There is a famous quote by Mark Twain that makes the social media rounds every so often…I’m sure you’ve either seen or heard it before.
“The two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why.”
I recently celebrated my birthday, and when you come to the close of another year on Planet Earth, you begin to take inventory of your life and the choices you’ve made in the last year. The hope is that you will learn and grow so that you can position yourself for a better year to come. It’s almost like a pseudo-New Years’ resolution.
What did I learn over the past year?
I learned that if you do not know why you were born, then you need to do whatever it takes to make that discovery your top priority going forward. I believe that no one is here by accident. I believe that everyone has a divine destiny…a calling and purpose for their life.
How do you find the answer? Well, here’s my recommendation…Question everything about your life choices. Why are you making them? How are they a reflection of who you are as a person? Are you trying to fit into someone else’s mold? Are you trying to appease some outside influence, like parents or peers? Are you merely trying to eek out a “good” living by obtaining financial independence & security?
To borrow from Mr. Twain: The two saddest days in your life are the day you stop being yourself in order to gain acceptance or get ahead, and the day you die without ever having really lived out your purpose.
If you ask me, you cannot afford to reach another birthday without knowing why it is that you were “birthed” in the first place.
For me – I was born to reflect the image of my Creator and to perform using the creativity that God has graciously bestowed upon me. And to use my unique perspective on the world to educate those around me and better the lives of those in my community.
What does that look like? I’m not always sure. I can tell you that it definitely has nothing to do with Real Estate. LOL! Hate to burst anyone’s bubble. But I’d be lying if I said I have it all figured out.
Some days it means making silly videos to put a smile on someone’s face. Other days it may mean putting a scowl on someone’s face because I am being true to my convictions and standing up for something I believe in, even if it is not a popular opinion. Don’t get me wrong, I am still on the hunt. I am on an unending quest to discover how I am uniquely positioned to change the world. And that is what gets me out of bed each morning!
Every day I try to find ways to use my gifts to encourage others to find their true calling and discover what they have been uniquely gifted to do.
It could be anything!
There is no black and white answer nor should there be. This quest should always be morphing and shaping who you are. If your answer is “I was put on this earth to be a painter or a lawyer,” then you are thinking too small. Even if you say something more “noble,” like, that you were put on this earth to be a good father or mother, then that is only the tip of the iceberg.
Think about it – You could have been born at any place or time in history.
Why here?
Why now?
Aren’t you dying to know the answers to these questions? Wouldn’t it be better if you were living out the answers to these questions?
Start doing hard things. Stop making excuses. Start tackling big things. Stop avoiding obstacles.
Stop chasing someone else’s dream, American or otherwise, and start identifying the things that you know you could not live without, and reclaiming the dreams you’d like to be a reality.
Remember, it is only when you have found your purpose in life that you can truly begin to live.
I’d love to hear from you so leave a comment below.
Thank you and Godspeed,
Geoff
