Level Up: A 7-Day Journey to Help You Advance in Your CallingSample

Levels

Life is designed to have an upward trajectory—a path that leads us forward from strength to strength. We can also say that life is lived on levels.

When I consider the concept of levels, I think of progression, like we see in physical growth, as we progress from childhood, to adolescence, to adulthood. We see levels in our education system, as we progress from elementary, to middle school, to high school, to college. The athletic system is played on levels, ranging from local, to state, to national. There are levels in leadership, in government, and in business. Homes are built on levels and video games are played on levels. And that’s just the short list!

Everywhere you look, you’ll find that life is lived on levels. So, it comes as no surprise that realizing your potential and fulfilling your calling are also done on levels. As we get started, let’s first establish what I mean by “level up.”

Consider a video game. I wouldn’t say I’m much of a gamer, but I did play my fair share of video games as a child. (A big cowabunga to all my Ninja Turtles arcade fans!)

The goal of every level isn’t just to win it, but also to gain as much as you can from it. Within every level, there is always something to obtain that will be needed for a later time. Whether it’s a hidden Easter egg, a special weapon, or golden coins—all these items have a unique value and are often needed to help you both advance to the next level and function effectively within it.

There are also items that help you accelerate your progress, causing you to move forward in leaps and bounds. So, to level up means both to be equipped for the next level and to also advance to it.

Right now, you may not be where you thought you’d be at this point in your life, and you may feel like you’re playing catch up. But you don’t have to remain stuck. You can begin to make up for lost time and boldly move forward into the future.

It will just take place gradually, in stages and phases, because realizing your potential is a process of becoming that is accomplished on levels.