When I was young my parents worked long hours 6 days per week and I was given chores to help and ‘to keep me out of trouble’. On Sundays I was always required to go to Sunday school and church to give me the right understandings about my purpose in life. Even though we were poor Mom and Dad were dedicated to the giving us everything we needed to grow up healthy and happy and have the right values in life.
They explained what they thought we needed to understand and they would explain anything to us that we had questions about. But I missed out on something. I didn’t know what I didn’t know so I didn’t ask.
I heard and felt the fact that we were poor. Dad explained that he was able to borrow money from a rich guy in town because of his integrity in paying his debts and he taught me that lesson over and over. I heard Dad tell about being bullied when he was a small boy with polio. I heard him tell of having to fight and it was very scary. He told of the very mean football coach forcing him to tackle the big guys and getting hurt over and over. So I learned that many people are out to hurt you and they will.
I heard and saw Mom being so uncomfortable around people and always being a ‘worry wart about not having enough money to pay the bills. I saw her carrying a very heavy burden working long hours and devoting herself to raising her three kids yet never thinking of or demanding anything for herself.
I saw them both doing the best they could with their situation in life. Those are the kinds of things that stuck with me.
I never wanted to confront anyone about anything because I was so unsure of myself that in any conflict I immediately felt that I had been stupid and wrong. I felt afraid and embarrassed a lot even though others seldom knew it. On the surface I was a normal, popular young guy that was shy with girls, and a little, no maybe a LOT, stupid.
I now see that I was self-conscious and afraid because I lacked the proper understandings, what I now call my Purpose in Life. I always felt like I couldn’t be free to be and do and say as I wanted or I would just be embarrassed and humiliated again . It was like being trapped in some unknown way, like being a rat in a maze, no matter which way I turned it always seemed I was wrong. I am sure that my pain and needs as a young boy are the source of the strong motivation that I have to help others.
Today I am so happy to have found and understood these things that seem like THE answer!! Of course it doesn’t hurt that today I am retired and free of the pressures of a JOB!!
But by writing about the Universal Purpose in Life and the implications of it I can make sure that ‘this boat holds water’, that this message doesn't 'have a hole in it' and that others can also see it. And then I can tell everyone about it!
It would be wonderful to be able to help others to avoid a lot of the pain and insecurity that I had and the loss of potential that results from insecurities!
It seems to me that this understanding of the Universal Purpose in Life is what I needed.
If I had understood that everyone had many of the same insecurities that I had then I wouldn’t have felt that everyone else was OK and understood more than me.
If I had understood that we all have potentials for really good contributions to our family and others but we have to find them, then I would have been looking for mine instead of worrying about what others thought about me and how they might hurt me.
If I had understood that I had the potential to do some really great things in this world and I had the responsibility to find them and do them, then I would have taken that responsibility very seriously.
If I had understood that my family had confidence that I would find my best potentials and that they would be really proud of me when I discovered them I believe I would have been aggressively looking to fulfill that potential as soon as possible.
It would have cleared a lot of the other things out of my mind and allowed me to be more focused, productive and self-confident.
I am confident that having the right understanding and the right motives has helped me to be more focused on doing things instead of worrying so much about what others think and say and do. That is improved productivity coming from improved self-confidence.
As a result of my mind being free of all the thoughts about what others are thinking and what I did or didn’t do in the past, I am much happier. And I am confident that adopting this way of thinking can do the same for others.
I hope so much that this understanding resonates with you and that it can be passed on to your children and theirs and help you and them to be more self-confident, focused, productive and happy people.
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It just keeps happening that everywhere I go I am meeting people easily and many of them are happy and even eager to establish a relationship with me. I am surprised and amazed and I Love it!! Of course, when people see an older guy by himself out enjoying the world they naturally think he is single and rich. Of course I naturally think that my sparkling personality is finally showing through!!
I really like to talk to people and I haven’t had enough of that in my lifestyle for a long time. So I am like a hungry man with a plate of excellent (French, of course) food in front of me and it makes me feel like I am living 'The Good Life'!! So I naturally want to overeat!
In addition to being very enjoyable to meet new people and get to talk with them, it seems like such a fortunate thing that I am building a base of friends who might be interested in my book and my ideas! (Send me your email address, if I don't have it already, and I will notify you when my book is ready.) Hey it’s really about being ‘in service to’ you, NOT trying to sell a lot of books!!
One of the things I am writing about is defining what ‘The Best Things in Life’ and ‘Living the Good Life’ means to me and helping people to define what those things mean to them. It’s a good thing to start with the right direction and the end result in mind when you take off on a journey.
I am extra happy because I have a loving family and loving sisters and their families and I have a mission to write this book. The mission gives me motivation and excitement and energy and enthusiasm and it seems to be generating excitement and pride in my family members as well! I know that I am writing this book to bring forth my potential and to be in service to my family and the world. And that is part of the reason I have such a wonderful family.
