There seems to be a lie floating around that says that if you’re not famous, you’re not really that interesting. You’re a nobody. An average Jane (or Joe), living an average life that nobody cares about.
Ignore it. 
Because it is my belief that you can be downright remarkable in your “average” (or ordinary or normal or mundane or usual or whatever-other-synonym-you-prefer) life. And, the people that you touch while living that {remarkably} average life are enthralled with you.
Now, I don’t pretend to know how to go from average to {remarkably} average. In fact, I’m just starting the journey to figure that out. BUT! I do think the steps I list below are solid contenders for the foundations of living a {remarkably} average life.
1. Discover Who You Are
Several years ago, I had the privilege of listening to a man named Ray Vander Laan (RVL) do a full day teaching seminar on the differences between Eastern and Western thinking, particularly in how they relate to understanding the Bible. It was fascinating. It was also recorded so, every so often, I pull out the recording to listen to the teaching again. RVL starts the day off by relaying a story of a Rabbi long ago that was walking to a nearby city and, as he came to the walls of the city, a centurion called out to him, “Who are you?!” “What are you doing here?!” This made the Rabbi stop and ask the centurion if the Rabbi could hire him to stand outside the Rabbi’s door and ask him those same two questions every morning.
There’s a scene in the 1984 movie, The Never Ending Story, between Atreyu and Gmork where Atreyu is learning about Fantasia – what it is, why it’s dying and what’s killing it. Atreyu has already asked Gmork’s identity but, as Gmork’s revelations settle into Atreyu’s mind, Atreyu realizes there is more to this creature than he has said. And, as Fantasia continues to break apart, Atreyu asks this final question to Gmork, “who are you, really?”
Here’s my point.
Knowing who you are and what you’re doing is vital to living a remarkable life (even if it is also an average one). But you have to know who you really are – right now, today – to be the most effective. Knowing who you want to be is great and there is value in working to become that person. But trying to be that person now, when you haven’t had the life experience necessary to support it, will leave you feeling exhausted and will make it impossible to be anything except ordinary. Why? Because:
You can’t give what you don’t have.
You can’t teach what you don’t know.
You can’t sell what you don’t own.
You can’t create what you don’t see.
And, you can’t be who you’re not.
2. Be Who You Are
It’s not enough to know who you are, you also have to be who you are. You have to live your life according to the way God made you. Not him. Not her. Not that person right there or those people back there. Not your mom or dad, your brother or sister, not anyone else in this world. You.
And the reason for that is simple.
The world needs you. It needs your unique gifts, talents, smarts, questions, mistakes, hopes, dreams, successes and everything else that makes you…well, you.
Don’t believe me? Then take your Bible (or find it on the internet), stand in front of a mirror, locate Jeremiah 29:11-13 and read it aloud (not out loud because that’s actually bad grammar) over and over and over until you start to believe the words. Read all of it and, if you’ve been a Christian most of your life like me, take extra care to read every word and not gloss over any of it because you “know it already.”
See? God doesn’t do anything without purpose, including creating you. …so find who you are and be that person.
3. Challenge Who You Are
Don’t be ok with status quo. Even if it’s your status quo. I’m not saying to constantly be looking to change who you are, I’m just saying to challenge who you are. Make sure that you are the best person you can be. Line yourself up next to a mentor or Scripture or a role model or an expert in your field or whatever you need to in order to encourage yourself to keep growing.
So, there you have it. That’s what I know so far. And the basic point is this: living a remarkably average life starts with who you are. What you do will come later and will flow out of who you are. Sort yourself out first and you set yourself up to be the most remarkable person in your average life.
What are some other ways to ensure living a remarkably average life? Leave a comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts.