The word “missing” is derived from the Old English word “missan,” which means “fail to hit,” “miss a mark,” or “to fail in what was aimed at.” Ironically, the Hebrew word for “sin” (חטא) also literally means “missing the mark.” What an “ugly,” “culturally loaded” word “sin” has become!

In order to hit the mark or hit the target, we first need to have a “target.” And then, we have to patiently practice and put in the work required to “hit the target.” We need to understand the nature of the “dart game” that we are involved in or are participating in for the sake of advancing our goals of “hitting the mark.”

The first question worth examining is related to our life and to our existence. Do we love our life? Do we even like our life? Do we like being here? Do we enjoy the act of living? Or, has living been reduced to “surviving?”

Do we like “ourselves?” This is the most potent question of all…

The next question is “do we have a compelling story worth telling, both to ourselves and to others?” If we don’t have a meaningful story that informs our life, and if we are unable to articulate what that story actually is and what this story entails, how can we possibly propel ourselves forward to a target or “the target?”

This all sounds very philosophical and heady. However, this is, in fact, one of the deepest matters of the heart…

Do you feel belonging and purpose here in this life? Do you feel safe? Do you feel loved?

These are the questions that I ask myself each day. This is what propels me forward.

So, what do I want to do? Survive? Yes, of course! But, more than surviving, my hope and dreams and desires would be to leave behind a story and an individual & family legacy that inspires others a thousand years from now…

I still have a long way to go towards achieving these goals. But, I practice every day with my “daily darts” of life, living, friendships, and relationships. Is it hard? Yes, it is. But, it also feels very good and very real and very true to me, to myself, and to my life.