Don't forget what it feels like to be hungry...

     I watched a video today on Facebook that got me thinking. A lot of you have probably seen it, but if you haven't I'll post a link to it below. Basically, in the ninety second video, a man asks a bunch of people in a restaurant if he can have a slice of pizza from their table. Obviously, he is turned down. Moments later, another man buys a pizza for a homeless man on the street. A few minutes later, the same man from before asks the homeless man if he can have a slice of pizza. Guess what the homeless man gives him...

     Why was the homeless man so quick to hand over a slice? Could it be because he didn't pay for it. If the other men and women paid for their food, did they feel more entitled to it and thus, less inclined to share what they have earned? Perhaps, the nature of the homeless man's gift allowed him to give freely of what he had. But, that doesn't seem quite justifiable for me. If anything, the others are the one who can AFFORD to share what they have. So why didn't they?

     I think a lot of people have forgotten what it feels like to be hungry. I'm timid about even posting this statement because I'm in a season of life where I am very hungry. I don't really mean that I'm hungry for food, but rather, knowledge, opportunity, etc. I've sat down with a lot of "professionals" and will continue to as I strive to grow and learn, and I'm always turned off by people who just want to give me spoonfuls of reality. They won't dream with me. They won't FEED me. I worry it's because they have forgotten what it feels like to be hungry. They don't fully remember that season where they were starving for affirmation, encouragement, and somebody to say "It's gonna be tough, but somebody's gotta do it. WHY NOT YOU?" 

      I'm really thankful for the artists who remember what it feels like to be hungry. It shows in their work. Their work is truthful and excellent. There's pain and darkness in it, but it never becomes self-indulgent. You can't truly feed somebody if you don't remember what it feels like to be hungry. 

     I'm in a season where I'm the hungry one. But, I know that it is a season and I am really grateful to the artists and leaders that are willing to feed me. This is my first reminder that someday, I'll be asked to feed others. May I never forget what hungry feels like. 

Post by Disturb Reality.

Confidence's role in success...

     A friend of mine said something really interesting me to the other day and it got me thinking. Like a lot of 20 somethings tend to do, we got into a discussion about the future and our goals. I shared my thoughts on some of my work, as did he, and I made a comment along the lines of feeling like I was good at what I do and wanted to keep doing it. His response caught me off guard. Roughly quoted, he basically said, "Of course you do, because if you didn't know you succeeded at that, you wouldn't be good enough at it."

     Interesting... Is part of success knowing what you succeed at? Well, when I spell it out like that, it seems pretty obvious. But, how rarely I have taken the time to acknowledge that crucial aspect of success. Just as it is important to acknowledge and learn from failure, it is probably a good idea to log and learn from successes.

     When you're passionate about something that you are good at, you would be foolish to ignore your skill sets. Eventually, just as we have to be realistic about where our weaknesses are, we have to acknowledge where our strengths lie. And when we approach tasks and opportunities with the confidence that comes from that acknowledgement, we're setting ourselves up for further success.

     Think about it. How many times do we pick up a book because we "trust the author", or watch a movie because we "love that director"? If we can invest that confidence in others, we should probably spend a little time investing it in ourselves. It's not arrogant, it's confident. And it makes us better at what we do.