The power of the 3 Yard Shift

One of my favorite Bible stories is about a group of experienced fishermen who went out on a lake to fish on an inky black night.  As time wore on, it became depressingly apparent that no fish were going to be caught in the net that night.  The prospect of dragging the water logged net back to the shore was the only thing that separated the engulfing gloom from the faintly emerging rays of dawn.

As the three contemplated their misfortune, a voice emerged from the diminishing darkness and shouted out a question, “Gentlemen, did you catch anything last night?”  Although they could barely discern the form, they responded by yelling back one miserable syllable…”NO”!

Most people would have shut up, for although misery loves company, most of us would prefer to leave it alone.  But not this guy.  Instead he offered an unsolicited word of advice.  He told them to drag the heavy, soggy net out of the water and deposit in on the other side of the boat.

Amazing!  Unbelievable! The guy was on the shoreline.  Did he even know anything about catching fish?  You wonder what went through the minds of the fishermen.  Did they question the logic of a ridiculous command?  After all, would it not have made more sense to make a suggestion about the stuff that everyone knows can affect a catch like…the fish aren’t biting because it’s the wrong part of the lake or you simply chose a bad day?

But to their credit, the fishermen obeyed.  And the narration records an extraordinary moment!   The text says that the fish rushed into that net that had move location a grand total of a FEW YARDS with such force and vigor that the huge number of fish began to break the net.  What a difference a 3 Yard Shift can make!

This story demonstrates the power of little shift.  More often than not, the truly impactful moments in my life can be traced to ‘just one little thing’,  a simple moment in time when I made a quality decision or took a deliberate action.  While not all these moments have been good ones, many have had monumental impact in my life.

I’ve learned to respect the dawn of awareness and recognize the fact that profound revelations rarely occur the limelight.  In fact, some of the richest shifts have occurred in the dark nights when my life boat has found itself moored on a lake which seemed devoid of opportunity and reward for my efforts.

It is there that I’ve learned to value the voice of intuition and wisdom which comes from a place where my rules and limited perceptions failed to make sense. I found that they don’t matter.  And as the dark scales  lifted from my eyes, it  becomes increasingly clear that the solutions have often been simpler and closer than I imagined.

The world of social media has shown that the ripple effect of one little thing can change a lot of things in it’s wake.  Today, the lives of several precious girls are being transformed because one individual decided to shift just a little and open up her heart to embrace some little ones at the Orphanage of St. Monica.  And in the process, many of us have shifted  our hearts alongside Rocky Turner’s mission.  And if this ancient story holds a deeper truth…there are many more who will be called to join.

So today, I’m encouraging you to set aside a few moments in your life to be open to a 3 Yard Shift.  It will require humility.  The sort that allows you to be open to guidance from unexpected sources.   But, I promise you…if you will listen and obey the voice, guidance will come.  For the solution is rarely about what’s out there; it’s more about the shift that comes from inside you…in your heart.

*this story is my paraphrased version of event.  An exact rendering of the ancient text can be found here.

• 1.  This week I catch a matinee performance of the film Julia & Julia.  Afterword, I’m consumed with an intense desire to cook something imaginative!  Alas, my efforts don’t yield anything close to Julia Child’s culinary creations…

• 2.  Tuning in to watch the President address the nation and congress about the healthcare reform my attention is arrested by one man who cannot contain his passionate disagreement and yells out ‘You Lie‘ while the President is speaking.  I’m stunned…

• 3.  Oprah launches her 24th Season with a live performance by the Black Eyed Peas.  What arrests my attention is not the show on stage but rather the show OFF stage in which a crowd of thousands performs an orchestrated dance which pulsates with live electricity.  I’ve never seen anything like it.   It’s called a ‘flash mob.’

My heart in your hands

(photo is courtesy of aussiegirl on flickr)

What underscores all of these random moments is Passion.  Passion for the perfection of the art of cooking, passion against perceptions and fears about a proposal, and the ebullient passion of a random crowd of strangers gathering together to create a spontaneous moment of celebration.

Passion is raw power.  It has the ability to move us to embrace our better selves or induce us to display our basest instincts.  Passion can embody good or ill, light or darkness.  Passion always creates a difference, but we must decide what kind of difference.

Passion colors life with vibrancy. Without passion, life is lived in between hues of dull grey.

Passion!

Is the inspiration behind genius.

Passion!

Is  purity which Loves for it’s own sake

Passion harbors gritty endurance

That withstands the gale of withering opposition

Passion is a nectar…

Which provides sustaining grace in the face of extreme odds.

Passion is the gift of insight which perceives a reality obscured to the casual observer.

Passion plays center stage in it’s own  drama

And dances to the beat of an unknown drummer

Passion manufactures it’s own joy…

And nourishes it’s own truth

Passion understands it’s own unique sorrows

And endures to reap it’s own peculiar Reward.

“Is she almost here?”
“When will they get here?”
“I can’t wait to see her.”
“This will be the best week yet!”

I can imagine the anticipation right before each and every trip Rocky makes to our friends in Kenya. Their hearts leap for joy, knowing that someone they love in the United States is coming to spend time with them.

I believe the greatest joy comes from the outpouring of love, time, and energy.

Sure, they love receiving the pencils & underwear. But it’s more than that. It’s the quality of time. I envision the time spent playing those hand clapping games together. I imagine sharing of laughs. Drawing pictures in the dirt ground. I really should visit with Rocky about this – but I like where my imagination goes

It reminds me of the simple things to remember with my children. When planning for the summer activities – I need to remember the time together is the most important thing. It’s not important to go here and there- always with a planned agenda – it’s the quiet moments together. It’s the window of opportunity provided for conversation. The availability. The stillness.

Inspiring. Sarah Stanley just completed a 50-mile run (over 10 hours) while tweeting her progress with pictures. Why? It’s an easy answer for her, “I run 50 miles to inspire someone to run or walk 1 mile.” I got the opportunity to talk to Sarah, her passion was so clear – her intentions to help others just get off the couch radiated through the telephone. Her idea is to bring Healthy, Happy, and Fit together as one message. Just following her tweets for a day during that run had a positive influence over my future runs. And I wasn’t the only one. The conversation by so many that were affected by her life was uplifting. Allowing peeks into her life during a time of multiple emotions shows by example that you CAN do what you set your mind to. Follow Sarah’s blog and tweets to get your daily dose of inspiration.

There are so many others that can be used as examples of stellar inspirational people in the world we live. Find someone that has a similar interest to you – and learn by example. I know both Rocky & Sarah don’t bite, if you find someone you admire and want to learn more – reach out !

What is your message? What can you do to inspire others? As long as your intentions are pure – your passion and message can be whatever is closest to your heart. It might be to help the local shelters, support victims of domestic violence, volunteer your time, encourage entrepreneurs, the list is endless!

Inspiration is worldwide and incorporates many different venues of life. There are people inspiring others to read. There are mothers and fathers inspiring their children. There are teachers inspiring the students to get excited about education.

Inspire the Child. Inspire Each Other. Inspire Self.