Epic Life

"Let go of the past and go for the future. Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you imagined." -Henry David Thoreau

We have just completed a religious holiday that is observed by Christians around the world. Now before you go and leave this article, I am not here to preach or convert. I simply want to talk about your life and what you can do with it.

When it comes to Easter, it is believed by Christians that Jesus was crucified, dead and buried. On the third day (EASTER) he rose from the dead and his resurrection gives us renewed hope. While as a Christian I find all of that very powerful, what I also find amazing is just the life that this man called Jesus lived.

Whether you have faith and belief in the religious context around it or don't, it is the life he lived and gave up. His was an epic life based upon making it a great one for others and in turn, himself. I like to say that, "Epic is the word for all of our lives. Epic is the life that was given for all of us."

You have the ability to live an epic life. And no, I am not here to say that you can be greater or bigger then the man we call Jesus. John Lennon made that mistake in how he said it back in 1966. But what you can live is a big life, an epic life; one that impacts others and brings greatness into their lives. In turn, your life becomes greater then it otherwise would have.

To me an epic life is one full of every day, ordinary heroic acts. These are the types of acts that are not splashed across the headlines of newspapers. They are not ones which produce ticker tape parades. They are not acts which garner medals and plaques. An epic life is one in which you do the small things which make a difference in other peoples lives.

The holding of a door for someone carrying a package. Letting another car onto the freeway during rush hour traffic. Donating money to a needy cause or person. Saying "I love you" to your wife and kids as often as you can. It is a life of doing all the small little things which create big things for others.

Your life can be poetic in the sense that others will look at you and say, there goes a great person, there goes an epic person.

The World Wants You

"Like the sky opens after a rainy day we must open to ourselves.... Learn to love yourself for who you are and open so the world can see you shine." -James Poland

The week started with YOU and ends with YOU. The week was about how you are important to everyone and everything around you. You matter and that is what matters.

Once you figure out that simple basic thing, a whole new world opens up. You will have the confidence to move forward even further. And you will realize that while you do matter, it really isn't just about you. It is about how you involve yourself with that whole big world around you.

So be you; know that you matter and then spread the light which is you to those all around. See how your world grows and the world with you.

The ME in TEAM

"There is no 'I' in TEAM but there is ME." -Joseph Primm

It is an old team building phrase that says there is no 'I' in 'TEAM'. It is used to ensure everyone has a common goal or purpose. If a team executes as individuals, it is bound to failure. But if everyone works together then success has a much higher probability.

My version of the saying is meant to indicate that you are important to the team. Whether it be an organization of one hundred people at work or one of two people in a marriage, 'ME' matters. Your contribution to the goals being pursued by the larger group is critical.

The 'teams' you are important to can be formal ones; church, marriage, family, work, or bowling league. The 'team' might be an informal one such as your community, social network, or even the traffic on the highway.

Each part of these requires your participation. Everything you do or contribute has a direct impact on the success or failure of that team.

So the 'ME' in 'TEAM' does matter. You matter.

Sigma Significance

"Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it." -Mohandas K. Gandhi

In the world of statistics, a result is referred to as "statistically significant" if it is unlikely to have occurred by chance. So the amount of proof that is needed to accept that an event has happened due to chance is known as the significance level.

In some fields this statistical significance is measured in units of "σ" (sigma). It is meant to show how much variation there is from the average or expected value.

Wow, I actually remembered something from statistics class in college AND managed to bore you at the same time.

My purpose here is not to teach statistics nor is it to bore you. My purpose is to let you know that the significance of one may seem insignificant on the surface. But what you do in life matters to so many others in unexpected ways.

There are variations on this idea and many times put into movies. Think of "Its A Wonderful Life" or the book "The Butterfly Effect"; your life matters in ways you may never fully realize, but it does.

What this means to me is that in statistics the value of one is generally considered insignificanct. But in our every day lives, significance of anything has to start with one, then two, three, four, ...

It means that you matter, you are significant. Everything you do puts other things in motion that cause very significant things. A pebble in the water creates ever increasing rings or waves. These spread out from the center growing ever larger. Eventually these waves wash ashore a sea shell found by a child, brightening and changing that child's life forever.

Yes, you matter even though it may seem insignificant. Remember what Gandhi said, "Whatever you do will be insignificant...", but everything you do will be important.