I remember when I was a kid, when I did something that appeared to be wrong, sometimes I was told that I “did that on purpose.” Oftentimes, I would deny that and say, “No I didn’t. I did that by accident.” The concept of living on purpose means that you should do certain things intentionally. We should never live without pursuing a purpose because we are all born with a purpose. What do you intend to do with your life? What are your goals and aspirations? Are those goals lined up with a specific purpose in mind? Books like The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren, and Live on Purpose by Paul H. Jenkins, PhD explore the meaning of purpose, finding it, and living it. My favorite quote is: “The purpose of life is a life of purpose” by Robert Byrne because I truly believe that, and I strive to live a life of purpose.
Why would you dare live on purpose? Well, in my opinion, it’s more fulfilling to live on purpose than to not live on purpose. You create goals and aspirations necessary to make the purpose for living come to fruition. Being goal-oriented is very important. Goals set you up for the future. They put you in a working mind frame always looking to move to the next thing to accomplish. Don’t be idle; always work toward making accomplishments. Rest is fine when necessary, but don’t let the rest time become more important than the time you set to accomplish your goals. It’s crucial to life to always be looking toward completing goals. In Proverbs 29:18, God’s word says a man without a vision shall perish. Also, in 2 Thessalonians 3:10, the word of God says if you don’t work you don’t eat, which is another indication of the importance of accomplishing goals and understanding your purpose.
What is your purpose? What were you created to do? What are you passionate about? To understand this, you have to meditate on it. Take some time to think about that and make sure you have conversations with God so that it will become clear to you what your purpose is. Everyone has a purpose. You would never have been born without one. Once you figure out what your purpose is, you can work toward implementing it as a possible career choice.
In addition, what you’re passionate about can also be your purpose. However, there are times that your passion and purpose do not line up completely. You might want to evaluate that and find a way to line up your passion with your purpose to create a career out of that.
In my current situation, I am passionate about working with families who have loved ones with developmental disabilities, but my PURPOSE/PASSION is writing. Fortunately, I am able to do some writing as part of my job, or I would probably be very miserable. However, there is so much more I am working toward for my writing career so that my purpose/passion can be more fulfilling to me, but that’s another conversation!
The reality is unless we come into a large inheritance, like the Powerball (smile), we all have to work to make a living. I would much rather receive my income from my purpose/passion than to work in a job that doesn’t provide me with fulfillment. It would be perfect if you work in a career that comes easiest to you to do and brings you joy. That is a great combination! I’m sure we all want that in our life. One thing I do know for sure is it’s no fun to wake up every morning at the crack of dawn to go to a place where you spend eight or more hours of your life and you absolutely find no joy in it. Been there done that!
Recently, I listened to a webinar by a person named Ashley Stahl. She is a career coach who dedicates her time to helping people find the career of choice. She is a presenter, motivational speaker, very inspirational, and an expert in landing your ideal career. I found her webinar to be refreshing, and I learned a lot about resume writing, networking, interviewing, and salary negotiation. For more information about Ashley Stahl, go to http://www.ashleystahl.com, http://www.LandMoreJobOffers.com, or @ashleystahl on Twitter. The bottom line is we all want to be successful, and there’s no greater success than working in your purpose/passion.
How do you live on purpose? The best way to do this is to create achievable plans through a concept I learned about called S.M.A.R.T. goals which stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMART_criteria). Write your vision and make it plain (Habakkuk 2:2). Don’t make your goals overwhelming and difficult to attain because that will just discourage you. As you’re writing things down, think positive thoughts. Pray daily. Once you have some things written down, look at them closely and figure out where you have a mix of least effort / joy / income potential. That’s a good place to start.
When should you live on purpose? There’s no better time than the present. Live on purpose now. It starts with your mind and positive thinking. Daily conversations with God will lead you in the right direction in truly understanding what your purpose is. Start making your plans now to achieve the ultimate goal of living your purpose. It’s important to live each day to the fullest because tomorrow is not promised to anyone. Be intentional in your living and be passionate in fulfilling your God-given purpose.
Live, laugh, love, and pray.
God Bless You with Good Health and Wellness,
Antoinette
Antoinette Shar’ron Johnson
“Empowering, inspiring, motivating, and uplifting your mind, body, and soul!”
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