Tag Archives: #purpose

Spirituality

Considering The Impossible

A survey of 50 adults over the age of 95 revealed three interesting themes. As the oldest generation looked back at their lives, they wished they had risked more, reflected more, and they wished they had created something that would last, a legacy.

If you are reading this, it’s not too late for you to pursue your dreams. Even if they have been dormant for decades, they still exist in your mind and heart. Look forward thirty years and think about how you will feel when you have done what you were sent here to do.

We pursue our purpose for fulfillment, not fame or personal glory. We give the glory to God. After all, he’s the one who gave us our unique talents we use to make a difference in the world. If we keep it to ourselves, we have lived selfishly. There’s no fulfillment in selfishness.

The excuses will flood your mind. “I’m too old. It’s too late for me. I don’t have enough education.” Those are just a few of the excuses, and they are all lies you might tell yourself. Ask yourself, “how big is my God?” Then go do what he put you in this generation to do, even if it seems impossible to you.

Henry David Thoreau wrote, “the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation and die with their song still in them.” It’s time to let the world hear your music…

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Spirituality

Tunnel Vision

If you experience tunnel vision, it means your field of vision is limited. Perhaps all you can see is the middle. Sometimes it clears up on its own, but it could be due to a medical condition.

There’s a good kind of tunnel vision. When you get so focused on a goal that all you can see is your end result, you are in the tunnel. You are progressing towards the one thing you want. It might be a college degree, a book you are writing, or an important work project. Whatever it is, it has all your attention.

In life, we need to decide what we want. What fulfills us? It shouldn’t be something hollow like money or fame. Those things go away. It must be something that lasts, something worthwhile.

You are here for a reason, a great purpose. Don’t waste it by chasing the wrong things. Find your purpose and pursue it with everything in you. Have tunnel vision where this is concerned. Then you will feel more alive than you ever have…

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Spirituality

The Cool Kids

Do you remember when you were in school and there was a group of kids who were popular? You know, the cool kids. High school days end, but we still have our identity whether we were considered cool or not.

As we age we learn what is really important and what’s not. By now we have a select group of friends. Having the right people around us is vital for healthy relationships. We need people who will be honest with us, telling us what we need to hear, not what just sounds good at the time. This can create conflict in relationships. We must find the humility in ourselves to know that what we are being told is true whether we like it or not. When we do this, we grow. And solid friendships can withstand conflict.

Our identity is who we are, not what we do. The lines can get blurred over time. Attaching our identities to our careers can cause people to lose themselves. One day they wake up and realize they don’t know themselves anymore. If this is you and you’re reading this, it’s not too late!

Take some time to get back in touch with yourself. Remember the dreams of your youth. Use your talents to benefit others. When you are have become who God created you to be, then you are one of the cool kids…

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Spirituality

Repurposed

Old, vacant buildings can be renovated and repurposed for a new business. In the Midwest, especially, there are hundreds of former factories sitting vacant due to jobs going overseas. That’s a lot of unused real estate!

Maybe it’s time to change your life, a sort-of personal repurposing. The life you have been experiencing hasn’t really fulfilled you. You want more. It’s possible if you’re willing to turn the reins over to God and stop trying to do everything yourself.

You were created for a great purpose. There’s nothing random about you being here during this phase of history. Ask God to lead you where He wants you to be. If you’re willing to follow God, then get ready to be uncomfortable.

Growth requires change. Change isn’t negative if it gets you to where you are supposed to go…

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Spirituality

Stradivarius

A Stradivarius is a string instrument created by the Stradivari family beginning in the late 1600’s. They are known for their excellent craftsmanship, tone and durability. There are about 650 instruments remaining in the world, and a Stradivarius violin sold for $18 million dollars in recent years.

As rare as a Stradivarius is, you are more rare than they are. Around 1,100 instruments were created by Antonio Stradivari, yet only one of you has lived, breathed and walked on planet Earth. And considering that over 100 billion people have lived since the beginning of time as we know it, this makes you even more rare and valuable.

Be fearless in showing the world who you are. You were created to stand out and to use your unique gifts to make a difference in the world. Don’t hide your identity. Show yourself!

