
The Power of Being Middle C
In this series on Becoming Nobody Special, I’m sharing reflections, stories and gentle provocations from my own unfolding journey—and from the journeys of those I have the honor of walking alongside. We’d love for you to join us. Here is the link to the video. Today, I want to offer you a story that beautifully illustrates the dance between wanting to be special and learning the art of being ordinary. Remember Sarah from my previous post? This is a story about Sarah. That’s not her real name, but she’s given me full permission to share this with you — because she knows how deeply valuable her process is, and how many others might grok something meaningful from her exploration. And I agree. The Life Purpose Question In a recent session, Sarah said something many of us have probably thought or asked: “I just really want to know what my life purpose is.” It was such a sincere moment — but also a loaded one. Underneath her words was a striving: a hope that her purpose might reveal she is extraordinary, talented, valuable, and important. And so I did what any fairy godmother would do — I reached for my (imaginary) magic wand and said: “Sarah, in this moment, I’m waving my wand. You now know your life purpose. You are Middle C.” She looked at me, a bit puzzled. Sarah knows music well, so she instantly understood the reference. Middle C — the central key on the piano. The starting note