Member-only story
Commandments & Commitments
“Commandment” is a strange word that is likely correlated with rigid religious doctrine or biblical stories. For the sake of this discussion, I’m using the term to describe a divine order. You might call it a calling, a mission, a purpose.
I have received some specific commandments over the years …
In the darkest era of my adult life (2007–2010), I repeatedly prayed the question “What do you want me to do?” The answer was always the same: “LOVE MORE.” I first took this to mean love others without expectations or conditions. I later realized that it also extended to loving myself unconditionally; to see my own pricelessness and worth. This commandment has been so important to me, it’s tattooed on my right forearm (the picture above).
When I decided to face my brokenness and wounds, the commandment was “heal” as well as “explore”.
When I first decided to leave Boise after nearly 20 years, the commandment was “go”.
When I was trying to figure out how to create value in the world, the commandment was “teach what you’ve learned”.
When I decided to create a business with Emily, the commandment was “build”.
In the past year, I’ve received the commandment to create; to embrace my identity as a creative. This has recalibrated my priorities from…
