Get On With Your Life’s Purpose
Get busy with life’s purpose, toss aside empty hopes, get active in your own rescue – if you care for yourself at all – and do it while you can. – Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 3:14
Powerful words, with an even more powerful meaning. I know for a fact that some, perhaps many of you, have not yet undertaken the process of defining what your life’s purpose is.
That’s ok. Our lives are a journey that is meant to be enjoyed.
If you are fortunate enough to have defined your purpose, whether it is digging wells for villages without water in Africa or being a coach in your community to a group of kids…
The activities, lessons or readings you are doing are with the aim of improving your life.
So I am urging you to get on with it.
There are many people who can read 1000 books and go on about all the amazing things they have read. Filling their minds with bright ideas, well timed witty quotes and guides for conducting their lives.
I would rather read 10 books and apply the knowledge contained within them and take actionable steps of applying that knowledge to further my life’s purpose.
Whether your life’s purpose is as a CEO, whose role is to assemble the best and brightest minds and lead them in a direction to create the best possible results for your business.
Or you’re are a mother tasked with one of the most difficult jobs in society today, which is to raise children who are compassionate contributing members of society.
Both are equally daunting tasks that require a deep commitment to implementing all of the knowledge you have acquired in a way that aligns with who you are and what you want to become.
There comes a time in your life that you must set the books aside and move forward. The answer doesn’t exist within the text of another book. It lies within you.
For many years I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur, but I didn’t know exactly what I wanted that to be or look like.
I knew I wanted to combine my love of health and fitness with the things I had learned from my life in the Army and on a SWAT team. I also know on a deep level that I love to fight for underdogs. My mission is to do this and impact 1,000,000 in a positive way.
I know that’s the case for many individuals who don’t want to work for someone else. They haven’t quite distilled it down to precisely what it is they want to do.
It can be an extremely daunting. It means taking risk. Many of you know that I made the difficult decision to leave my secure job with a life long pension to pursue my passion.
It’s scary stuff but I am pursuing my life’s purpose.
Decisions require you to take action
The reality is that nobody achieves success or realizes their life purpose by themselves. It’s a process that requires you to surround yourself with positive mentors providing guidance.
You don’t have to necessarily seek these people out.
There is a great quote which says, ” When the student is ready… the teacher will appear.”
There are people who are likely very close to you right now who can provide you with direction, guidance and feedback.
You must listen to your past in order to truly guide your future. The right choices and decisions will be the actions you need in order to get on the track to living a fulfilled life.
Ask yourself 3 important questions:
- What do I love?
- What am I good at?
- How will this help the world?
When you find the intersection of those three questions you have arrived at your life’s purpose.
Living Life’s Purpose Can Be Painful
Once you have arrived at the moment when everything has crystallized in your mind, be prepared for some pain.
Mastering your craft is never easy.
Some of the things I had to do simply to establish this business were among some of the most uncomfortable things I have ever had to do.
One of the first was 10 weeks of acting classes just so I didn’t look and sound like an idiot in front of a camera (okay…some will still think I do, but it’s better than it was I assure you).
Imagine 20 + years of trying to bury emotions, only to have to try and access them in a scene. Talk about cold sweat.
This list of challenges will be endless. Behind the mountain you just conquered is another mountain.
If you don’ t intentionally work to master your craft to the point of exhaustion, it will elude you.
The beauty contained within this pursuit is that it is invigorating and provides a deep sense of satisfaction and immense happiness.
I urge you again… Get On With It.
Stand Apart
Todd