Creating Systems and Identifying Vessels

“I must create a system or be enslaved by another man’s; I will not reason and compare: my business is to create.”

— William Blake

So, I had a dream the other day. I was in a classroom or something, and the professor asked us to recall the first quote which had an influence on our life. In my dream, I quoted William Blake who once said: “I must create a system or be enslaved by another man’s; I will not reason and compare: my business is to create.” It’s actually quite odd that I chose that quote because while that quote has stuck with me ever since I watched P.S I Love You back in 2007 (shout out to Gerard Butler, my baby!), I was impacted by a George Elliot quote (“It is never too late to be what you might have been”) much earlier than that. So, when I woke up I was a little confused as to why I chose that quote. As I continued to ponder about the dream, the William Blake quote became increasingly enhanced in my inner thoughts. I soon forgot about the dream and became more concerned about the quote and what it meant to my life and my current circumstances. I think God put that dream in my mind for that very purpose.

We so often think about our future in terms of a “job” and having one set career path. But, what happens when you’re skilled and interested in a myriad of topics, which don’t necessarily overlap? When I used to imagine my future, it was always in terms of identifying a career path, developing the skills and experience for the said career, and finally finding a reputable company where I could grow and climb the executive ladder. That has always been my conventional life plan. It was safe. As I am growing, I realize that for me, the idea of solely committing to one avenue now just seems...sort of heartbreaking. It is heartbreaking because it would require me to relinquish the development of all other skills which do not apply to that career goal. Things like cooking, writing, and painting would inevitably be reduced to a hobby rather than a lifestyle. What happens when you feel compelled to excel and produce in varying avenues? It is not just a matter of creating multiple streams of income... it is really just a matter of creating. As a creator, I cannot be enslaved by another man’s system. I can’t commit to solely working corporate, under the mission of someone’s else life aspirations while putting my own creations on the back burner. I want to do both.

So, I started praying to God to show me a vision. I asked Him, what does He want me to do with all the skills and talents He has given me. I have always known that my life’s purpose was to heal broken hearts. I’ve always known that I am here to help marginalized folks in some sort of way. I believe that Law is the way to do that, but I still needed a stronger, more clarified vision of the specific vessels that will be used to carry out my mission. I needed to know the “how.” How is this going to play out, God….HOWWWWW??!?!? So, I KEPT praying about this because I not only felt deeply troubled by the reality of possibly having to drop so many identifying aspects of my personality but I also just felt really lost. Yes, Law, but what else? Is that it? If it was just Law, I’d be okay, but I knew that it couldn’t be just Law, because there are so many other gifts I have which don’t line up with Law and I believe that ALL gifts are given to be used. I was not getting any answers. So, I decided to write down two lists: one which identified all the things I am innately good at, and another list of things that I enjoy. I hoped that this would immediately give me some answers, but of course, it did not. Well, at least not immediately. A few days later, I decided to write out another list. This list was to be one filled with all of my life’s goals--both big and small. As I was writing it out, God gave me the vision I needed to stabilize my next career moves. It gave me so much clarity. The list showed me the ways in which I can commit to my corporate America dream but also create things of my own. It showed me how all of these things can work together to advance one united goal. He showed me how I can use ALL of me in order to be fully submitted to the purpose He had in mind before He created me in my mother’s womb (Jeremiah 1:5). Let me just say….I’m so excited about this list, y’all!!!! Like, you don’t even know how much it has helped me in these past few weeks. It has guided me because I now know where I’m going. I keep going back to that list to cross check and make sure what I am doing each day aligns with that list. I am now beginning to shape all my moves around that list.

I did not just write out this long ol’ post just to tell y’all that I finally figured out the specific details of the system which I am creating in order to fulfill my purpose. That was part of it, because I am really excited about it, but the core of my message is this: I want to encourage you to not shoot aimlessly in life. Take the time to sit down, and identify your lane so you can begin to shoot on target. For me, prayer and list writing always gives me more clarity--that might not be the case for you. I want to encourage you to use whatever methods help you unclutter your mind, so you can:

Identify what your broad purpose is:

Your purpose can be seen as a mission statement. Why are you here (...here as in on Earth)? If you were to write a 250-word bio, what would be the thesis statement? My life’s thesis statement is to help disenfranchised peoples in some way.

Identify what vessels will be used to propel that mission:

This is your “how.” How are you going to fulfill that vision? What entities do you need to build or develop in order to carry that mission? One of my vessels is Law. Becoming a lawyer is one of the ways I plan to help marginalized peoples.

Create your system:

Your system is the overall product. Your system is the combination of all your vessels and how they interact with one another in order to push towards one united goal. Once you have identified your purpose and your vessels, you will be able to put all of these things together to create a system that will work together towards a particular cause...like an ecosystem, for example.

I really want to encourage anyone reading this to sit down and organize their purpose because I believe that if everyone was doing what they were created to do, the world would be such a better place. Deciding to take the time out and really draft a system for myself has really guided my steps these past few weeks, and I hope it will do the same for y’all.

Pray for me y’all, and I’ll be praying for you too!!