What are you fighting for?

“What did you say?”

“You better not of…”

“Excuse me?”

Fighting Words

I suppose today we’re supposed to use the term, “triggered.” That’s what the cool kids say. I want to be cool.

Everyone has something that’ll take them from 0 to 100 in an instant. Even Pope Francis.

Recently, a woman grabbed his hand in a way he didn’t like. He snatched his hand back before slapping her hand. It was a slap heard around the internet world.

“Love makes us patient,” he said. “So many times we lose patience, even me, and I apologize for yesterday’s bad example.”

Pope Francis – source

But let’s be honest. There are moments that should be fighting words. There are things that happen which should, from a place deep inside of you, cause you to go from 0 to 100.

There are things that should cause you to snap into action… not out of anger… but out of deep compulsion.

First, Fight for Yourself

Late last night I wrote this on my Instagram story:

Every day you need to ask yourself, “What’s worth fighting for?” Answer that question and you’ll never sleep.

Me, I said that

When I wrote that I was thinking about my oldest daughter’s first day back in classes at college. Thinking about her first year made me think about my own first year away from home.

I think the primary thing I learned my first year is that I to fight for myself. It wasn’t that anyone individually was against me. But it was absolutely coming to the realization that no one expected much out of me, I didn’t have a strong academic background to lean on, and at the time I didn’t have a strong family backing me up as they were all going through things of their own.

I woke up to that reality and moved forward fighting for myself because I knew no one was going to fight for me the way I could fight for myself.

Work was my way forward. Work was how I fought for myself. There wasn’t an easy way, there was only work.

It’s a lesson I’ve carried forward 25 years later. When the going gets tough, I get to work.

[Should note that this isn’t the healthiest response to stress, not recommending it for anyone else, but it’s my thing.]

Second, Fight for Others

I think the next component, the part that defines you as a person, is answering the question: “Who is worth fighting for in your life?”

There’s the obvious ones. Your spouse, your kids, your family.

Yeah, you’re probably gonna have that covered if you’ve read this far.

But I think it’s a really important question.

For me, right now, anyone who knows what’s going on in my life probably knows who I’m fighting for.

I’m fighting for the kids and families at a migrant shelter in Tijuana.

Every week I’m creating time to go to TJ, buy a bunch of food, deliver it, raise the money, share the story… all of that.

It’s my fight.

And for me, the why is super simple and super important.

First, I’m doing it because that’s what Jesus tells us to do.

Second, I’m doing it because in those kids faces I see my grandparents and descendents. In some small way I’d like to think I’m here today because when they came to the States as a little child, people were kind to their family, too.

Lastly, I’m doing it because I’d like to think that in that shelter are future business people, future politicians, future entrepreneurs, future doctors, and future change makers… maybe, in some small way, my randomly showing up every week leaves an impression about who we are as Americans. Yes, the politics of the moment is messed up. But we are a kind and welcoming society. We are a melting pot. And those families in that shelter need to know that they are loved, that they are wanted, that in them we see our past and our future at the same time. They need to know that there are hundreds and thousands of Americans who see them, who know it’s not easy, and are willing to fight for them.

Which leads me to something I ask of you, dear reader, to contemplate: What are you fighting for today?