Quick. Tell me about the Great Pyramid.

Seriously. Tell me about the Great Pyramid, the last surviving member of the Wonders of the Ancient world. Sort of. So tell me about it. Stone. Surrounded by desert. Shaped like a pyramid. Try harder. Pointy top. Okay stop. Up until that moment you were at least somewhat accurate.

Wait. You may be wondering, "Why am I looking at a South African Flag covering a coffin that is surrounded by stately Black men in formal military dress?" First off, it's probably safer then if you ever find yourself standing on a ledge, asking "Why am I holding this 30lb. Cinder block in my hands? You might also ask yourself, 'why does this cinder block have a long piece of string tied to it? And finally..." But I digress.

Why is the Great Pyramid important? Because it stands the test of time. And if you want to build a life that's going to stand the test of time, it might be good to have a model to work from.

Consider this. The Golden Capstone? Missing. Stolen? Never got delivered? Barney in purchasing forgot to hit send? Definitely, we know that it is missing. The Pyramid? Still standing. And will, it appears to continue to stand. Imagine for a minute, then, that the capstone is the wrong place to start.

What has the Pyramid standing? Levels. Built upon levels. The bottom level is larger and more important than the next level. Hence, the shape of the pyramid. Back to you. If what's at the bottom of the pyramid is most important, what part of the human life is at "Level 1"? To me, after watching lives stand up and lives fall apart, what I'd lean into is that "Level 1" involves important questions and answers to questions like "Who am I?" "What do I value?" What is important to me?" "How am I gifted?" and the like. The more you know about you, the more you can possibly know and understand about everyone and everything else.

Side note: I wouldn't go the 'Know thyself and to Thyself be true.' For one thing, for me and many in my generation, that quote is in and of itself a Mandela moment. It's the combination of two different quotes, one from the Temple of Apollo, and one from Billy Shakespeare. They don't really go together at all, and to put them together would be the recipe for raising an incredibly self obsessed generation that would do a lot of damage on it's children. Oh. Wait. That really happened.

Back to the pyramid of you. Level 1: Understanding you. Level 2? Who are you going to take with you on the journey? Once you understand you, your relationships have a foundation. Questions will drive this process also. "How do I understand family?" "Who shares my vision?" "Who is really there for me when things are falling apart in the middle of the night?" "If I'm in a lifeboat, on an adventure, or on the couch, or in the car, who do I want to take with me?" Different faces. Different friends. Build the team. And recognize, some of them will come and go. If your life is a book, some of them will be there for a chapter or two. Others will weave themselves in and through several parts of your story. And that's probably a beautiful story is designed.

Third level? The missing, perhaps golden, capstone, of the Great Pyramid that is lost to the sands of time? Imagine that's the answer to the question "What am I going to do? " Whatever you accomplish in this life is eternal dust. The only permanent parts are the foundation, and you, and those you take with you. At the same time, the golden captsone is attractive, not just to you, but to others. If it's going to stay put, and make a difference, then it's dependent on the stability of the pyramid. Notice we start at the wrong place. The question we asked five year old you? "What are you going to be when you grow up?" Seventeen year old you? "What are you going to major in at college?" (See how many of us assumed college was the best choice for you without asking you about you?) Thirty year old you or fifty year old you in a new social setting? "So tell me what you do? " And with our questions, we drive the idea that the pyramid is somehow flipped. Picture it for a minute: A large upside down pyramid precariously balanced. The slightest change makes everything else crumble. And then recognize that many people live their lives under those fears. And here is the secret. Your value is not defined by your capstone.

Of course, you'll notice, if you were reading carefully, that I snuck in the mention of a foundation. I'd argue that's the most important place to start, because it doesn't make a lot of sense to start a serious building process without making sure it will last. I'd beleive that foundational piece relies on the question of "Who is God?" Because even if we disagree on that, we can certainly agree that we need something outside of us, that defines us for all time. Otherwise, the changes that are made in us may not hold up, either. But that's a different conversation for a different day.

Until then, keep asking the questions that will stand up over time.

thus spake,

me.