Almost a day doesn't pass in which I do not hear some variation of this...
"I am still looking for my purpose..."
I can't tell you what your purpose specifically is...but I can at least share what I have learned!
What I know is that it is the plight of human-kind to search for meaning and purpose!
If you are searching...do not think yourself unique...nearly everyone does it consciously or sub-consciously!
Stand in a crowd and look around...most of the people around you are or were searching too!
Were?
The sad thing is that many of those around you have either grown apathetic and settled, or just plain quit searching...
Why?
The answers to that one word question are as numerous as there are people...yet there are a few general categories related to failures or excuses that people give for quitting!
- Many have pursued things that they had no right to be chasing!
- Some never really started...just talked about their goals and dreamed their lives away!
- Some were deceived by visions of grandeur...and scared by the possibility of failure or achievement!
- Still others were ill-prepared by their impatience...thinking that they had learned enough and paid sufficient price...so that when the opportunity arose...they were not ready to take it!
- Some just quit!
What most "searchers" miss is the fact that one's purpose is not determined by what they get today!
Today's rewards "do not your purpose make"...they are nothing more than food to keep you going until tomorrow and every day thereafter...until you have fulfilled your what you were designed to do...your purpose!
So what is your purpose?
My first bit of advice...
Look to your future!
Your purpose is found in your epitaph!
The bottom line is that your purpose in life is to leave a legacy!
It is not really the end...but what you did along the way...
I have often described it as the meaning of "dash" that will be found, between the birth year and death year, engraved on your grave's headstone...
It is the story that lives on after you are gone!
It is the sum total of what you have done with your life...
It is the GOOD that you are remembered for...
It is the BAD that you are remembered for...
It is your successes and failures...
It is what you have left...
AND WHAT ABOUT THOSE PEOPLE WHO LEAVE NOTHING?
FROM MY PERSPECTIVE...Leaving nothing...is the ultimate failure!
Why?
Because you left nothing...and won't be remembered!
You have wasted your time and consumed resources that someone else could have put to better use!
That last statement is pretty harsh...I reminded you of that...so as to put your search for your purpose into proper perspective! You can not quit!
So this leads to the question...
What am I going to leave when I am gone?
I do not think that this is a difficult question to answer...
The difficulty occurs when when we complicate it with unrealistic dreams and aspirations...
These tend to misdirect us and cloud our vision...
The truth is...
Elegance is found in simplicity...seek the simple answer!
How do we do that?
Cutting to the chase...
I would love to be able to tell everyone specifically what they should be doing...
Oftentimes...the specifics related to one's purpose are actually easy to identify...
Ask yourself...What do I LOVE doing?
Believe it or not that is more often than not...your purpose!
That is what you have been built for!
Your mind and body often reward your connection with your purpose with positive feelings!
Look into this concept seriously...
When "function" (purpose) finds its "fit"... it feels good!
Yet...This is just the beginning...
Your purpose in life is to find your purpose AND (on a daily basis) refine what you do!
You aren't going to be "dead on" right off!
Keep refining...
That in actuality is part of your purpose!
Ultimately you will find that in doing that...you will have built a backlog of great and wonderful experiences ...(your legacy)...
MISSION FULFILLED...
You can be a legend...or...
At least one in your own right!
How?
I can't tell you what your mission is...but I can tell suggest how you handle your life after you identify it!
Here is a simple guide...that may help take you one step closer to doing what you were meant to do...the right way!
Here it is:
1 - Start by being honest with yourself...You can lie to others...but the person most hurt by lies is you!
2 - Realize that you are entirely alone and that no one owes you anything...
3 - Realize that your clock is ticking...make the most of every moment...
4 - Stop thinking that the world should "cut you slack" for stupid, lazy or selfish things that you have done...you have earned what you got!
5 - Stop looking at what you can get for yourself and focus on what you can do for others with what you got...
6 - Be satisfied with who you are and what you got...
7 - Remain humble...you have nothing to prove to anyone but yourself
8 - Be sensitive to others
9 - Do not be anything but yourself...
10 - Do not settle on anything but your best...Stop "trying"...either do it...or don't!"
11 - Smile more!
12 - Walk a little taller...
13 - Dance a little longer...
14 - Sing a little louder...
15 - Stand a bit bolder..being proud of who you are
16 - If you can't say nothing nice...don't say anything at all!
17 - Leave every moment a little better in gratitude for your having been a participant...
Even without really knowing your true purpose in life...if you follow these guidelines...you'll leave a legacy!
Perhaps your mission is only to live within those guidelines...
Perhaps that is everyones' purpose!
Perhaps we are looking for something that we all have in common...
How will you be remembered?
What is your legacy?
In a VERY cryptic way...LEARN/EARN/RETURN
More on this in a future post...
Enough Said...
Enough Asked!
Pura Vida!
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