Raising Your Sails; The Courage to Live Uncommonly
In our latest Coffee Pods episode, we explored the fascinating concept of being "common" versus living an "uncommon" life. The conversation began with an examination of the uniquely British understanding of the word "common" - a term that carries complex class connotations in UK culture. Unlike in other countries, being labeled as "common" in Britain often implies not just ordinariness but can be used in a discriminative way, suggesting someone lacks ambition, education, or social standing. Interestingly, these judgments are frequently based on accents or vocabulary rather than a person's actual capabilities or character.
This cultural understanding of "common" provided the perfect springboard to discuss Tony Dungy's book "Uncommon," co-written with Nathan Whitaker. The book's central philosophy - "don't be afraid to stand out by doing things differently. The uncommon life is one of purpose, not popularity" - resonated deeply throughout our conversation. We reflected on how people who achieve greatness in fields like sports are often those who go beyond ordinary decisions and put in extraordinary effort, like the football player who always arrived at practice earlier and stayed later than everyone else.
The discussion then moved to deeper spiritual territory as we contemplated how living an uncommon life connects to our identity in Christ. We explored how many people are held back by fear - fear of stepping out of their comfort zones, fear of the unknown, fear of failure. This fear keeps them in the queue rather than riding the metaphorical roller coaster of life. The truly uncommon life, we suggested, involves "recklessly following God," putting your sail up and letting the divine wind guide you to unexpected destinations. This journey requires trust and courage but leads to experiences and growth that would be impossible if we stayed within the boundaries of what is common or expected.
We challenged the social media-driven obsession with trends and conformity that bombards us daily, telling us what to wear, what to buy, and ultimately, who to be. These influences push us toward commonality and comparison rather than celebrating our unique qualities and purposes. As we noted, "Don't compare your life with others. There is no comparison between the sun and the moon. They shine when it's their time." Each person has their own time to shine, their own unique contribution to make, whether they're a garbage collector or a world leader.
The conversation concluded with some fascinating historical connections that revealed the extraordinary within the seemingly ordinary. The fact that Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin were born on exactly the same day in 1809 despite their vastly different life paths, or that the pyramids were built while the last woolly mammoths still roamed the earth, reminds us that the world is full of uncommon connections if we look for them. Similarly, William Shakespeare and Pocahontas were contemporaries who died within a year of each other, just 100 miles apart. These unexpected links remind us that commonality itself can be uncommon when viewed from a different perspective.
Listen to the full episode here.