Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Driving Imperative


Can one have an absence of a driving imperative in one's life?

Can a life be so unchallenged that the lust to climb higher or rise above, is absent?

Can it be that a life can just drift?

I think NOT but the imperative that would drive us can be buried so deeply that we miss it, overlook it, don't live up to it and therefore we don't live up to our potential.

What is my imperative?

What is my potential?

Two weeks ago when Retabile tagged me for this meme, I thought I had the answer but two weeks of thinking about it, digesting the question, has taught me something else entirely.

Initially I thought my driving imperative was my faith in God - a God of love. But faith/belief isn't an imperative. If you have it, it is THE aid that carries you forward. In reality, it is the thing we want, the thing that we are driven to overcome and rise above that is our imperative. What was/is my driving imperative? What is it that I need to overcome?

My entire life I have been afflicted with a lack of confidence, focus, and discipline to follow a path. I drifted. Floated. Took occasional stops to adjust and change directions.

Marriage - Bad
School - Long and hard
Marriage - Good
Children - The best
Work - Not what I planned on or hoped for.
Aging - A door to new opportunities to get it right, at last.

What drives me now? What is the wheel that I steer? That I control?

What is my God-given gift that I can use to serve myself and somehow serve others?

I can listen.
I can give.
I can hear a call and inspire others to do good.

I have time to do something great. Leave my imprint.

That is my Driving Imperative - to live - finally!! - live up to my potential and at the same time lead others to rise to theirs.


If any of you are inspired to asked this question of yourself, I highly recommend it. Five people that I would be interested in hearing from (out of sooooo many, darn it) are:

Lee-Ann - Pear Tree Cottage
Chamara - Gypsy Purple
Jennie - Blog in a Cyber Bottle
Mary Timme - BeadFluff
Viccie - Moon, Stars, and Paper

BUT, remember, no obligation. This could be a tough one but anyone who is so inclined is welcome to join in as well. Please let me know if you do. And be sure to visit Geoffrey, the originator of this meme.

12 comments:

Julie said...

I've spent the better part of a year trying to find "me" and I still haven't found her. I have, however, found some of the things that I am not, which narrows the field ;-)

Great post, Annie.

Anonymous said...

This reminds of a blog post that I wrote a long time ago. I met a woman at a party and she asked me "what is your moral imperative?' It was graffiti that she saw each day to and from her work.

Well, my spontaneous answer given without any thought was: to unite. Since then, I've been trying to live up to this answer because I believe that it was my soul answering that question.

Annie Jeffries said...

Star - negative data is valid. It tells you that you are going in the wrong direction and it does, indeed, narrow the field.

Ally - Outstanding answer.

couragetocreatewriteandlove said...

This is good! very! I am tagging myself!

Gypsy Purple said...

Wow...a worthy challenge Annie...I would like to dwell a bit on this one, but will answer for sure....

Rethabile said...

"Can one have an absence of a driving imperative in one's life?"

I don't think so. A driving imperative, or a greatest imperative, exists in each one of us. Hitler had one. Gandhi had one, too.

This is very nice and up to the level I was expecting from you. Thank you.

I'll be informing my friend, Geoffrey, who started the meme, about your answer. Cheers.

Annie Jeffries said...

Hi Ret. Your comment had me dancing and doing a little rumba around the livingroom. Don is laughing at me. I'm a goof. Off to dance again. Thanks so much Ret. I've needed some laughter the last few days. Annie

Anonymous said...

Really thoughtful post :)

Geoffrey Philp said...

To Live! Can there be any greater imperative?

Peace,
Geoffrey

Kahshe Cottager said...

Ohhh AnnieElf ... I am really going to have to spend some time thinking about this. The next few days are so busy so it may be a while, but it is a challenge I will meet!

paris parfait said...

You've reminded me that I still haven't finished my own imperative piece for Rehabille. Must do that tomorrow! I think priorities change in life, but an imperative probably remains the same; perhaps it varies according to the person and personality or what happens to that person along the way.

Mary Bee said...

Well you didn't tag me, but I took it from Mary. Thanks it is an interesting exercise.