Tears welled up in my eyes as I realized that "tragedy had struck"¦I was going to make a B rather than an A. I was 23 years old, and the class was Advanced Accounting during the MBA program at Baylor. This was a tragedy for me because I worked very, very hard to make all As. As that point in my life, my significance depended on what I accomplished not only in the classroom, but in leadership positions in student organizations as well. As a professor in the accounting department at SMU, I see students all around me also striving for significance in their lives. Some students focus on academic achievement as indicated by a high grade point average. Many will only feel fulfilled when they land that prestigious, high-paying job. Others seek recognition that comes from being an officer in an organization. Numerous students feel significant only if they are accepted by certain peers and have a full social schedule. While all of these activities can be good, when a person's self image depends on these things, it leads to disaster. What happens when you get a C rather than an A? What if you receive many rejection letters, but no job offers? What happens when your friends become distant? This hollow perspective on life leads to tremendous pressure to keep on succeeding. Furthermore, no accomplishment is ever as completely fulfilling and glorious as imagined. Thankfully, I have learned there is another way to approach life because of my relationship with Jesus. Ultimately, I understand that I can never do everything or be everything that I should be. Hope is found is found in admitting that truth and trusting God with my entire life. God has changed me over time, and He continues that molding process to this day. It took many years for me to fully understand that God loves me unconditionally and sees me as significant because He created me. As I more fully realize that God designed me with certain abilities, my significance became more and more from God and His plan for my life and less and less from myself. My happiness was more and more related to my relationship with Christ, not from my resume or credentials. God has gradually freed me from my driven personality and replaced stress with peace because I know He is in control. Oh, I still fall back into my old bad patterns many, many times, but God faithfully forgives me and the Bible and my Christian friends encourage me to keep moving in the right direction. These changes have made a tremendous difference in my marriage, my approach to parenting, my focus with teaching, and all of my relationships with friends. I have a tremendous sense of purpose. I am motivated to love those around me and encourage them to strengthen their relationship with God because I know that is what really matters for all of eternity. I know that despite my challenges, struggles, and disappointments in life, I have been given the wonderful gift of an identity that comes from Christ, eternal hope found in Christ and significance through Christ as I seek to live in a way that expresses my gratitude to Him. I would love to talk with you further about my perspective on life if you have any questions.