The Message of LeadershipSample

WHAT ARE YOU HERE FOR?

"To forget one's purpose is the commonest form of stupidity."
-Friedrich Nietzsche

We do not all have the same abilities or opportunities. But we do all have the privilege of deciding the purpose to which we will dedicate ourselves. A wise man once told me that there were only three big decisions that most of us will ever make in life: who we are going to live our lives with; what we are going to live our lives in; and what we are going to live our lives for. It’s that third decision that seems to stump most of us. What are you living your life for?

As a college student, I worked for a time in an automotive plant to fund my schooling. It was a monotonous, routine job that I found unfulfilling. Most of my coworkers hated their jobs too and talked about how they would live out their retirement doing what they really wanted to do. Unfortunately, most folks never live out their dreams in retirement, and more importantly, why should we wait? I determined right then and there that I would ask God to help me find a purpose in my life that I could live for each day. I wanted something that made me wake up every morning and thank God for letting me be alive.

Have you found a worthwhile purpose in your life? Success has been defined as “the progressive realization of a worthwhile, predetermined goal.” Establish a handful of worthy goals in your life and give yourself fully to accomplishing them. In establishing your life purposes, start with your relationship with God, your family, and your work. These top three areas of your life need the most urgent attention.

Essential Insight 9: Settle on your life purposes and set out to accomplish them each day.