In a recent interview I was asked to name the achievement I am most proud of. I didn’t have to think for very long before I had my answer. I’m not sure my answer was what the interviewer expected. I think there are probably several things the interviewer expected me to say and the thing I chose wasn’t one of them. But before I tell you what I did say I want to throw out a few answers I could have given.
Here are a few responses I could have chosen:
I’m most proud of the fact that I once deadlifted 730 pounds in a powerlifting contest. In fact I’ve won every powerlifting contest I’ve ever entered.
I’m most proud of the fact that I’ve been in popular publications like GQ and People magazine. I’ve also been featured in fitness magazines like Men’s Health and been a cover model for fitness magazines including Muscle and Fitness.
I’m most proud of the fact that I wrote a book and got it published. As a matter of fact my book won Christian thriller of the year for 2018.
I’m most proud of the fact that I’ve been seen by thousands of people on television shows and in numerous commercials. And by the way, one of my main roles is pretending to be a superhero on TV and in magazines.
I’m most proud of the fact that I left my home with almost nothing and moved across the country to live in Los Angeles and now I’ve managed to survive for almost a decade in one of the most expensive and difficult cities to live in the United States.
I didn’t mention any of those things in response to the interviewer’s question. In fact, I truly believe that all those things put together add up to very little in the grand scheme of life. Those of you who are consistent readers of mine know I’m not bragging when I list those things. From an eternal perspective those things are negligible at best.
My actual answer to the question is that I’m most proud of the fact that I am about to adopt a little girl out of the LA County Foster Care system.
The answer didn’t take a lot of thought. It just came to me. As I quickly thought over my life, it was the one thing that came to the surface. But in retrospect I have a couple of quick thoughts about my answer.
- My answer was something I hadn’t quite done yet.
Our little girl is in the process of being adopted, but it isn’t finalized quite yet. It has been a long process and it isn’t quite over. I think it is part of my personality to keep pushing forward and keep reaching, but it’s still interesting to me that I would list my greatest accomplishment as something I was going to do instead of something I had already done.
- My answer was about relationship.
All the things on the list I just gave are temporary things. All my magazine features are tucked away in a box in a closet. In fact I stopped even collecting them anymore. My television shows have aired and are long since old news. I don’t even know where all my deadlifting trophies ended up. The only worth any of those things have are in what type of person they made me into. In contrast to all those tangible things adopting a daughter is relational. It’s about a human life. And humans are eternal. In the end, the only things I can really be proud of are the lives I have influenced. And my daughter is at the top of that list.
The interviewer’s question was a good one. I felt it showed me something about myself. What about you? What is the one thing you are most proud of accomplishing? What does your answer teach you about yourself?
