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What is your purpose in life? Could you tell anybody who asked, without hesitation? How many people are actually able to answer that question these days? And why is it that people aren't asking each other?
How important is purpose? Is it something that you can afford to overlook?
The idea of purpose used to scare me. I think it scares a lot of others as well. And I think I know why. Purpose can not be found outside of yourself and that's precisely where we keep looking. You can't wait for someone to show you your purpose. You can't hope that one day you will find out what you are supposed to do with your life. You can't sit in the wings waiting for your cue to take the stage.
I think deep inside most people's greatest fear is living a meaningless life. Who wants to be able to say that they accomplished absolutely nothing in their time on earth? Who wants to die knowing they weren't of use to anyone?
Aren't you tired of feeling angry when you wake up in the morning because you have to go to a job you hate? I am.
Aren't you tired of fighting to get this over here and spending all your time trying to achieve that thing over there and still feeling unfulfilled and empty at the end of the day? I am.
What's the answer?!
I don't claim to know all the answers, but I'll share what worked for me. It was really just a very small but dramatic shift in my thinking that helped ease my burden. I read Stephen Covey's "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" while doing a 6 month contract as a dancer on a cruise ship. I had heard it was a great book for years, but was just now picking it up, more from circumstance than actual intention.
Something caught my attention in the second habit, which is to 'Begin With the End in Mind'. In this section, Covey recommends to the readers that they create a personal mission statement for their life, one based on sound principles. I was supposed to think about what I'd want people to say about me at my funeral. In the end, all I wanted was for someone to say that I made a difference.
But who decides how I'm going to make a difference? Circumstance? Fate? You? NO!
I decide! I have choice! And I believe that as long as my choices are loving and beneficial for all parties involved, I can NEVER make a wrong choice.
We can't be afraid to take responsibility for our lives. We can't be afraid that we're going to make the wrong choice. We can't be afraid of our power to do whatever we set out to do. And we can't be afraid to fail. Fear keeps us immobile and if we stay immobile we die having gone nowhere.
Realizing now that true purpose comes from within and not from without, I sat there and decided what I wanted my life to be about. I decided how I wanted to live it. I created a personal mission statement and I gave myself a purpose for this life.
My mission in this life is to bring more presence into this world and to create positive change by:
Loving all humanity unconditionally
Inspiring humanity as an artist
Serving humanity as a healer
Loving all humanity unconditionally
Inspiring humanity as an artist
Serving humanity as a healer
I was so inspired by this new purpose that I designed a tattoo to put on my arm so I would never forget it until the day I die.
And now when I'm on my death bed, I know I will be able to speak the words of Paul in 2 Timothy. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." And people will say that I made a difference in this world.What will they say about you?
"This is the true joy in life--being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one. Being a force of nature, instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die. For the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It's a sort of splendid torch which I've got to hold up for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations." --George Bernard Shaw
The Finished Product
6 comments:
Beautiful and thought-provoking post. I know this sounds horrible coming after such a serious post, but have you ever heard the purpose song from Avenue Q the musical? It's the first thing that popped into my mind while reading this. I think it just goes to show how you're right about purpose... it's a universal thing we all have to deal with at one point or another.
Marshall,
This was a very deep post: I did well to subscribe to your blog (I think we can establish a blogging-relationship here) :)!
Indeed people do not look inwards, they find it hard! And it is a bit hard...since we have to look at, study, analyse ourselves (which can be painful) and the judge ourselves, and then correct all the things that are wrong (a very long process)...
Only a few are lucky enough to do this...to achieve this (unfortunately) but I am glad that you are one of them (The Winning Attitude Award was well deserved *bowing*)!
To answer your question: yes, I can actually answer what my purpose in life is: the fullfilment of my mission :).
Lovely tatoo, too... :).
Cheers
WOW!!!
This is such a STRONG post, Marshall! And you're really an artist! I've read that book myself. :-)))
My life statement is to spread positive thoughts...to make at least one person laugh or smile, to encourage someone, to listen to someone who needs ears. :-)))
Daszzle,
I've never heard that song before but I think it might be buried deep within my iTunes library. I'll have to check it out. I think it would be fun to put a song on each of my posts. But that could get tricky.
Max,
I am new to this blogging relationship thing, but I am already loving it. Thanks for making it over here. I really appreciate all the kind words.
Amel,
Thanks for reading. It is refreshing to hear that other people do actually know what their purpose is. I was beginning to worry a little!
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