Yesterday, I saw Nike’s new advertisement for the 2010 World Cup. You can watch it here:
I really like the ad, especially the Wayne Rooney section where he pictures his life defined by a bad play and makes the decision to change it.
I’ve been thinking a lot about our life stories or our personal narratives over the past few days. I spent the weekend at the Northern California Youth Leadership Seminar, a conference for high sophomores. I’ve speak at the conference every year and have really developed some great friendships with the volunteer staff, prompting me to expand my visit at the event this year. In the opening session, Seminar Executive Director Dan Vu discussed the idea of shaping our stories. He alluded to our tendency as people to repeat our own plotline or to assign character traits to others without considering their story. His challenge for the weekend was to consider the story of others and to consider the posibility for the story for ourselves.
I spent that day listening to the other keynote speakers present. I heard Anthony Rapp, the original Mark in the Pulitzer Prize Winning Musical RENT, describe the legacy of story shared by Jonathan Larson as well as the need for each of us to make our story more than just an engaging narrative. I heard from Congresswoman Jackie Speier, a survivor of a murder attempt at Jonestown, who turned incredible setbacks and hardships throughout her life only enhance her desire to serve, rather that end it. I listened to Scott Backovich describe the need for each of us to be catalysts in our community.
And then it was impossible not to hear from the students.
It was evident as the conference continued that the rough draft desires for their lives were being revised into purposeful plots. There was an opportunity to Write the Future.
I know at times it feels like the future cannot be changed. Perhaps we look ahead at a perceived reality, disappointed by lack of happiness or joy, its drought of success, and its absence of purpose. Like Wayne Rooney in the Nike Ad, we hate what we see.
The question becomes: are we prepared to run full force or change it?
Are we prepared to dig deep?
Are we prepared to push?
Are we prepared to strive?
Are we prepared to write the future?