Former New York Mayor Ed Koch, who died last week, had a signature saying: “How’m I doing?” He asked it of passerbys at subway stations, street corners and press conferences.

Behind the question was a request for feedback. He was asking the people of New York how he was doing as Mayor. Was he making them feel safer, more prosperous and happier to be New Yorkers?

Another Form of Prayer

This question need not, however, be reserved for politicians. It is a question each of us can ask ourselves. In fact, I see prayer as a way of checking in with God and asking, “How’m I doing?”

Am I living with greater compassion? Am I treating others as I would want to be treated? Am I living up to my potential as a human being?

We need those check-ins. We need them regularly, because they can push us to arrive at a more satisfying answer. As the late Zig Ziglar put it, “People often say motivation doesn’t last. Neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.”

Faith is our daily way of turning to God and to one another and asking, “How’m I doing?”  

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