love.
…Knowing what you want to create, what you are passionate about in your life.
…Knowing what you care enough about that you will risk stepping outside of your comfort zone to bring it to life.
2. Being accountable
…Realizing that if you want something, it is your job to create it, your choice, your responsibility, your actions.
…It starts with you.
3. Commitment
…At each choice point, you choose your vision again, because you will be tested.
…Haven’t you noticed that when you say you want “this”, you are tempted to do “that” instead of the thing you just said you were committed to? I truly belief that’s the universe testing our commitment.
…You don’t choose a vision once – you choose it every time you don’t want to choose it! That’s called persistence and discipline.
…You risk. Take action again and again and again.
4. Being in service
…Unconditional giving.
…Wanting to leave the world a better place than you found it.
…Using your gifts and talents to create the world you want to live in and share it with others.
5. Faith
…Believing that when all of the above are in play, your vision will come to life.
…Remembering that it is alive within you every time you choose it.
Meaning is not something that happens to us. It is something we build through our vision and our actions.
It’s the action,
not the fruit of the action,
that’s important.
You have to do the right thing.
It may not be in your power,
may not be in your time,
that there will be fruit.
But that doesn’t mean you stop
doing the right thing.
You may never know what results
come from your action.
But if you do nothing,
there will be no result.
Have you wanted a stronger sense of meaning in your everyday life?
If yes, perhaps it’s time for you to whole heartedly support what you want to help bring into reality. Through your thoughts, your words and your deeds. Through your choices.
What action will you take today to create the world you want to live in?
Thank you for listening. This is Kris King asking you a very important question: What if your real job is to live an extraordinary life? That’s what WINGS is here to assist you to do.
Lisa 
Steve Tourigny 
Susan Murphy 
Andree Beeker 
Scott Heidecke 
Sash 
Bev Lammers 
julie cox 
Lorra Jones 
alan 
Anne Yost 
krisanne bender 
I hope to spread this kind of life around to all the I come in contact with. You have really inspired me to become the best me, possible.
Thank you, Kris!
Dear Kris,
As your longtime friend and Wings grad, I am yet again deeply inspired by your words. Thank you for this offering. I feel encouraged to continue in my work of service, though a tragic accident recently has changed how this “looks”. Your words have nourished me on my journey of a life with continued meaning, purpose and service – no matter what! In fact, I’ve found that the key, for me, dwells in the “no matter what” part. Commitment, trust and faith guide me when life is different than I expected (isn’t it always?) and when I am asked to ‘act anyway’. Thank you for boosting me along the way and may you and all at Wings be blessed ~ Lorrie
Kris,
Thanks so very much! It’s wonderful to hear your voice and words. Your articulation or definition of persistence and discipline is a large, much needed, and comforting dose of encouragement for me today. Thank you thank you thank you. With love and best to you and all at WINGS.
Ruth