A Mission in Your Purpose

Take a moment and ask yourself, what is success to you?

Is it money, a great career, fame, spirituality, to find love? All of these things are desires many of us have dreamed of but what is success, really?

When you think about it, what is money without loved ones to share it with, or fame that comes with drug addiction, or finding love if only to lose that person. Perhaps one lands a great job and buys a beautiful house only to find they are never actually home to use it. Would you say any of the people who achieved these things are successful? This is success according to the Oxford definition: "The accomplishment of an aim or purpose." If this is the definition, all of these people achieved their aim and were successful. Perhaps then success isn't found in the aim, but how one travels there or even the purpose of the aim. Maybe, even still, true success can only be measured in the satisfaction or happiness achieved.

Here is what I mean. A young man wants to be a famous musician. He doesn't know why other than that he likes to play guitar. After years of practice, he turns out to be an amazing guitarist, finds fame, only to realize he just likes to play guitar without the busyness of fame. His career falters.

What if instead, the young man changed his aim and said, "I want to become a famous guitarist so I can fulfill a purpose. My purpose is to start a music academy for children. This will bring me happiness."

What is the difference? In one scenario, the man has no true aim at all and has no idea what to do when he gets to his destination. In the other scenario, the man uses his passion for music as a tool to achieve a higher calling or purpose he perceives will bring him happiness. When temptation comes his way, he will most likely realize how this will affect his end-goal and hopefully steer clear of that temptation since his end-goal is not to be a famous musician, but to start a music academy for children. He understands his purpose.

For you, what are you looking to achieve? Do you know why you want to achieve it? Before starting on your journey, it is important to understand something. That something is you. Who are you truly on the inside? No matter where you are today, if you are paying attention and your compass leads to something fulfilling, you can never truly go wrong.

As the old saying goes, "Keep your eye on the prize." With razor sharp focus, and constant attention, you will naturally make good choices as you assess every life choice you make, great and small, when you know where it is you would like to go. Keeping track of your goals and habits will help you keep focused and motivated. In the end, only your level of happiness can be a true measure of success so take this into account as you ponder the value of the goals you're trying to achieve. It is through your well being that you will truly experience happiness and thus, true success.

Meeting a goal is nothing if you're in a pattern of never-ending stress, frustration, and not paying attention to your needs. Along with your accomplishments, it's important to get good nutrition, take care of yourself, and always reach for higher levels of spirituality. If basic needs aren't met or can't be met, it can be difficult to achieve other goals. You must prepare a solid foundation for life first.

Good luck in your goals, friends!

Activity:
Write down a list of accomplishments that you feel would bring you true joy. If you are satisfied with where the road leads, write them down as goals on your road map. Prioritize them from most important to least important. What I call a "road map" is simply a list of goals and all the foreseeable tasks and habits that will help you achieve the goal. It is helpful if you can write your road map down on your computer or phone so you can easily edit your document once per week as you achieve your goals.

Share