I love a Disney Vacation. It is not for the reasons you think. Sure, I look forward to the feeling of magic when you first enter Main Street in the Magic Kingdom. I also look forward to all the fun rides, foods, and fireworks. I always eagerly anticipate the time spent with my family. But for me, the true joy of a Disney Vacation comes months before we even arrive. I LOVE every part of the planning of a Disney Vacation. I love digging through websites and travel blogs to get the inside scoop. I love preplanning park visits, fast pass rides, and special restaurants. I love hunting down the hard-to-get ticket to the special concert or show. I love finding that out-of-the-way restaurant where crowds are small, but the food is amazing.
The joy of a good plan fills me. I am a planner!
Many of you reading this are cringing about now or about to click away, but bear with me. Each of us is uniquely wired. What fills me is probably not what fills you. But finding what fills you is at the heart of finding the best you. When we are in that place, doing whatever it is God uniquely gifted us to do, we find ourselves: excited about it, talking with friends about it, taking selfies while doing it, and sharing on social media. When you are filled up and exercising the gifts God gave you, you are showing your passion for the life God gave you.
And here is the best part, when you are in this place, you are at your best to parent your children with that same passion.
We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
Romans 12:6-8
It is hard in the push-and-pull of a busy day, raising our families, and earning a living to truly live your passion. Very few of us grew up thinking we would find our passion in cleaning the bathroom or balancing the checkbook. The realist in me knows there are things we do in life because we have too, but there are also those things we do with passion. Finding ways to weave those together is where we find our cup filling.
Three Ways to Find What Fills Your Cup
1. Ask yourself some questions.
What do you love to create? What do you find yourself thinking about while going about your daily chores? What makes you feel alive? What results move you? I love a good spreadsheet, with details all planned out, timelines, and responsibilities. When someone hands me a project, my head fills with ideas. Truth be told, I would rather plan a party than attend a party. I keep flashing back to the 1998 movie Hope Floats with Sandra Bullock and Harry Connick Jr. when Momma talks about how she has never been unhappy because she is doing what she loves.
2. Consider your purpose.
Your purpose is not just about you; it’s about what God wants to do through you. Wanting to contribute in some way and make a difference is one of the most basic qualities that makes us uniquely human. I know I am filled when I am helping people in the community I live in. I find ways to plan events and programs that raise money and support groups giving back to my neighbors. You might be filled when you are dropping off food for a sick friend, or taking care of a neighbors kids while they have a date night. You are drawn to those things that God designed you to do.
3. Think outside of the box.
If you had asked me in my thirties what my gifts are, I probably would not have said planning. But if I looked around at the work I was doing, you would see the part of my job I enjoyed most was the planning. For many years I labored under the thought that God’s gifts had to fit into specific categories such as music, prayer, teaching, or feeding the homeless. I could not find my place to fit. I kept trying to volunteer to do these things, but never found joy in them. Ask God to show you the things that move you. And remember, He wants you to discover His purpose for you more than you do.
In your passion, doing the things that fill you, is where your true purpose lives, and where you will be the best you.
“You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.”
Psalm 23:5
