In 1995, at the age of twelve, when most of his buddies are playing ball in the yard, Craig Kielburger was telling anyone who would listen about an organization he created called Free The Children. He would speak anywhere from India to Washington D.C. to New York to Haiti. He was even profiled on 60 Minutes about his crusade to stop child labor.
So if you had asked that kid why he did all that instead of just being a kid? He’d say, “I feel very passionate about child labor and want to do something to stop it.”
Craig Kielburger is living on purpose.
He has found something that gets his juices flowing and the adrenaline pumping. His purpose gives him tremendous energy. For a kid his age, or an adult for that matter, he has done things, been places and met people that has made people take notice. When there is fire in your belly you can do the impossible.
Why do some people have that burning desire and some do not?
Most people simply go through the motions day-in, day-out. Caught up in the boring, mundane routines of life. Almost mechanical.
Finding YOUR Purpose
Volumes of books have been written on this subject. Google will give you over 100 million results. I believe it is essential to seek your purpose in life. To have a clear definition. If you do this, you will have done something that 97% of people never do.
Most people wander aimlessly about. Unsure of who they were meant to be or what they are supposed to be doing.
Crossroads of life
Then there are those who come to a crossroad in life and want to figure out what the hell happened. How did things end up like this? And what can they do to change it?
This typically happens between ages 35 to 55 years old. The mid-life crisis. I speak from experience. This very thing happened to me.
Is this all there is?
After some serious soul-searching, you begin to feel a void. Something isn’t quite right. Something is missing, but you can’t quite put your finger on it.
Money doesn’t satisfy
Money is not the answer to the question. Buying the adult toys, cars, boats, etc. doesn’t do it anymore. The bigger house or the second home might be there, but this empty feeling is still there as well.
Learning to Live on Purpose
Does this scenario sound familiar? Do you wonder about a lack of purpose in your life? We all hunger for a deeper meaning in our lives.
We need to feel at our core that we matter and that we are making a difference.
Living a lifestyle that is on purpose gives you the opportunity to pour your life into the lives of others. Leave your imprint in a positive way. Be a giver without the thought of any type of personal reward or recognition.
Three Steps toward finding your purpose:
1. Align your purpose with your natural giftedness – We all have our natural talents and interests. Discovering what these are is what the game of life is about. Many times, our careers might not be aligned with what we enjoy most or even do best. Our values and our actions may conflict.
I believe that every person is born with talent. –Maya Angelou
2. Living on purpose requires tunnel-vision – Many people lose direction and motivation because they are easily distracted or influenced by other people. They begin to wander and lose focus. You need single-mindedness and determination to do what it takes. This separates the weak from the strong, the procrastinators from the committed. This ignites the passion and creates a feeling of significance.
Success demands singleness of purpose. –Vince Lombardi
3. Maintain humility in your pursuits – Don’t let your ego override good intentions. Those who have the greatest impact are not concerned with fame and fortune. Just do the work. Greed and power have not place in a life on purpose.
I feel the first true test of a great man is in his humility. – John Ruskin
Let’s face it… finding your purpose and living it out is a lot harder than than following anyone’s arbitrary list of 1, 2, 3. But you must start somewhere. Do you feel the uneasiness stirring inside you? Let your search begin.
