On Purpose
As I sit in my house sipping my coffee and reflecting on the past year as well as the recent holidays, I think about the true meaning of Christmas. I think about the goals that I have accomplished this year. I think about why I implemented these goals. Just like everyone, I had goals for my family. I had career goals. I had social goals. I even had goals for my own self care. I think about the purpose of these goals. I understand how purpose dictates everything we do in life. I am a strong believer in educating people about purpose. Purpose Is what fuels our motivation. Once we lose focus of our purpose , we will typically lose motivation. That will typically lead to losing hope. And a state of hopelessness is a dangerous place. So let us take a moment to consider why purpose is so important.
Purpose can be complicated or purpose can be simple. For example, we eat our food because it serves our bodies and our pleasure. We work our jobs because we are working toward the purpose of earning a paycheck, paying our bills, or increasing our status within a company. We are in relationships for a purpose. We have friends for a purpose. We attend social and recreational events for a purpose. History has shown that purpose is why people choose their actions. Bad things happen to good people. Good things happen to bad people. If you can answer the “why” around these situations you can understand how these events are initiated by another person’s purpose. Sometimes, these events serve a greater purpose. We may not understand the greater purpose. We may experience extreme pain and difficulty during some life events. However, history has also shown that in most tragedies something good still surfaces. Good can not exist without bad. Bad can not exist without good. Our most effective coping mechanism may be to find purpose in everything we experience in life.
We should make selective choices based on the greater purpose that we serve. For me, that greater purpose is to serve my family. Serve the people who sit in my office with me and serve my community. I find purpose in honoring my father’s memory by creating beauty for others to enjoy. I do not understand everything that happens in life. I do know that I will never have enough information to figure these things out. I do know that there will always be factors which I am not aware of in any situation. However, I have faith in a greater purpose.
Do You know your purpose for this upcoming year? This is worth thinking about. Ask yourself a few simple questions. What is important to you? What do you believe? How can you help the world to be a better place? How can you be a better spouse or partner? How can you be a better parent or child? How can you serve the people around you whom you love dearly? Can you focus on this purpose without expecting anything in return? Can you make choices with a happy and giving heart? Research has shown that serving others actually increases a peaceful mind and life satisfaction.
If we understand purpose and focus on our purpose In the upcoming year, how might your world be a better place? What might you accomplish? How may you positively impact others? Purpose Is much more than what the dictionary defines. Purpose Is the very reason for everything we do. Purpose can be complicated or simple. But, purpose is a need in every person’s life. Choose to understand your purpose, and then focus on going forth to fulfill your purpose in the upcoming year.
