Life Purpose, The Cornerstone of Real Success in life.
Every human being on this planet has been created for a reason. Even though one might think that he can do whatever he wants with his life – which is true – one will never experiment true success and real fulfillment in life if he doesn’t choose to align his will with the reason behind his existence. That’s probably why man, no matter how successful he may seem to be, is in a permanent state of dissatisfaction and on a never ending quest for fulfillment.
From the cradle to the grave, each one of us is consciously or unconsciously striving to find the meaning of is being in this world. Unfortunately, most of us take a wrong approach. We try to give meaning to our own life by engaging in all sort of activities, thinking that they might be fulfilling because of their rewarding nature. We seem to ignore that life purpose is not only what we choose to center our life on but is also and mainly what our creator intended us to be and to do in this universe. It is what Richard J. Leider, in his book, The Power of Purpose, defines as “the recognition of the presence of the sacred within us and the choices of work that is consistent with that presence”. This is to say that life purpose has essentially two dimensions. One which is divine and consists of God’s intent in creating man; and the other which is human and represents man’s decision to either live accordingly or not. One’s Life purpose represents the combination of the cause behind his existence and the objectives for which he has to live – objectives whose achievement should produce the effect pursued by his creator in giving him space in this universe.
One can be successful at at existing by achieving his own personal goals in life, but he cannot be successful at living by living solely for his own selfish goals, especially if they are not in accordance with the purpose of his existence.
In fact, what is it to be really successful in life; what is success anyway?
Redefining Success
From a series of interviews of about 200 “successful people”, J. Porras, S. Emery and M. Thompson, in their book, Success Build to last, report that there is need to redefine success as they discovered that for most of those whom they call “high achievers” and “builders” – those who have achieved “enduring success” and have made a difference – wealth, fame and power are not goals or achievements. For them, success is a life and work that:
- Brings personal fulfillment and lasting relationship, and
- Makes a difference in the world in which they live.
The reading of the book reveals that fulfillment referred to in this definition comes from engaging and doing things which matter to one.
Even though we all have a particular “emotional heart bit” and it is up to us to tell what is important to us, we need to be reminded that whatever we choose to give meaning to should be consistent with the reason of our existence. One may achieve lasting success by investing himself in what is meaningful to him but real success in life is about dedicating one’s life to the fulfillment of his life’s purpose. Therefore the only true measure of success is not its lasting or enduring character but, as J. C. Maxwell states in Your Road Map for Success: You Can Get There from Here, it is the ratio between what we might have been and what we have become. True success in life depends on the degree of fulfillment of one’s life purpose which defines his role (or mission) in life and the rules (values) according to which he has to play it.
What About God, Does He Really Matter?
Each one of us would like to be or become successful in life. That is why we owe to ourselves, as well as to our creator, an understanding of the reason of our existence so as to solely engage our entire being in activities that are relevant to God’s intent in creating us.
Unfortunately most of us, as mentioned above, take a wrong approach when it comes to defining our own personal purpose in life. We use a self centered approach; forgetting that we are not our own maker, we speculate on what we could be here for by looking at our personalities, talents, skills, passions, aspirations and dreams. This speculative approach might useful in helping us discover the different fields we may fit into and in which we may easily succeed, but it cannot lead us to the discovery of the purpose we were created for.
The easiest and best way to know the purpose of a thing is to refer to the owner’s manual or to question its inventor. If you want to discover the purpose of your life, you need to turn unto God who is your creator, your maker, the only one who knows what He created you for. Proceeding otherwise would lead you to a dead end.
About Olivier BETU K.