You have a lot to offer to mankind. Don’t waste your talents…

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Spirituality, Uncategorized

Who Do You Love?

I have read multiple studies that say over 85% of adults in the United States don’t like themselves. They look in the mirror and want to turn away from their own image. This goes beyond just physical appearance.

Self-acceptance is something you must work on if this is a struggle for you. I’m not suggesting an inflated ego or false confidence. Merely accepting yourself and who you were created to be is a good first step.

The challenges life has thrown your way can become obstacles to a healthy self image. When you were a child, you couldn’t wait to make your mark on the world. Then life threw you some curves and perhaps you allowed them to shake your confidence.

No more. This is the dividing line of your life. There is nothing random about your life. You aren’t here as the result of a whimsical, careless Creator. There is a great purpose attached to your existence. Don’t quit until you find it. Then act on it.

You might have been knocked around in life. Most of us have been. But you are still in the game unless you decide you don’t want to be.

Keep going…

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Spirituality

Late Admissions

It’s believed that people who are dying speak the truth. Their time has run out so there’s no reason to lie.

The first words recorded that Jesus said from the cross were, “Father. Forgive them for they know not what they are doing.” Forgive them? Up until this moment, Jesus had been pretty quiet during his sham trials. Now, exhausted, beaten into a bloody mess, and dying he asks God to forgive the ones who were killing him.

The words of Jesus apply today as well. We usually don’t know what we are doing. We wander through life, trying to make it work out and find some meaning while we’re at it. God gave us a guide, The Bible, but we must read it and apply what it says for it to work. And it helps to talk to God during the day, asking for guidance and help when we screw up!

Don’t wait until it’s too late to find why you’re here. It’s not to make a bunch of money, retire and die. No. There’s more. Much more.

Find it. Start with the guide God gave us. He won’t steer you wrong. Ever…

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Spirituality

Wrong Way

We men are notorious for refusing to stop and ask for directions. There’s an old story about a husband and wife driving down the road. The wife looks at the husband and says, “You’re going the wrong way!” The husband replies, “Be quiet! I’m making good time!”

Some of us went the wrong way in life. We didn’t follow the dreams of our hearts. Instead, we settled for the life others wanted or expected us to have. That’s not living. That is merely existing. Knowing there is more to life than what we are experiencing is frustrating. People then seek fulfillment in a bottle. Or worse.

If you are holding on to the hope of a more meaningful life, keep holding on. And start doing something about it. The dreams of an earlier time are still there. You just need to bring them back to life! It’s possible if you are willing to take a risk.

And please remember to thank God along the way. After all, God gave you the dream and with His help and guidance, you will succeed…

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Spirituality

Buried Alive

There have been many instances where people were buried alive. Earthquakes, collapsed buildings, and mine shafts giving way have happened during my lifetime.

But you can be buried alive, yet still walk among us, doing your work and living your life. Benjamin Franklin wrote that “most men die at 25 but we don’t bury them until they are 75.”

Existing rather than living is all around us. I have read where it’s estimated that 85% of people in the United States go to jobs they hate. These people are biding their time until they can retire, but then their best years are gone. It doesn’t have to be this way.

If you find this relatable, I encourage you to stop going through the motions and start living. Make the most of however many days you have left. Find your purpose and get after it.

Don’t look back. It’s time to start living and experiencing life…

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Spirituality

Habitat for Humanity

Millard and Linda Fuller found themselves looking for more purpose in their lives. Through a sequence of events that only God could have imagined, the Fullers founded Habitat for Humanity. And did they ever find purpose!

Many people believe Jimmy Carter was the founder. He wasn’t, but his and Rosalynn’s first habitat build in 1984 gave the organization new notoriety.

The recipients of Habitat homes must put in 200 hours of sweat equity building homes for others before they can be considered for a home themselves. They must qualify by having a job and a minimum credit score of 620 or higher. And they actually buy the home. Nothing is given to them. They earn it.

Over the years since its inception, Habitat has built or refurbished millions of homes. Lifting their fellow man from poverty and becoming citizens of a community offers hope. Habitat for Humanity is an excellent example of how to get things done.

I encourage you to volunteer for a Habitat build in your local community. Your life will never be the same…

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