Dedication To A Higher Purpose
What is the ultimate purpose of this thing we call life? The interesting thing is it is completely relative. It is exactly what you make it. If you choose to be the caregiver to someone else, that is your choice. If you feel that you need to take care of your parents, that is your choice. If you feel that you are a failure and you will never achieve your goals, that is your choice. Know that we do not have direct control over people or situations. The only thing that we always have complete control over is our thoughts and reactions toward those situations.
If you are not living a fulfilled life, then why not? As Tony Robbins puts it so well, people fear three things in life that cause them to not pursue their dreams. They fear less, loss, or never. This simply means people fear having less or losing what it is that they currently have. This is due to the fact that, the mind can easily see what it is that it will lose. It is very tough for it to see what it will gain. There is also the notion that the thought of pain is two times more powerful than the thought of success. So you would have to be two times more successful than you would have to be in your failures for your brain to perceive it as equal. Finally, people think things will never happen. Unfortunately, if you think that something will never happen, then yes, it will most likely never happen. If you think something can happen, and that it will happen, then yes, it will most likely happen. The mind is extremely powerful. You reap the seeds that you sow from it and the seeds are your thoughts. So your life becomes the series of thoughts that you have on a regular basis. Be very careful what it is that you focus on, you will likely get it.
It is my firm belief that we all have a significant purpose here. That each life is unique, and because of that they each offer unique value to this universe.
I also believe that we are all in different places in our life. We are exactly where we need to be, but some are not in the place to discover what it is that truly drives them. This, like every other minute in life is a choice. You choose to step up and pursue things that motivate you from a deeper place, or to float through life in a complacent dream. If you think you cannot afford to pursue your dreams, my question to you is can you afford not to?
What could you achieve if you lived a truly inspired life filled with purpose and passion? The only thing that you cannot achieve is the thing you believe that you cannot. You must suspend judgement for a few minutes. It is much like going to a movie. If you go to a movie and constantly pick apart what is possible or what is made up, that would be a pretty boring movie. So set aside your preconceived notions of what is possible and dream.
“The imagination is the preview of what is to come.” - Albert Einstein
Be creative. Do not be afraid that any dream is too lofty. Get excited! Then get serious. Life is going to be hard no matter what. Would you rather it be hard on a path that you choose, or that someone else chooses for you?
“Hard choices, easy life. Easy choices, hard life.” – Jerzy Gregorek.
So now, hopefully, you are excited, motivated, seeing all of the possibilities. Well now what? What is my purpose you might ask? Chances are that you have been on this planet for a few decades by now. So if you are truly honest with yourself, there is something that excites you far more than anything else. This is your true passion. This can be seen when you are talking with friends and family and you start to get excited. You usually become more animated and your face lights up. It took me years, decades to find this in me. I finally was honest with myself and the thing I like more than anything else in life is a genuine human connection during deep conversation about the big topics and questions in life. This is not everyone’s purpose.
We can all get clear about our goals and purposes by asking ourselves a series of questions. It is important to write your dreams and goals down. This brings them into the physical realm. You can then review them regularly in order to increase your focus.
Here are some simple questions to explore whether you are living a fulfilled life:
What are you truly? Not your education or profession, but who are you?
What was it in high school that you excelled at, but have since stopped doing?
If you could do something without fear, what would it be?
Are you proud of how you are living your life?
Are you using your natural talents or abilities?
Are you a jack of all trades and a master of none?
Only you can answer these questions, and the more honest you are about the answers, the better. It may not be an immediate “ah ha” moment, but these questions should provide a basis upon which to contemplate your future endeavors. The important thing here is to disregard the “How” and focus on the “Why”. If you have a very strong and focused “Why”, then you will be able to endure almost any “How”. The interesting thing about “How” is that it unfolds as you begin to take steps. You will only see the very next step. You will not see step 2,3,4 and this should not scare you. Once you take the first step, you will see the next step, and so on. Now that you have some ideas around what it is that you want to do, how can you make this a higher purpose? After all, we are all humans, all just sharing this earth. Is it not in our human genetics to help each other?
Perhaps it is just the human condition, but most people get a great sense of joy out of helping others. In fact, there is a term known as the “helper’s high”. This is simply a “high” that a person who helps another person receives. So if nothing else, when you give unconditionally, you get a little sense of feeling good. Really, in the grand sense of things, selflessness is the ultimate selfish act. This is compounded by the fact if we:
“Help others achieve their dreams and you will achieve yours.” - Les Brown
All great motivational speakers, life coaches, etc. that I have ever listened to have spoken of the need to be devoted to a higher purpose. Creating a life devoted to service is one great way of doing this. It is not for necessarily for everyone. If you are honest with yourself, deep down you will find what it is that your highest purpose is. I presume 9/10 times though, that your purpose has something to do with helping, teaching, guiding, or advising others in some way, shape or form. In the end it is entirely up to you and the more honest with yourself that you are, the better the results will be both for you and everyone around you.
By now you should have a big long list of things that you would love to do. Now it is the time to fine tune that list. There must be some things that you would rather do versus others. It is helpful to think of each of your goals and fulfilling scenarios in terms of which one would you rather do when things get tough. Things will get tough. The going will get rough. But you must be so energized, so juiced, so focused that your inner flame does not flicker. That is not to say ignore the bad things, simply address them and move on. Think about what would still make you jump out of bed in the morning even though you knew the waters were going to be turbulent that day. That my friends is your highest purpose.
“You do not have to be great to get started, but you have to get started to be great.” - Les Brown