Project Purpose: Find Your Why to Find Your Wayনমুনা

Life Map: Looking Back at Your Experiences

There are two ways we can possibly look at our personal history: this can either limit (and even define or condemn) us, or this can set the stage for the good that we may become or contribute. That’s why we need to balance a person’s history with his potential. This is where God’s grace comes in, as well as careful guidance of mentors, to help a person move past a history (or even bank on his history) to embrace his potential.

As a kid, I was often called out by my teachers for being talkative in class. Teachers said I was “too talkative!” Still, that didn’t stop me: I would always talk whenever I had the chance. If my teachers could see me now, I’m sure they would give out a hearty laugh, seeing that my “talkative” self has found its place as I live out my purpose speaking to different groups of people about their purpose in life.

Our personal histories give us a hint of what God probably had in mind for us to do when He made us. Our experiences help shape our passion. They both mold and reveal our interests and our bents. Our happy experiences, or experiences of success, give us a picture of what we can possibly enjoy doing as well as contribute productively in the lives of others. 

Pain and failure are some of the best teachers we can have, if we are willing to learn. Sometimes our painful experience can teach us something about ourselves, about other people, or the world we live in; but in all these, we should not be jaded. Instead we should become teachable. We should bring our sorrows to God because He can teach us about Himself, about ourselves, and about life in ways that someone who has not gone through the same pain we have might not have learned yet. 

With God’s help, it is possible to rise up and be victorious over our past. Our experiences of failure can then give form to the burdens of our hearts, to the changes we’d like to see in our world and would like to be part of, and to the lessons we can share to others, as well as the causes and advocacies we’d like to give our lives to. As it is often said, He can turn our messes into our message!

All these experiences contribute one way or another to who we are. These are our historical markers. Historical markers are crucial in your journey toward a purposeful life. Do you recall significant and memorable events in your life and the things you learned from them? Tracking down your historical markers or milestones will enable you to see the trajectory of your life. It would be tragic if, in your haste to advance in your journey, you neglect to leave markers or milestones at the key crossroads of your life. Without the help of these markers, you could lose your bearings.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. – 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV

We do not need to let our experiences limit us. Instead, these can become like a window to who we are, to what we want to grow from, to what we can become, and to how we can contribute to the world.

Because of this, looking at our past milestones will be helpful to understanding who we are today and who we can become. For this purpose, a life map will prove helpful.