Bob Goff: ‘Live a whimsical, impactful life’

If you are taking Bob Goff’s advice, pay attention to the rumble strips of life — be mindful of life’s distractions.

Goff is an author, speaker and follower of Jesus who spent 25 years practicing law before changing his path to pursue a “whimsical, impactful life.” He has written books on living one’s best life, and he is traveling the United States sharing his storytelling skills, as well as his new book, “Undistracted.”

Renaut van der Riet, pastor of Mosaic Church, has invited Goff to speak at a one-night engagement this month, and he said this is a must-see event. Goff’s hope is to reassure people that it’s possible to harness today’s distractions; follow Jesus’ example; and find focus, purpose and joy.

“He is just amazing,” van der Riet said. “I encountered him the first time as a speaker at a university convocation, and he was just absolute wonderful. … He is just a wonderful, whimsical, inspirational communicator — just captivating.

“Here’s this guy that, on the stage, is wonderful, whimsical — and then you find out what he has done,” van der Riet said. “You think, there’s no way someone has done all this, and he has.”

Goff founded the nonprofit Love Does, which fights for human rights and provides education to children in conflict zones. His organization has opened schools in Uganda, Iraq, the Congo and Afghanistan; a girl home in Nepal; a girls academy, baby home and safe house in Somalia; and a hospital in Iraq.

In addition to Love Does, Goff is a New York Times bestselling author of five books — “Love Does,” “Everybody, Always,” “Live in Grace, Walk in Love,” “Dream Big” and “Undistracted” — and he runs a weekly podcast and recently became a farmer just outside San Diego.

Goff has a steady 649,000 Instagram followers who look to his thousands of posts for inspiration. He frequently shares quotes that carry out his message of living on purpose: “Don’t let everything going on around you distract you from what God is doing within you.” “If our lives are filled with purpose, we won’t be distracted looking for everyone’s approval.” “Distraction robs us of the ability to both live in the moment and discern what lasts.”

“It doesn’t really matter who you are from a spiritual background, you’re going to be inspired,” van der Riet said.

And Goff’s books resonate with people of all ages.

“I’m 47, and I love Bob,” van der Riet said. “My daughters are 22 and 18, and they love Bob. I don’t care if you’re 85 or you’re 18, you encounter Bob and you love him.”

It’s his unique way of telling stories, his way of writing that is easy to read, he said.

“And when you’re done, you’re profoundly inspired and he’s given you profound things to think about,” van der Riet said. “He takes things that often feel lofty and heavy like, ‘love everyone all the time,’ but after you hear him, you think, ‘I want to go and love everyone.’”

The event at Mosaic is open to the community, and tickets are still available.

“After a long season of difficult things, I think we all need a little bit of lightheartedness, laughter and wonder,” van der Riet said. “Bob Goff will bring us all of that while baking into it profound inspiration. This is the kind of church we want to be for our community. That’s why these are the kinds of people we want to bring in. We trust this encounter with Bob Goff will warm our hearts and lift our souls. We hope it’s the beginning of many years of warming hearts and lifting souls at Mosaic.”