What story am I telling with my life?

A year ago I read Donald Miller's A Million Miles In a Thousand Years---a great book that explores the concept of seeing our lives as narrative. If our lives are narrative, a story---then we should want it to be a compelling one.

I've been trying to live more intentionally and to be more conscious of the story I'm telling. While I have made good progress towards writing a better story, I'm still not 100% satisfied the story I'm telling. I realize there is more to be written.

I want to help people more. This morning I heard an excellent story on NPR about a 22 year old American woman who has moved to Uganda and is now parenting 13 orphaned girls. It's an inspiring story---I don't need to move to Uganda, but when I die, I want people to say---"wow, she really helped people" and mean it.

I want to take more logical risks (yes, I realize how ridiculous this sounds). I ran across an editorial (again on NPR) from an intern who happens to be from Lincoln---this led me to browse the job openings with NPR, and I have to admit---I was jealous of this Nebraska girls' opportunity. Earlier this week I checked out PhD programs at the University of Iowa, Michigan State, and the University of Michigan...and I longed (again) to move. I don't know if it will ever happen---but I want that experience of moving and living out of state--of taking a risk and trying something new like a PhD program out of state, or being an intern for NPR :) I want to live a life with vast, diverse experiences. When I'm old, I don't want to look back at my life and wish I would've done this or that, lived somewhere different, traveled more.

I want to build more sincere relationships. Last night I spent quite a bit of time with a local couple we've become quite close to, and as I reflect and recover from the late night--I realize how fulfilling it was. We drank wine, ate great food, sang beautiful songs, and talked about meaningful things. It was a beautiful time. And I want to develop more of these significant relationships--I want to invest more in people.

The best stories I've read are honest, unpredictable, compelling, and push me to be better. I want my life to be like that.