You Were Made to Live Extraordinarily

I worked for an organization whose motto was, “Justice is in the hands of the ordinary.” It’s saying that everyone has something to contribute to the world—no matter your background or resources. You can make the world better through the choices you make in your everyday life.

This concept of being ordinary encourages people to get involved and fight for a cause they believe in. You don’t have to have loads of money, a certain status, or the passion to travel to foreign countries to make a difference. To many, this positive mindset is a very powerful one.

But to be perfectly honest, I’ve always had a little trouble with it. Why? It’s quite simple: I don’t believe people are destined to be ordinary. I don’t think we’re supposed to merely blend in with the natural flow of life and stay where it feels comfortable and safe.

I think you and I are called to something greater.

The Pressure to Be Ordinary

According to Merriam-Webster, ordinary means “to be expected in the normal order of events; routine; usual; of common quality, rank, or ability.”

I, personally, don’t want to be defined by any of those things. Do you?

Before I go any further, I want to say that if you do want to live an ordinary, comfortable, “normal” life, that’s okay. If an ordinary lifestyle brings you joy and peace, then live it the best you know how. Keep learning and growing and caring for those around you right where you are.

You could also argue, in a sense, that a “routine” life can be just as extraordinary, or more so, than an unusual or unique life. More on that in a bit.

But when it comes down to it, I don’t believe you and I are meant to live easy, ordinary lives. If each one of us lives up to our full potential—and that’s by no means easy to do—there’s NO WAY we’d remain of common quality, rank, or ability.

What if your purpose is to live extraordinarily?

Extraordinary means “going beyond what is usual, regular, or customary; exceptional to a very marked extent; extremely good or impressive.”

Ooh yes, I like the sound of that much better.

We should probably also define calling while we’re at it: “a strong inner impulse toward a particular course of action, especially when accompanied by conviction of divine influence; the vocation or profession in which one customarily engages.” I like how Dictionary.com defines it, too: “a strong impulse or inclination.”

Do you believe you’re called to live extraordinarily? I certainly do.

Is every person who walks the earth exceptional? Absolutely not.

To go beyond the regular—the usual—is a choice you have to make. It’s much easier to sit back and watch the days go by…to stay in your comfortable, casual routine. I’ve done it. I think most people do it. It’s safer, more manageable. It feels more natural.

Are you willing to take the path less traveled?

Not everyone is willing to make difficult decisions, to go against the grain, to become exceptional. I think most people prefer an ordinary life. They want to belong and feel comfortable in their skin and community. They want to feel safe.

Again, that’s fine. But I want to challenge you with this question: “Am I using the gifts I’ve been given to make the world around me better?”

I think each of us has a unique purpose that reaches beyond ourselves and pushes us outside of our comfort zone.

Maybe you’re a good friend.

Maybe you enjoy serving at church or a homeless shelter.

You could be a great public speaker or a talented artist.

Maybe people just feel really comfortable around you or you’re dang good at making people laugh.

We’ve all been given gifts and have abilities we’re meant to use. Our job is to figure out how to use what we have to work in creative and powerful ways.

I’m well aware that’s a tall order. “All of us have dreams in our hearts that seem too wild or unachievable” (Free to Be You). But God’s got your back. If you don’t believe in God—and even if you do—find someone who believes in you and share your dreams with them. That way, you can have a sweet stream of encouragement to draw from along the way.

Are you chasing your calling or running from it?

During the days where I find myself “going through the motions,” something inside me longs for more. Can you relate? Something softly but persistently urges me to step up, to step outside of the ordinary framework of my day.

I believe I’m supposed to impact the lives of those around me in a powerful way. And I’m pretty sure your purpose is similar.

It may look entirely different for you than it does for me. But your purpose—the reason you were created and placed on this earth at the exact moment you came into the world—is more powerful than you can possibly imagine.

What do you think (or feel) you were born to do?

What fills you up and gives you life?

Is there something that gets you so excited that you can’t wait to start your day when it’s going to be a part of it?

Is there something that brings you to tears because you’re so passionate about or inspired by it?

For me, it’s fighting for individuals trapped in abuse and standing up for young girls and women who have had their dignity stripped from them. It’s seeking justice, empowering people who have been stolen from, and helping them regain what was lost. It’s also befriending the lonely, the outcasts, those who were bullied for being, acting, or looking a certain way. I want to remind them how beautiful, worthy, and irreplaceable they are.