Now I find that the principles of this UNIVERSAL PURPOSE IN LIFE have been around for a long time. Over 2500 years ago Buddha said the following:
“Your work is to find your work and devote yourself completely to it” – Buddha
The UNIVERSAL PURPOSE IN LIFE says ‘We all have unique potentials within us. It is our responsibility to find those potentials and devote ourselves to bringing them forth to the best of our ability in service to others.’ Sounds like the same thing doesn’t it?
Mother Theresa said many wonderful things that illustrated so well her incredible love and her devotion and her message to the world and so much of it resonates with me. But there are some things that I love the most and relate most to my life and my mission right now:
http://www.mothertheresasayings.com/
Many people, including me, have never understood why Mother Theresa is so famous. You will see the core of her beliefs in the quotes below. Go to the above website and read about her and her life's work and then you will get a glimpse of her true love and devotion and why this woman has been and is so revered.
“God doesn’t require us to succeed; he only requires that you try.” – Mother Theresa
That is the first part of the central theme of the UNIVERSAL PURPOSE IN LIFE! It is your responsibility to bring forth the best potential that you have at the moment.
“Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway” – Mother Theresa
This is the second part of the UNIVERSAL PURPOSE IN LIFE. It is your responsibility to do your utmost to bring forth your best potential.
“There should be less talk; a preaching point is not a meeting point. What do you do then?
Take a broom and clean someone's house. That says enough.” – Mother Theresa
When you are in service to others your actions say enough. You don’t need a lot of talk to convey your intentions. It is my responsibility to present my understandings in the best way I possibly can to assist others. If I don’t say it well enough it won’t be understood so I must devote myself to doing my absolute best.
“People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.” – Mother Theresa
To be able to accept people as they are and as they do and be confident with yourself was a tough lesson for me to learn. I am a really slow learner!!
“If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.” – Mother Theresa
To not be shaken by the accusations of others because you know your motives are pure gives great peace of mind and satisfaction. Now I know for sure what my motives are, to be in service to my Teams.
“If you are successful you will win some false friends and true enemies;
Succeed anyway.” – Mother Theresa
There always seemed to be the story in our house that successful people were somehow dishonest or inconsiderate of others is why they were successful. So success was really seen as a bad thing. This understanding of the UNIVERSAL PURPOSE IN LIFE lets you accept success and the reactions of others because it is part of your purpose and potential.
“If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.” – Mother Theresa
It takes internal strength to be honest and frank especially when you have made a mistake or want something very badly. But that strength which comes from the proper motivation will bring real success which is satisfaction and peace of mind.
To devote yourself to bringing forth your best in service to others gives the direction. You must be honest and frank to be devoted to your PURPOSE IN LIFE.
“What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.” – Mother Theresa
When you are devoted to THE UNIVERSAL PURPOSE IN LIFE you will go on loving others and being productive and focused even though you know you might be hurt. You’ll never make the basket that you didn’t shoot. Keep going for your potential ‘until the very end’ as Abraham Lincoln said.
“If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.” – Mother Theresa
What other people think or say or do does not change your Purpose in Life. ‘Keep on Keepin’ on’!!
“The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.” – Mother Theresa
True, your good deeds and intentions will not always result in praise and thankfulness from others. But the Universal Purpose in Life gives you different motives. Your intention is to achieve 'success' for yourself, i.e., gain self satisfaction and peace of mind from knowing that you did your absolute best. Then your mission is clear, ‘Just Do It!!.’
“…the fruit of love is service, and the fruit of service is peace.” – Mother Theresa
Being ‘in service to’ is demonstrating love, the verb. And the knowledge that you have been in service to and done your best brings you peace of mind.
“If we want a love message to be heard, it has got to be sent out.” – Mother Theresa
Part of the UNIVERSAL PURPOSE IN LIFE is to ‘Bring Forth’ your potential and to do that you must share your ideas with others in a way that it can be heard.
“I have come more and more to realize that it is being unwanted that is the worst disease that any human being can ever experience.” – Mother Theresa
To be in service to others demonstrates that they are wanted. To be in service to others means that you are wanted because you have a PURPOSE IN LIFE that is serving mankind.
“Never bother about other people's opinions. Be humble and you will never be disturbed.” – Mother Theresa
When you are in service to others you are not seeking something for yourself therefore you are humble. Other people’s opinions don’t change your intentions nor your PURPOSE IN LIFE.
“You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; it was never between you and them anyway.” – Mother Theresa
Now I see. In the final analysis, writing this book and telling people about these ideas is about me being devoted to my Purpose in Life to bring forth my best potential; it is not between me and them anyway.
The lessons from Mother Theresa and The Universal Purpose in Life are extraordinary!!
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