I think the one thing that drives me is a saying I heard at church a few weeks ago. When people would ask me, in reference to risky adventures, “Why do you keep doing those things? Why do you keep pushing yourself”? I simply reply, “Cause I ain’t dead yet”. See, I believe in continuing to push as long as I have breath in my lungs. Physically, spiritually, emotionally and financially. I mean, you’ll never see a hearse pulling a U-Haul behind it. You can’t take anything with you but you can build up what’s left behind. It’s all about getting better and legacy building. So, at church a few weeks ago the speaker said, “You ain’t dead, yet, cause God ain’t done with you”. Man!!! That’s it! I talked to my wife about that after. I mean, that really made sense to me. It gave me hope!
Purpose
As far as the whole purpose piece goes, that statement answered the question. I’ve had some pretty interesting experiences in my life when I should’ve died. I’ve also talked to angels on two separate occasions. Here’s the video about my angel experiences (Angels). I don’t tell many people about those experiences for fear of sounding like a weirdo but it’s true. As I’ve aged I’ve come to believe that there is truly a reason I’m alive. In the past year I’ve come to realize the reason why. God ain’t done yet. Now, you may not be a believer, but this still pertains to you. Whatever it is you believe in, it ain’t done with you. There IS a reason you still exist and are still alive and reading this right now. I walk by faith and not sight. That’s not easy. I truly believe the best is yet to come in life. That, my friends, gives way to hope.
Hope
George Washington Carver said, “Where there is no vision, there is no hope”. He’s right, you know. So all of this got me to thinking about purpose, the reason for me still being here, etc. I’ve thought about this a lot over the years. Heck, even when I was younger I thought about this. I think it’s something many people think about. I think it’s all a part of us becoming an expert guide in life. As we age, we experience events. Nietzsche said, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”. Viktor Frankl can attest to that! Makes us stronger physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. We all face adversity and challenges. When we overcome those, we become stronger. As a combat veteran having served in many combat zones from the Balkans to the Middle East, I’ve seen and experienced a lot. Trying to make sense of those experiences at the time was a lost cause. You just kept putting one foot in front of the other until the hardship was over. Lao Tzu said, “The journey of a thousands miles begins with one step”. That’s how we walk through struggle. When we overcome that struggle, we become a better person, thus, making us a prime candidate to walk someone else through that same struggle; being a guide to them. See we all have purpose and knowing that should give you/us hope. Back to Carver’s quote. He mentions vision. You have to have vision. People will say, “I just don’t know what it is I want to do”. What excites you? What drives you? What makes you happy? What makes you feel accomplished? For me, it’s helping people. That truly makes me feel good. My love language is words of affirmation. That being said, when I help someone they are usually thankful and express it and it makes me feel good. So, do the math. Help people + Appreciation = Makes me feel good. Sounds like a no brainer to me!! That is my purpose, to hep people. Now…the how.
How
I figure since we all have gifts and skills we’re good at, we could tap into those and use those for good. Right? I like to talk to people via written, verbal or visual communication. That’s the key word right there, “communication”. What does that mean? I’m a communicator. See how I’m working all this out? I’ve figured out what makes me feel good (see equation above) and now I’m adding that to gifts or what I’m good at. How do you know what your gift is or what you’re good at? 1.) What have people told you you’re good at doing? 2.) What do you enjoy doing? 3.) Would you do it for free? Hopefully, all three of those answers are the same or at least have an intersection point. Whatever the answer is, that’s what you should be pursuing. Knowing that should give you hope now that you know you have purpose and a gift.
Love you all!!! Hope you have an awesome day and enjoyed the read. I also pray that whatever it is I say and do is helpful to others. Impacting lives is so important. If you’ve like what you’ve read please Follow, Like and Share this article. I always appreciate good feedback as well. Thanks!!
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