Many of us worry about what our life purpose is. We want to know, “Why am I here? What is it that I am supposed to do with this life of mine?” Those are daunting questions. Frankly, I don’t think that they are answerable.
The reality is that our life purpose is constantly evolving. It grows as we do. Your purpose in life at 5-years-old obviously will be very different from your purpose at 30, when you are starting a career or having children. And your life purpose at 50 will change, once your children are out of the house, and you are nearing retirement.
Moreover, our life purpose should evolve with our skills. Your skills in your 20s and 30s aren’t the same as in your 40s and 50s. That is why good leaders are typically older. With age and life experience come a greater capacity to lead.
So, given our ever-changing circumstances and skills, it makes more sense to focus on our purpose for today, rather than our life purpose. The question we must each ask ourselves, then, is this: What am I being called to do today?
When we focus on our purpose for today, it makes life a lot less daunting. Life is much more manageable when we take it in bite-sized chunks. “One day at a time,” is a good motto for all of us.
Below are some ways to figure out your life purpose for today. Consider using these approaches to make each day of your life as meaningful as possible.
Your Purpose Today Is to Be of Service
Our purpose for each day should be, in part, to serve. We may be serving other people, God’s creatures, or the earth itself. But some part of our day should be in service to others.
So, when you plan your day, you should be considering how you might accomplish this goal. On some days, this is simple. For instance, most days I have the responsibility to serve my family, either by cleaning the house, cooking, chauffeuring or taking care of our myriad of pets.
But beyond my typical responsibilities, I look for unique ways to serve others each day. Typically, these opportunities for service are inspired by a little voice from my heart. That voice might say to me, “Why don’t you send Bob/Sue a note of encouragement?”
For example, this week I attended our church’s Ash Wednesday service. The pianist did a beautiful job at the service. Her music transformed the service into something very meaningful for me. So, afterward a little voice said to me, “You should send Julie a note of thanks.” Now, it is easy to ignore that little voice, especially when life is busy. But the older I get, the more I try to listen to it.
So, I sent Julie a quick note of appreciation for her music, and I let her know how much it meant to me. The next morning, I had an email response from her saying that she had been concerned about her performance that night. As a result, she really appreciated my note of thanks.
Our little voice is there for a reason. Whether you think that little voice is inspiration from God or the universe, we each have a little voice prompting us to be good to others. Be on alert for it throughout the day. And if it prompts you to do something kind for another person, follow it. You may be surprised as to what happens next!
Your Purpose Today Is to Prepare for the Future
Each day we should be doing something to pave the way for a better future for ourselves. That may mean spending some time each day in meditation or prayer to develop our spiritual maturity. It may mean acquiring a new skill, such as learning a language. Or we might do some purging and organizing of our belongings each day to make our homes more pleasant.
Doing things today that will benefit you in the future requires discipline. Frankly, it would be much easier to forget about the future and simply enjoy the day.
For example, let’s say your goal is to become fluent in Spanish. That requires discipline. You have to study and practice, which takes time. It admittedly would be more pleasurable to sit on the couch, eat chips and watch a show. But the problem is that watching a show won’t get you any further along the path toward Spanish fluency. And you’ll have to exercise to work off all those chips!
Do something each day to position yourself to have the future of your dreams. It may feel like a slow process. It may feel like you are adding one grain of sand at a time to a jar. But eventually, you will have a jar full of sand, and you will have created a beautiful life. And that is worth it!
Your Purpose Today Is to Treat Your Body Like A Temple
Every day, you should be doing at least one thing to care for your body.
I recently read an interesting story about Warren Buffet. He went to a high school classroom and asked the kids what their response would be if he bought each of them a car. They could choose any car that they wanted. But there was a catch: they could never own another car. Well, if you were given that deal, you’d would take pretty good care of that car, wouldn’t you?
He then made the point was our bodies are like that car. We get one body. And we should take care of that body just like we would take care of our one and only car. As a result, every day it is your job to do something kind to your body. Each day, you should be eating healthy foods so that it gets necessary nutrients. You should be exercising your body so it remains flexible and at a healthy weight. And you should be pampering your skin with lotions and protect it with sunscreen.
Our mind is the same! We only get one mind, and it needs to be cared for just like our bodies. That means spending some time each day reading uplifting articles or books. And that means giving our minds time for rest, either through meditation or prayer. (To read about self-care strategies that work, click here.)
So, don’t spend too much time fretting about your life purpose. Instead, focus on your purpose for today. Have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish today. Who would you like to be good to? What steps are you going to take toward your future goals? How are you going to care for your mind and body? When you have a clear purpose for each day, pretty soon, you will have built an incredible life!
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.Ecclesiastes 3:1 The hardest part Read more
There are times in life when our circumstances can prevent us from being relaxed and happy. Dramatic changes like a Read more
When we are young, we seek many things in life. Adventure. Professional success. Romance. But as we get older, and Read more
There is always the potential for stress in our lives. Sometimes that stress is created by others. Sometimes we create Read more
The holidays can be difficult for many adults. That is because we have an idealized view of what Christmas and Read more
Achieving inner peace is challenging. It's not something that comes naturally to us. The human mind searches for things that Read more
Recently a friend of mine turned 50. When I asked him what he wanted for his birthday, he said, “Peace.” Read more
“It ain’t over till it’s over” – Yogi Berra Yogi Berra made the above comment during the 1973 National League Read more
