Discovering
Your Purpose for Living!
Carpe Diem. - Latin phrase - "Seize the
Day." It's an exhortation to live
life to the fullest-to get the most out of each day. That's what we all want! We want to "go for the gusto" and
squeeze the life out of life. Too bad we
get caught floundering around with the daily drudgeries of our existence. We
don't think that we have time to "Seize the Day."
How
do we squeeze the life out of life?
A
PURPOSE FOR LIVING
All Successful people have discovered
a worthwhile purpose for their life.
They know why they exist. This is
true not only for successful individuals, but also for successful churches,
businesses, civic organizations, and clubs.
They all know WHY they exist.
HOW TO DISCOVER YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE
What is the chief, central, primary
purpose for your life? I'm not asking
what roles you fill or obligations you must satisfy. We all need to be good parents, faithful
spouses, and ethical business people. I
asking about something deeper. As you
fulfill you daily responsibilities what is the overarching purpose of your
life?
Not sure? Here's some questions to get you
thinking?
1) WHAT GIVE YOU PASSION?
Napoleon Hill has said:
"Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of
your soul; the blueprints of your ultimate achievements."
Take some time to examine your hopes,
dreams, and aspirations. What are those
things in life that when accomplished give you greater strength instead of
shear exhaustion? What things renew you
rather than drain you? What are you
involved with that gives you the felling that you are contributing something of
value to the world? By exploring your
PASSIONS you will begin to uncover your PURPOSE.
Orison Swett Marden said "There's
no grander sight in the world than that of a person fired with a great purpose,
dominated by one unwavering aim." If this statement could describe any of
us, then we would certainly be learning to "seize the day."
2)
WHAT ARE YOUR RESOURCES-YOUR POTENTIAL?
Listen to some of the
"great" motivational experts and you'll hear them say that your
potential is unlimited. At this point
in my life their are certain things that are beyond my reach. For example, no matter how hard I work or how
much I train, I don't have the potential to play basketball in the NBA. It's simply beyond my potential.
Nevertheless I do have some pretty
terrific potential. So do you! The trick is to discover that potential. That's a key to discerning you our life's
purpose. To begin identifying your
potential start by asking yourselves these questions. Record your answers in your journal.
What unique God-given abilities do you
possess?
What experiences have provided you
with special wisdom?
What skills have you developed in you
business or profession?
What knowledge have gained while
earning your education?
What are your personal strengths of
character?
3) WHAT ARE THE NEEDS AROUND ME?
The most successful person in modern history was
a Catholic Nun named Mother Theresa.
That sounds strange when you consider her lifestyle. She was a
rather plain looking individual of small stature-not some leggy super-model.
She was a poor in a world that values wealth--living in a one-room apartment
with only a few pieces of furniture. Though she didn't fit any of our "success"
stereotypes, I doubt that few would deny the achievements and value of her
life. She was one of the most successful people to
ever live.
Leadership expert John Maxwell has
written:
"God's gift to me is my
potential. My gift to God is what I do
with that potential. I believe great
leaders sense a 'higher calling'--one that lifts them above themselves. What a terrible waste of life to be climbing
the ladder of success only to find when you read the top that you were leaning
against the wrong building."
Mother Theresa's ladder was leaning
against the right building. That's what
made her successful. She looked
around. She saw the tremendous need that
existed in Calcutta. She knew that she
had the potential to make a difference--one life at a time. Her heart was stirred. Her passions were energized. She devoted her life to make a difference. That's success in life!
PUTTING
IT ALL TOGETHER
What gives you passion? What are your resources-your potential? What are the needs of the people around you? Answer these questions. Find out how each response intersect. When you do you will be on your way to
discovering a worthwhile purpose for your life.
destroy
(verb): to ruin, to
pull down
The
house was destroyed by the fire.
misconstrue (verb): to interpret, analyse, or
understand something incorrectly; misunderstand
Do
not misconstrue his actions to mean he likes you -- being pleasant to customers
is part of his job.
obstruct (verb): to block, prevent, hinder
The
fallen tree obstructed the roadway and blocked traffic for hours.
tactilely (adverb): related to the sense of
touch
Some
people are tactilely oriented while others are visually oriented.
tangible (adjective): able to be perceived by
touch, physically real
Many
people want tangible proof of something before they believe it to be true.
contiguous (adjective): touching, next in a
sequence
The
United States has forty-eight contiguous states.
contingent
(adjective):
possible, dependent on something else
Armand's
move to a new apartment is contingent on his getting a raise.
extensive (adjective): large in area, wide
There
are extensive farm fields located in the plain states.
contend (verb): to strive or reach for, to
argue
The
two fighters contended for the heavy-weight championship title.
retain (verb): to keep, to hold in place
Blanche
retained her Alaskan residence since she will return there when she is finished
with school.
continue (verb): to keep going, to remain
The
movie is scheduled to continue until midnight.
content (noun, adjective): something
contained, held; satisfied
I
can't tell what the content of this can is until I open it.
tenacious (adjective): holding or sticking to
something
Kareem
is tenacious and he will stick with a subject until he understands it.
exterminate (verb): to kill off, to get rid of
The
Schaeffer's hired a company to exterminate the cockroaches living in their
house.
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