By JoAnne Kamau
“The purpose of life is a life of purpose.” Robert Byrne
Everything and everyone in the world was created for a purpose. True happiness comes from pouring yourself into purpose, holding nothing back. There was a time when I didn’t know my purpose. My life was hollow and lackluster at best. It took a while, lots of soul-searching and prayer, but I finally arrived at the place where I knew beyond without any doubt what my purpose was. I can still recall the sheer thrill that I felt when it became crystal-clear to me; and the fierce convictions that were birthed in me that day.
Purpose, by the simplest definition, is the reason a thing or a person exists. It is the compelling ‘why’ or the reason one is alive. Dr. Cindy Trimm, a prolific writer on the subject of purpose, puts it this way; “Knowing your why will provide a springboard that propels you forward and the momentum you need to keep going”.
Our lives find meaning, scope, depth and significance only when we locate purpose and delve into it. Without purpose you are like a train without tracks or a map without a compass. Purpose shapes your life and gives you direction, enabling you to discern when you should acquiesce with the convictions of others and when you should resoundingly reject them. Purpose is the anchor that holds you steady in the raging seas of life. It grounds you so that you are not tossed here and there by shifting fads and fleeting opinions.
When you discover the reason why you exist on earth, you stop reacting to the goings-on of life and begin taking disciplined action. You are no longer okay with life happening to you, you go out and make life happen. Understanding your purpose is like stepping out of a velvety-dark cocoon into a brilliant light that transforms you forever! A person who has located their purpose is like a dog with a bone; nothing and nobody can convince them to go back to their pre-purpose existence. Sure, they may encounter numerous challenges and countless setbacks, but the thought of turning back is anathema. Once you discover your purpose, you are no longer in the dark, playing games of chance, and hoping to make it. Purpose becomes the light that guides you on your path to greatness. It abhors the comfort-zone, always pushing and provoking you to do better and give more.
Purpose is the treasure each and every person must be willing to go to any length to discover. That’s right – purpose is not invented, it is discovered. It is innately in us, lurking just beneath the surface of your consciousness, waiting for the right stimuli, the right conditions to shine forth brightly.
What moves you? What inspires you? What motivates you, thrills you, or angers you deeply? What would you do for the rest of your days if money and the cost of living were not a concern? Or, what would you do for free simply because of the pleasure you derive from it? What do you feel compelled to change? Where do you feel pulled to make your most vibrant contribution? These are among the critical questions one must be willing to answer in their quest for purpose.
It was the wee hours of Sunday morning after a very busy week, and every inch of my body was bone-tired and screaming for sleep. Still, I somehow got out of bed, into the shower and into my clothes. By the time I got to church ‘to do my thing’ you would have thought I had just jetted back from a seven-star holiday at the Turks and Caicos Islands. That’s the power of purpose. Find your purpose and make it your passion. Let it be a fire burning so hot in you that it cannot be put off by the ups and downs of life. Let your purpose be the reason you get up every morning, and the reason you go to bed with a deep sense of satisfaction each night.
