Why Am I Here?

What purpose do you serve? Why did you arrive at this place, at this time? Have you asked yourself these questions? I have! But I have been amazed at the number of people who have not. There are millions of people roaming this earth without ever wondering “WHY?” Perhaps this explains why our world is in such a tumultuous state. I’m not posing this question from a religious point of view. I believe there are many apparently religious people who have never really considered the big “WHY!” I say this because their actions too often do not reflect the beliefs of the religion they profess. Too many people live their lives without aligning their actions to a set of values. These values give us our “WHY!”

It’s not that I am perfect or even that I expect others to be perfect. It’s simply that I believe each of us should decide what we value most and then make the conscious effort to align our behaviors with those values. We will all fall short of perfection but unless we clarify what we believe to be most important to us and consciously pattern our behaviors to align with those beliefs, we are like rudderless ships trying to traverse a great ocean. Our direction will depend on the currents and winds. If those currents and winds lead to destruction, that’s our fate. If they lead to success, that’s our luck. For most people, however, the outcome is mediocrity. Our world needs more excellence and that can only happen through purpose.

I challenge everyone reading this to do one simple thing. Right now, this very minute, write down the 10 most important things in the world to you. If you cannot think of 10, just write down as many as you can. Now, think of what you have done today. How has what you have done today supported and enhanced those things you’ve just said were important to you? Have you done anything that has harmed any of those things you “value?” How can you start to modify your actions to be more supportive of what is important to you? This is how we grow into people with purpose.

Here are my 10: Family, Community, Integrity, Kindness, Nature, People, Joy, Health, Peace, and Freedom. I could add more but maintaining focus gets too hard. With these 10 I can ask myself, “what have I done today that supports these things I value?” This gives me direction. I am a person who believes in a Creator, and I believe by valuing these things, I honor the Creator and the Creation. But, by doing this, whether you are a believer or not, you will become a contributor. You will help make the world a better place. And, in our world today, we can use all the purposeful people we can get!