July 31, 2025: The Honest Path

Who are you trying to be?

Everyone knows the story. When David defeated Goliath in battle, it was the upset of the ages.

But there’s a part that often gets skipped. Before facing the giant, David strapped on King Saul’s armor. The massive plates swallowed him whole and clanked like a rusty gate. He stumbled around, weighed down and off balance. A ridiculous fit.

So he shook it off and walked out onto the battlefield as himself, a simple shepherd boy, carrying only a slingshot and a few stones. No armor. No pretending.

I thought of David when I read a quote from Melinda French Gates, sharing her mother’s advice: “Set your own agenda or someone else will.”

Setting my course doesn’t have to be rigid. But it means naming my priorities and moving in that direction.

I’ve learned not to wait for approval. Often, the only permission slip I need is the one I write myself. It’s about choosing my own adventure, instead of handing the map to another person.

When the armor doesn’t fit, throw it off.

The stones work better anyway.