This statement is going to sound like such a cliché and it is, but I would like to take a minute and talk about LIVING ON PURPOSE.
Webster’s dictionary defines Living as:
1. having life; being alive; not dead: living persons.
2. in actual existence or use; extant: living languages.
3. active or thriving; vigorous; strong: a living faith.
4. burning or glowing, as a coal.
5. flowing freely, as water.
Purpose is defined as :
1. the reason for which something exists or is done, made, used, etc.
2. an intended or desired result; end; aim; goal.
3. determination; resoluteness.
4. the subject in hand; the point at issue.
5. practical result, effect, or advantage: to act to good purpose.
So for purposes of this blog, I am going to define Living on Purpose as “active, thriving, vigorously pursuing an intended and desired result or goal.
I don’t know about you, but I have not been living each day on purpose. Nope. I have been going through the motions. Life has been challenging the last couple of years and as a result, my vision has been clouded. I have temporarily lost sight of who I am and where I was taking my life. It happens to us all. Totally unintentional but nonetheless sabotaging. When life throws us a curve ball or we hit a bump in the road, it is so easy to get sidetracked from the goal. Sometimes, it can take months or years to recover from an obstacle.
Others of you haven’t had any upsets but have maintained a slow and steady course and reached the intended goal. Now, you are just going through the motions of daily routine. But, are you living on purpose? Are you living intentional? That is the question I have been asking myself for many weeks now.
Aristotle said it best “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.”
All of us have desires of what we want or wanted to do with our life. But very few people actually follow through and achieve their goals. Have you given up on those dreams or are they still alive? Has circumstances changed the vision you had for your life? What do you have left that God can use? What are you good at? What do friends complement you for? What do you love to do with your free time? Is there something special your spouse or family members like you to do for them?
These are the things you can use to make a difference and begin to live each day on purpose. Sometimes it feels like we are all used up. Maybe you feel like you have squandered a big portion of your life on people or things that didn’t really matter. Or perhaps you have lived your life on purpose and have made a difference to those around you.
All I know for sure is that in order to live each day to the fullest, we must first start each day like Aristotle said, with intention. Intension then translates to an action which translates to a habit. As nice as it would be to live carefree and commitment free that type of life is usually one without direction and purpose. Some of the most successful people in the world are people who were organized, planned and set goals for themselves.
I have noticed in my own life, my lack of intension. It’s time to dig deep, clear the cobwebs from my eyes and get my vision back. I don’t know what that looks like yet but what I do know is that I have talent, and God given abilities and with him on my side, I can be anything I want to be! How about you?
Will you join me?
