Are you the kind of person who does whatever it takes to get the job, task or goal done? Or, perhaps, do you know someone who does whatever it takes? My husband is one of those people although I don’t think he thinks of himself in that way. If queried he’d probably tell you that he is just lazy enough that he’d rather get stuff done quickly and then be able to lay back and snooze but he’s really not one of those people who does anything by half measures. Over the years, his willingness to get up and get chores and tasks done around our house has certainly influenced me to get things done rather than sit around and complain.

But there’s really more to someone doing whatever it takes than just to get things done. There are people who are like two Baha’i friends I know who are about the age of my parents. They are the most giving people and the mother is always at the Baha’i center before the Sunday Devotions, making coffee and tea and spreading out delectable treats for the community after the services. She has always made me feel very, very welcomed and special. My friend and her husband have made the decision to take what they have learned over the years about the Baha’i Faith to Africa to share and help build communities there and I have to say that I was both touched and a little sad. I’m so glad that our African friends will know these two special Baha’i and yet at the same time I am selfishly feeling sad that my friend will be gone for awhile. I will miss her smiling face and her warm, gentle heart. She is truly someone who embodies doing whatever it takes to get things done but even more to touch many people’s hearts with her love, kindness and attention.

Lately, I feel as if I’ve allowed my life to become a holographic computer program where I flit from project to person to project and don’t spend as much time or give as much attention to anyone thing as I would want to do. I know that many of us are feeling this same way because of all the new technology, discoveries, inventions that we are getting to enjoy now. I hope that I can learn to enjoy and use the technology instead of allowing it to winnow into my being and use me. This afternoon I took Paul for a five-mile run through our hood and it felt so good for just my little machismo man dog and me to be running up and down the hills. It was a nice piece of time for me to commune with my God, for me to be in sync with my dog and for me to exercise my body in the gorgeous October air.

What does doing whatever it takes mean to you? When you do whatever it takes what propels you to do it?