Purpose.
Everything we do should have one. I spend a lot of time wondering what goes through the heads of people like Elon Musk, Steve Jobs (RIP), Mark Cuban, etc. Why have they risen to such monumental heights?
The more and more I think about it, I always end up with the same answer. They live for a purpose. Every action, every thought, every decision they make is made with a specific goal in mind. They have mastered the art of asking questions. Why am I doing this right now? What else could I be doing that might elevate me? What can I do to give myself a leg up on the socioeconomic ladder?
These are the questions that these societal giants ask themselves. Its their intangible hunger for success that drives them. The vast majority of us are working our nine to fives, chipping away on that 401(k) so we can one day retire and finally live life without responsibilities.
The names in our history books were placed there by people who got it. They figured it out – life, I mean. They knew what it took to become a relevant force in the world and they relentlessly chased their dream until it became their reality.
Napoleon, Alexander, Socrates, Caesar, Gandhi, Joan of Arc, Washington, Lincoln, Kennedy, Marie Antoinette, the list goes on and on and on.
They had a purpose, and they lived for it. The thing I think most people don’t fully understand is that every single one of these names, at one point in their lives…were no different than you or me. They didn’t view themselves as a figurehead of an era, or an inspirational banner of a generation. They were just….them. Human beings. Some were born into it, sure. But the majority, for all intents and purposes – they were average people, up until their exploits immortalized them.
Anyway, the point is this: having a purpose is what makes things happen. I wouldn’t have written a book had it not been for Mom. She is my purpose. And I think finding our inner purpose is something we should all try to do. We should be able to answer the question of why are we here and what else do we want to accomplish? These are the kind of questions that continually nag me. We get one shot at this life, and anything we do or don’t do will ultimately define us as an individual.
Hopefully one day I’ll be able to look back at my timeline and say “Damn, I lived the Hell out of my life. And I’m the luckiest person in the world to have been raised by that saint of a mother.”
A purposeful existence. For her.
How the World Should Work 