“We are not
powerless specks of dust drifting around in the
wind, blown by random destiny. We
are
each of us, like beautiful snowflakes – unique, and born for a specific
reason
and purpose.” ~ Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
Good
Morning!
How tempting it
can be to forget that we are each “unique,
and born for a specific reason and purpose.” Often, we compare
ourselves to those
around us, measuring our differences, instead of embracing our own
uniqueness.
Truly
internalizing that we “are born for a specific reason
and purpose” means that we must embrace life, instead of hiding from it.
We must get up: sometimes, when we would rather
lay down. We must bounce back at times
when we aren’t feeling resilient. We
must risk, when we would rather hide.
That isn’t an easy job to accept.
Many people
choose to play the victim. “Surely,
my purpose has been stripped from me
after all of life’s turmoil.” Still
others do not want a purpose. Leave
the
purpose-driven stuff to someone else, they think.
You will recognize these people from their
negativity or their numbness. They
often
lack passion for life and all the gifts that can be found within it. They are too scared to
challenge life, so
they convince themselves that those “purposes” and “rewards” are for
everyone
else.
Hiding from our
own purpose is a double-edged sword. While we minimize the
risks we take and
bruises we get, we are left with a gnawing ache for “something more” in
our
lives.
The word
“purpose” can be misleading. Obviously, we aren’t all going
to be Martin Luther
Kings, Mother Theresas, or Einsteins. That
doesn’t make our purpose any less important.
Each of us has something distinct to contribute while we are here.
It is something only we can give. And each gift, whether
small, medium, or
large, by whatever measure you use – impacts the world for eternity.
If you choose to
hide from your purpose or not discover it,
that also impacts the world for eternity.
Erica Jong said it well, “And the trouble is,
if you don’t risk
anything, you risk even more.”
Your Turn:
Take some
time to think about what “purpose” means in your own life. Can you clearly articulate
your purpose in a
sentence or two?
Today’s Affirmation:
My purpose guides my priorities.