I’m also inspired by excellence, creativity, and seeing people who know exactly what they were born for and using their gifts to help others. It’s radiant. The feeling I get from it is almost indescribable.

Just take the first step in the right direction.

Tony Robbins explains how there’s a science to achievement (a proven process that we all can follow). But fulfillment is different. It’s an art, not a science. In other words, it can look different for everyone. No one size fits all.

You don’t have to have everything figured out right now. I sure don’t. But you do need to get to a place where you’re willing to take risks and step into what you believe you are being called to do in your life. All you need to do right now is to take the first step in the right direction. Just get started.

Sidenote: I LOVE Bob Goff so much. You’ll probably see him pop up a lot on this blog. If you haven’t read his book, Love Does, please do. It will encourage your socks off and show you new ways to love people radically.

If there’s a voice in your head telling you to try something you’ve never tried before or your heart longs for more in this life, listen to it.

You have been made for greatness, and you’re called to live an extraordinary life. Whether or not you do is entirely up to you.

How to Live Extraordinarily in Everyday Life

These are just a few examples of what it can look like to live out your life in an extraordinary way—that steps beyond the ordinary or natural. It can, of course, look very different for you than others you meet along the way.

To the hard workers.

If you work a grueling 12-hour day and come home tired, but you do the dishes that have stacked up throughout the entire week and still take time to ensure your family has everything they need to feel safe and comfortable before their heads hit their pillows at night, you’re extraordinary.

To the loyal friends.

When you stay up until midnight on a work night to talk to your friend on the phone who’s having a really hard time, to encourage her and make sure that before you hang up, she’s okay and you hear a smile in her voice, you’re extraordinary.

To the valiant.

If you choose to work somewhere that pays half of what you could earn someplace else, but it’s an organization that fights for something you believe in and helps other people build better lives, you are extraordinary.

To the ones who never give up.

When you have a chronic illness that keeps you home most of the time, that strips you of the energy or capacity to have a job and a “normal” life, but you choose joy over bitterness and encouragement over resentment, you’re an inspiration. And you’re stronger than you know. This world needs more people like you.

To the parents.

If you give up your dream job to stay home with your kids and focus on raising them to be healthy, confident, kind people who care deeply for others, you’re extraordinary, despite what the world may say about you.

To the generous.

When you pay for the coffee order of the person in the car behind you at the Starbucks drive-thru, just because you want to put a smile on a stranger’s face, you’re extraordinary, and you’ve brightened my day more than once.

To the ones with great integrity.

If you stand up to your boss who’s ripping into your coworker in a disrespectful and humiliating way, you’re extraordinary and a true friend, which matters far more than your position or paycheck at the end of the day.

To the courageous.

If you pursue a dream that you’ve had since you were a kid, even though people told you your entire life that you’re not good enough, you’re going to prove them wrong. You’re strong, and you’re capable. Whether you have people believing in you or you’re walking your journey alone, YOU are extraordinary. Hold your head high and keep walking in your purpose. You’re an inspiration.

Living extraordinarily not only helps you find deep peace and freedom. It makes the world around you brighter, brings joy to others, and shows kindness to a world that is severely lacking in so many immeasurable ways. When you’re living an extraordinary life, you’re adding goodness to the world and giving all of us hope for a better tomorrow.

Think about the last time you stepped outside your comfort zone to stand up for yourself or fight for someone else. How did you feel afterward? It can be challenging, but it can brighten someone’s day or even change their life for good. If you can’t remember a time like this, well, then it’s time to get to work, isn’t it?

Living extraordinarily is a choice.

Let that simple statement sink in and flow through you. Living extraordinarily is a choice you get to make every single day. It may not feel natural. Maybe it goes against what your parents taught you to believe is the proper way to live. It certainly won’t be popular among many of your peers.

The world may tell you to do the opposite of what you know deep down you should do, pursue, and fight for.

But it’s when you step up, step forward, defend and protect and fight for yourself and others. It’s when you take that first step forward into the life you know deep down you were made to live. That’s when you start to move beyond the ordinary and into the exceptional.

Keep fighting for good.

With love and hope,