As a typical Nigerian, with my level of maturity, experience, exposure and being able to make sense of people’s activities in my environment, I can boldly say that, in Africa, “not some but majority of us are all striving and trying just to get out of poverty“, take it or leave it, that has been our problems.
Without even far fetched, look deeply inside yourself, ask yourself the mindset behind what you are doing, the reasons for your time and energy investment. Without doubt it’s obvious — to get out of poverty, get desired position, or a place of recognition and fame in society or workplace, so that you could feel important and worthwhile. Hmmm.
Truly speaking, we are all victims of this, yes, no one is left out. Hardly you will see people who do not carry this mindset, and these are only the people that carry sense of purpose, aiming towards fulfillment.
Think with today my friend, the mindset behind our career and academic pursuits, our parents sending us to school, and even so called religious we engaged in, are how all these things can fast track and help us get out of poverty easily and quickly.
From one generation to another generation, these mindsets and ideologies have been established, applied, enforced, compelled and imposed by our parent, spouse, friend, people, society and even so called religious leaders. Some people perspective and definition about life and success, has been the reasons for some people envies, burdens, struggles and unnecessary stress in life.
Because of this, leadership, politics, religion, marriage and even education have lost their values and true meaning. Position, hunger, money, status, and fame driven spirits are now called leadership spirit, leadership through politics is no about more serving the followers, but enslaving them, educational institution is no more about bringing and maximizing the potential and giants in students, but taking from them to build giant buildings, religion is no more about empowering the congregation but instead expanding the auditorium.
We preserve nature, for example, but kill babies. We build solid houses but cannot construct lasting homes. We are smarter but not wiser, bigger but not stronger. We know more but understand less, and we live longer but enjoy life less. We are preoccupied with the status quo and we seek to gain status symbols but forsake responsibilities. We seek position, not for people gain but for personal gain. We go faster but get nowhere, conquer space but cannot conquer our habits, protect whales but abuse our children, go to the moon but wander far from home, and flirt with fantasy to avoid reality. And this thing we do, we forsake purpose and chase that thing which is good but profiteth little.
Let me shock you my friend, that a man can do, posses, attain, acquire and be anything he wants to be without God, agree with me, but no man has ever fulfilled without God. Ask philosopher and atheist of the past.
Unless you assume a God, the question of life’s purpose is meaningless. Bertrand Russell, atheist.
Ladies and gentlemen, Without any form of argument, let me leave this to the foolish that says in his heart that “there’s no God”. In one way or the other, our parents, perhaps the Faith we engaged has already let us known and revealed to us that we don’t just exist, we have source, we are creatures created by a Creator – the God.
Expressing myself from this perspective, the question is what makes a creator creates?
Agree
with me that before a product is designed and passed through the
development phases, there lie in the heart of the creator or the
manufacturer the purpose for creating that product, in a literal sense,
purpose predates production. Meaning before you and I were created,
there is purpose assigned to each and everyone of us.
Based on the purpose the manufacturer has in mind, he then uniquely designs the product and builds-in the functionality that can make the product works according to the the predefined purpose. So I say to you my friend, that you carry the characteristics and traits that no one else carries, you are uniquely designed, no one share your fingerprints. You’re perfectly created for your assignment.
When people look down on you, don’t be mindful of them, it’s because they are ignorant of whom you are, but when you look down on yourself, then you are yet to know how UNIQUE you are.
-Babatunde Raji.
The question is can a clay says to its creator – the potter “how and why did you make me this way?”.
Let
me tell you this my friend, that most motivational speakers will tell
you to look deeply inside yourself and discover yourself, that may sound
true, your gifts, talents and passion maybe discovered but what is the
essence of the discoveries without being applied for a predefined
purpose?. When purpose of thing is not known, abuse they say it’s
inevitable. No one discovers the purpose of a product by asking the
product but expect the manufacturer. So I say to you that you can never
discover your purpose by merely asking anyone or yourself, “Who am I?,
perhaps why am I here?, you discover your purpose by seeking and asking
your creator (God). Every product comes with a manual to communicate the
mind of the of the manufacturer to the user, so also you have access to
a manual that communicates the mind of your creator for you.
Purpose is the original intent for the creation of a thing. It is the reason for its existence and the why behind something’s existence. Purpose is the “assignment” that is produced by the intent of the creator or manufacturer.
Without purpose, Life is without meaning, the World is in chaos and tribulations today because many are where they are not supposed to be, occupying space, investing their time and energy on things which are good but not right. What the world also fails to acknowledge is that every human being is a genius if properly located at their place of calling and design in life.
But when purpose is discovered, life is full of meaning.Purpose determines the right position, it maximizes energy and gives time meaning. Purpose protects you from being busy but not effective and productive, It gives you the ability to see the end from the beginning.
When you come to the realization that each person in the world has been created and designed for a specific and unique purpose, and that no one can be substituted for another, you are freed from the jealousy and the envy that fuel your desperate attempts to gain recognition at the expense of others, this stops you from measuring success based on people or the society standard. No one fulfills purpose without rewards. Success without any sense of fulfillment is nothing but void.
Success without any sense of fulfillment is nothing but void.
Never mistake dream for purpose, because many are out there negatively taking advantages of other human being like them to buy cars and building mansions calling it dream. Dream may take certain time or specific place to be fulfilled but you and I can choose to live a life of purpose anytime and anywhere. Permit me to tell you this: that Dream is a subset of Purpose, inside purpose universal, permanent and great dreams are fulfilled.
My
dear friend, coming to this World not fulfilling purpose is the only
thing that make you and I cry after death even if we make heaven.
These are my words for my friend, to seek, find and live for purpose. And be thou fulfilled.
Have a nice day.
Jesus loves you.
Thanks.