Like a Sponge

If you came here today hoping to gain some wisdom from one of the most primitive animals known to man, then you are about to get your money’s worth.

This animal is Ancient!  They’ve likely been around for ~2.5 billion years and are considered one of the very first animals in existence.  If wisdom truly comes with age, then we can probably learn a lot from these little guys.  

For example, this animal is incredibly adaptable!  They are the only animals that if broken down to the level of their cells, they can actually reassemble themselves.  

These things are also more absorbent than a roll of Bounty paper towels. (Yep, the quicker picker upper).  They’re able to rapidly draw in a current of water and extract and filter out the stuff worth keeping (e.g. nutrients and oxygen). 

In case you haven’t guessed it by now, I’m talking about none other than the amazing… SPONGE. 

I’m sure you’re wondering by now… Why all of the “Sponge” talk, right?  Well, I’m so glad you asked. . .   

When I stop and reflect on who I am today, SPONGE (strangely enough) is the first word that comes to mind… 

You see, I can’t help but think back to just how many people I have to thank for SHAPING me along my journey…   Some people can look back in time and immediately pin point that SINGLE person in their life who sort of pulled them under their wing and possibly saw them as their “Protege”. 

For me, however, I can’t imagine who I’d be without any one of the MANY people who either inspired me to strive for something (or to be someone) better or went out of their way to pour into my life.  But…

It takes Intentionality

I didn’t have people chasing me down because they saw untapped potential, but rather I usually saw something in THEM. These are people that usually caught my attention and inspired me in some way. In some cases it had to do with things they DID really well (maybe skills or natural talents) and in other cases it was simply a matter of WHO they were (their character) that drew me in.  

Now, I could probably reminisce all day here at the many people who have come in and out of my life impressing some flow of goodness upon me, but I’d love to share just a few of my sponge moments and the lessons I think we could allow relate to. 

Confidence

When I was a young boy and dealing with a neighborhood bully, I had my 6ft+ muscle-bound, Harley-riding brother-in-law who was there to boost me up and convince me of how strong I was. He seemed to have his own way of showing me an incredible potential that I had within AND its as if by the end of a single motivational speech. . . he gave me the key to unlock it! This is not a call to violence or revenge, but rather a deep human desire for confidence and self-worth. This is a guy who would become the closest thing to a father-figure in my life and taught me more than I can even articulate in words.

Like a sponge, I soaked up confidence, courage and a big heart for the underdogs. 

Discipline

When I was a young musician I met one of the best trumpet players I’d ever heard in person.  By this time, I’d been playing for 2 years and didn’t realize the instrument was even capable of producing what came out of his horn!  As we became close friends, I began to absorb what dedication looked like when it comes to truly mastering a craft and embracing the beauty of such an art. 

And, like a sponge, I absorbed the gift of music, the discipline it takes to speak that language and the experiences it brings when you share it with others!

Inspiration

When I was pursuing my first tech job. . .  I distinctly remember working with a guy in my first tech job that could pick up any piece of technology – regardless of how complex and make it do things that only seemed possible in movies!  This guy walked me into a datacenter in a small town in North Louisiana and showed me how the internet worked… And, even cooler, how we would directly connect people to the internet from their homes, businesses and devices. Remember those days of dial-up internet and AOL… We were North Louisiana’s local ramp onto the internet as an Internet Service Provider and I was lucky enough to play a leading role in that… while I was still in college.

And, like a sponge, I jumped (head first) into the uncharted waters of the digital age while it was still being birthed! 

Since then, I’ve found so many amazing people that have inspired, encouraged and shaped the person I am today; as a professional, a husband, a father, a friend, and ultimately, as a sponge for so many others.

Being a Sponge

Now, I also want to acknowledge that Sponges sometimes get a “bad rap” (in the human world) where phrases like “being a sponge” is commonly referred to as someone who takes from others and doesn’t give anything in return. . . 

I mean. . . any good sponge has the temptation to become a bit “self-absorbed”, right?!  That said, here are a few things to keep in mind. . . 

• Give back freely to both those who invest in you as well as others around you.  Consider your learning to be more than enough of a payment.  
• Remain humble along the way. . . Or, as one author says, “Don’t get too cocky on the road to awesome or you’ll fall right back to being “average” -Jon Acuff
• Avoid the comparison game – Avoid the tendency of getting discouraged by comparing yourself to those whom you are learning from! Don’t compare your start to someone else’s status. It likely took years of discipline, repetition, practice and hard work to get to the point of where they are. That’s why he or she was likely so interesting to you in the first place.

Here’s one more biology lesson for the day… 

Despite their appearance, Sponges are actually not a single being; they’re really just a bunch of individual “specialized” cells all working together to ensure the sponge (as a whole) survives. 

The lesson here is -its not just about YOU!

So, like a sponge. . .  

• Seek out and absorb from those around you; especially those with life-giving wisdom and encouragement
• Chew on all of that wisdom, filtering out the stuff that doesn’t make sense for you and internalize the stuff that does  
• Use everything that you take in and graciously pour out to others – thus playing a vital role to those around you!