“Service is the rent we pay for being. It is the very purpose of life and not something you do in your spare time” – Marion Wright Edelman.
I cannot emphasise how important it is to know and write down your Intended Life’s Purpose.
We all have a purpose in life that is why we are here. Our creator designed us to fulfil a certain purpose therefore, it is very important that we get to know what our God-given intended life’s purpose is. To know what your intended life’s purpose is, you need to go back to your manufacturer. You need to seek God’s face and guidance.
“A person with a clear purpose will make progress on even the roughest road. A person with no purpose will make no progress even on the smoothest road” – Thomas Carlyle.
There is no way you can know what an appliance was made for before reading the manufacturer’s manual for instructions on how to use the item. God has given us our blueprint through the Bible.
If you do not have a written down Intended Life’s Purpose you are most likely travelling the road of confusion where many people are right now.
“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lords purpose that prevails” – Proverbs.
You were created to add value and to be a solution to the world, regardless of how small or big you may think it is. Alas many of us are robbing the world of the solutions we were created to offer be. It does not matter what your age is, you can still contribute to the world by finding your intended life’s purpose.
There are many benefits when we are living or pursuing our intended life’s purpose some of which are:-
You, Will, Be More Effective and Efficient
“There is one quality that one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it” – Napoleon Hill.
When you have discovered your intended life’s purpose you will be more effective and efficient at doing it and work will flow naturally from within you. As an illustration, let’s use a guitar as example. Now, we all know that a guitar is a musical instrument, instead of using it for playing music say it is used to paddle a canoe.
Yes, it may work as a paddle, but not as effective. The effort and energy used will be much more, than if it is used for the intended purpose as per the manufacturer’s manual. Equally, the same with us human beings, if you are living a purposeless life you will you are less effective at your work or whatever, endeavour you are engaged in.
One contributing factor to negativity is not being efficient with what you are doing. Personal development and growth demands that you are more effective and efficient at what you are doing. Effectiveness and efficiency are motivating factors in achieving your intended life’s purpose.
The Quality of Your Service is Noticeable
When you are doing what you love and are designed for, most of the time the end product is of very high quality. When you do what you love, you do it with passion and patience.
I like to give an example of some of the medical personnel in our hospitals. Those that do it as a vocation are usually not the best. They tend to be in a hurry and do it for the money. Where, as those that are called to be medical practitioners are more patient and caring for their patients. They do a better job as caregivers.
Another example is a time when I was tasked to buy a small table for an exhibition. I approached a carpenter and asked him to make one for me. Of course, I explained to him all the details and measurements. When he brought the table I asked what the price was.
When he mentioned the price, I was shocked. I politely asked him how much he would be willing to pay for it if he was the buyer. He shocked me again by giving a ridiculously low price because the quality of his product was substandard. He proved to me that he was interested in the end product but the money.
This experience brought out one thing for me, the carpenter was in the wrong business. When you have your intended life’s purpose correct, the quality and standard of your service or products will be very high and hence will attract good value for money.
One way to check if you are moving towards your intended life’s purpose especially if you are in the service industry is to put yourself in the shoes of your customers or clients. Believe me, if your work is of high quality and standard it will show.
People are willing to pay a high price for a quality service or product. You will agree with me that when you walk into an electronics shop and you compare the prices for stereos with established brand names such as Sony, Sharp, and Kenwood with other less established brands.
The difference will actually tell you the story. Surely you will be much more willing to pay a higher price for the known brands. This is because they have built a good reputation for themselves.
Joy and Happiness
“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful” – Herman Cain.
There is great satisfaction and happiness when you have accomplished what you have set out to achieve. The happiest of people are those that are pursuing their intended life’s purpose. Every small goal that you accomplish moves you towards your greater goal and is the motivation for the next assignment.
When you are doing what you enjoy and love doing, life is more bearable and enjoyable. Yes, there will be challenges and obstacles that will come your way, but you will overcome them much easier.
There is no written formula for happiness. For me, the only formula I have found for happiness and joy is in doing that which I love most.
“Only those who have learned the power of sincere and selfless contribution will ever experience life’s deepest joy; true fulfillment” – Anthony Robbins.
Conclusion
There are more benefits to having a written down intended life’s purpose I have just scratched the surface of it. I would encourage each and every one of us to find what God created us to do. The only way to know your intended life’s purpose is to seek the face of God in prayer.
“Take up one idea and act on it. Make that one idea your life. Think of it, dream of it, and live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, and every part of your body be full of that idea and leave all other ideas alone. This is the way to success” – Unknown.
Bye for now and remember to “standout tall and be counted.”