Personal Agendas are great and needed in this world to have maximum impact.  I have many of them.  However pushing those agenda’s on other people is a whole different story.

Pushing Personal Agenda’s.  I think right now if you want to get me fired up just throw in front of me so many people today trying to push their personal agenda’s on other people.  The whole issue has infiltrated everything and everywhere.  From politics down to our homes I’m very sensitive to the whole thing right now.  Why?  because it is rampid everywhere.  I want to scream at the top of my lungs… can’t we all strip down all of our personal agenda’s and run around naked and be happy?  A little extreme I guess.  You really would not want to see me running around in my birthday suit but you get the point.  The agenda’s are out there.  Passion, mission, politics, faith, beliefs, money and reasons to make it, and the list goes on.

I personally just think there is a big separationthat we need to be careful of as we try and live out our passions and experiences and not make those things become our silent personal agenda’s and expectations for other peoples lives.  I don’t think we always know we are placing expectations on other people and many times it happens.  Too often it happens.  Especially when we are really following hard after the things we are passionate about. 

I personally have to constantly make sure I’m not doing that myself.  Sometimes I know I have crossed the line or come close to it.  If you know me at all you know there are some things that make me tick.  I would call them my experiences and passions.  For instance… some of those things are issues like fertility and adoption.  There are many more but those were the first 2 that came to mind.

Infertility – Many of you know that I struggled with infertility and conceiving both our children.  I spent many a years researching and trying things that were low cost treatments and things that we could do that would not break the bank.  And I love talking about infertility with people and ways and ideas that may help someone in their journey… BUT I would never go to those people and tell them that they have to seek treatment.  The thing is, it’s personal.  Some people will seek treatment and others won’t but it’s not my place to put my opinions on them but to support them in their journey. I had people come to me in my time of infertility and basically tell me that the issue was my lack of faith and that I should read some scriptures more.  No lie.  Good thing I was a pretty spiritually sound person to know that was not the Truth.  But so often people will believe other people’s personal agenda’s.

Adoption – I am becoming more and more PASSIONATE about adoption.  I”ve always had a heart for children and it’s fun to finally be in your sweet spot and see things unravel.  I am loving our adoption journey we are on.  Doors are opening for me to start to be more involved in supporting other people in the process as well.  However I am very aware that not all people feel passionate about adoption and that is ok.  How about this… not everyone wants to adopt?  And that is ok.  Some people don’t think that way but I do.  I am personally trying to make sure that when I talk about adoption or our journey that I’m not making it out like it’s what everyone needs to do because it’s not.  It’s not my personal agenda to place on people.  Would I like to see everyone take the journey of adoption with their family?  Sure, but that is not for me to decide to persuade.  It’s my agenda to help and support and encourage other people in the process.  And for people not in the process I want them to just always look at our family and see what a wonderful journey and picture our family represents.  I just want it to be a good thing. 

Bottom line, I want to be aware and sensitive to myself and to others so that I am not finding myself pushing my personal agenda’s on other people.   Because I am very very very tired right now of feeling like everyone else is pushing their agenda’s on other people.  So be passionate, experience life.  Live out your dreams and what God is calling you to do but just be very careful not to get so caught up in your personal experiences that you don’t start pushing those same expectations off on other people.

I feel like I have not shared anything serious in a while and just wanted to share what has been stirring in my heart these past months.  And please, if you ever see or find me doing this to people.  Would you pull me aside or send and email in love and let me know.  I’m well aware that we don’t often see ourselves doing it when we acutally are.

Happy Friday Everyone!