gratitude, passion, grace

I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up. This is potentially troubling as I'm about to complete a MA and have been working in one, specific field for five years. Part of me thinks that it is oh-so-obvious that I should continue walking along the path I'm on. Yet, another part of me thinks I'm not "doing" enough, contributing enough, changing the world enough.

I got an email from Amnesty International this morning with the subject "3 human rights victories you should celebrate." The first line of the email was "Your actions helped Amnesty..." This caused me momentary pause- at least I'm "doing" something, even if that something is just signing petitions and writing letters to congressmen about human rights abuses.  But, it doesn't feel like enough.  The petty stuff I get caught up in, and am then self-righteous over, the "I can't believe so-and-so [at work] would say/do such-and-such," just leaves me feeling gross.  Sure, I light my Amnesty candle on my phone app and scroll through issues and letters and petitions to take part in, but my gosh am I ever privileged and lucky.

I read this article this week and resonated with it start to finish. One of the final lines is what I put on the photo above: "It’s about using what you’ve been given to craft a life of gratitude and passion and grace."

I want to be a better, harder working, generous-til-it-hurts, person. I want to be grateful- not guilty- for what I have, passionate- not overwhelmed- at the work there is to be done, and gracious- for myself and those around me.