Monday Morning Musings
Volume XXIV, Number 19 (Issue 1170) May 11, 2027
It has been twenty-four years since Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life was published. Personally, I have spent countless hours during the past thirty years thinking about and trying to live into my purpose in life. Through my study, successes, and failures I have identified what I consider to be eleven universal principles that speak to discerning and living out one’s purpose. Those eleven building blocks are as follows.
- Longstanding codes of conduct such as the Ten Commandments and similar Judeo-Christian teachings together with instructions from other ancient religions and philosophies form the very foundation upon which tribes and societies depend if they are to survive. In the absence of such rules to guide our behavior the interdependence that social creatures require is hard to establish or sustain.
- Each of us deserves to be respected no matter our job, age, or station in life.
- There is dignity in honest work.
- We all have dreams and aspirations for our life. Those dreams tend to change both as we age and as we achieve (or fall short of and abandon) the personal goals we envision.
- Because life is NOT a zero-sum system where someone must lose in order for someone else to win, it is possible to achieve win-win outcomes.
- “To those who have been given much, much is expected,” (Luke 12:48) is as valid today as it was 2,000 years ago.
- Seeking the guidance of and listening to one’s better angels is essential.
- Each of us has been put on this earth to serve others. How we accomplish that task varies. But if asked to offer a fundamental statement of purpose that applies to all it would be we are put here to serve, enrich, and improve the lives of others provided it is not achieved at the expense of or detriment to someone else. To quote 1 Peter 4:10 “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
- Discerning what our unique role is in serving others is not easy. The odds of us encountering a billboard or neon sign that says, “Keith, this is my plan for you, Love God.” are slim to none. Still, identifying and understanding one’s God-given talents helps to define what we have been put here to do. However, that alone is insufficient to provide the clarity we need.
- For a great many, experiencing a seismic event can shape our chosen path. For example, having a family member battle a major illness has pushed some towards a career in healthcare. For others, a dissatisfying experience with the political system has sent them in the direction of a career in public service. Of course, the pivotal experience need not be traumatic. Having a teacher who inspires can encourage some to pursue a career in the field of education. The stories of good and bad experiences and their ultimate impact on and correlation with one’s choice of vocation is lengthy.
- Aligning one’s giftedness, passion for a cause, and career choice in a structure that also enables us to achieve our lifestyle objectives is not only worth pursuing, it is also entirely doable.
Reflecting upon my own journey, my sense of purpose began to take shape in earnest some thirty years ago during a spiritual retreat. The initial challenge to my newfound calling was that my background and previous career successes did not appear to align well with the new direction. Such a lack of cohesion and symmetry made it hard for me to visualize how I could possibly accomplish my emerging role. But thanks to the benefit of hindsight, I now know the first half of my journey was preparation for what was to come.
Soli Deo Gloria
“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” John 14:15-17
J. Keith Hughey
Mobile: (210) 260-0955
E-mail: keith@jkeithhughey.com
Website: www.jkeithhughey.com
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