7 Ways To Live Life With Purpose
Personal Development
October 20, 2014
Frank Sonnenberg
Topics
Balance, integrity, priorities, PurposeSome people measure success by the wealth they’ve accumulated, the power they’ve attained, or the status they’ve achieved.
Yet, even though they’ve reached success beyond their wildest dreams, they still have an empty feeling - something is missing from their life.
In order to fill that void and be completely fulfilled in life, their soul may be searching for something more.
Although everyone is different, there are common threads that bind a life with purpose.
Live By Your Beliefs & Values - People who live a life of purpose have core beliefs and values that influence their decisions, shape their day-to-day actions, and determine their short- and long-term priorities. They place significant value on being a person of high integrity and in earning the trust and respect of others. The result is that they live with a clear conscience and spend more time listening to their inner voice than being influenced by others.
Set Priorities - People who live a life of purpose identify those activities that matter most to them and spend the majority of their time and effort in those areas. Otherwise, it’s too easy to drift away in the currents of life. As Annie Dillard, the author, once said, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”
Follow Your Passion - People who live a life of purpose wake up each morning eager to face the new day. They pursue their dreams with fervor, put their heart into everything they do, and feel that they’re personally making a difference. As James Dean, the actor, once said, “Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today.”
Achieve Balance - People who live a life of purpose put their heart into their career and into building relationships with friends and family. They also reserve adequate time to satisfy their personal needs. Achieving balance means living up to one’s potential in all facets of life.
Feel Content - People who live a life of purpose have an inner peace. They’re satisfied with what they have and who they are. To them, the grass is greener on their own side of the fence. As the saying goes, “The real measure of your wealth is how much you’d be worth if you lost all your money.”
Make A Difference - People who live a life of purpose make a meaningful difference in someone else’s life. They do things for others without expectation of personal gain, serve as exemplary role models, and gain as much satisfaction witnessing the success of others as witnessing their own. As the old proverb says, "A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle."
Live In The Moment - People who live a life of purpose cherish every moment and seek to live life without regret. They take joy in the experiences that life gives and don’t worry about keeping score. Dr. Seuss may have said it best, “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”
My purpose was unfortunately discovered through tragedy. My wife and I lost our 9 month old daughter to the flu and RSV early this year. I am an Army officer and I was deployed when she became sick. Layla fought as hard as she could for 30 days, but eventually her little body gave out.
Over the course of the past 7 months I’ve learned how to deal with grief and how to expect the unexpected. I’ve realized how precious our time is with our loved one and that to spend that time without purpose is the same as wasting it. My purpose is to help other’s get through a similar experience, to help those who may not have the resolve to fight back the emotional darkness that comes with losing a child.
Thank you for sharing your article!
God Bless
I’m truly sorry for your loss. Losing a child is the most unnatural of events. It takes a strong will to move forward and use your grief as fuel to help others. I’ll keep you and your wife in my thoughts and prayers.
Follow Your Passion – People who live a life of purpose wake up each morning eager to face the new day.
When you find your passion it truly is a marvelous thing. You wake up with energy and find motivation to be a leader in that area. We all have special skills and different passions. It is a beautiful thing when we can see the beauty around us.
You’re so right. Finding your passion is exciting and exhilarating. As David Frost said, “Don’t aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally.”
Have an awesome day!