A Simple Question to Know if You are Living a Purpose-Driven Life
Every day, you are either living a purpose-driven or survival driven life - there is no in-between.
“Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.” — John F. Kennedy.
Your answer to this question tells if you are purpose-driven or not:
Why am I doing what I am doing? Is it for,
What I will get? or
What I want to give?
Our actions are driven by either of these two motivations—even at those times when we do not seem to be aware.
If most of your actions are driven by what you will get - approval, money, recommendations - you are living for survival. A purpose-driven is a life driven by a motivation to give.
There is dignity in purposeful living.
Nothing comes close in benefits to living a purpose-driven life. A life where service to others is superior to every other motivation. And purposeful living is the quickest way to peace of mind, and a requisite to finding happiness and meaning.
This is because people who are purpose-driven know that genuine happiness is not in the things we do for ourselves but in those we do for others.
The place of most Africans in the map of purposeful living
Unfortunately, most Africans are living for survival. To a very large extent. We are more concerned about what to eat and drink so as to see the next day.
The reality is, when you are struggling for survival, someone else’s problem is the least of your concern.
And the government has failed us in this aspect - unlike those of the civilized nations. Most Africans live in a system where nobody watches the back of another. So, whether you live or die entirely depends on you and you alone.
But what is the way forward?
The way forward is changing most of our ideologies and belief systems. Especially those that are drawing us backward like the belief that Western Education is a sin.
We should start looking into e-commerce and advancement in technologies. And learning as much as we can from clues left by the white counterparts who are leading the pace in major sectors of the world like education, politics, commerce, and entertainment.
Success leaves clues. And anyone who cares can use those clues to his advantage.
We may not see these changes happen overnight.
We cannot start expecting to see these changes a few months from now. But one thing is sure - a journey of a thousand miles begins with a step.
Making those few little modifications as individuals and institutions will set a revolution going. And if one generation passes the need to take responsibility over to the next, in a matter of time, Africans are going to be a continent many will be proud to identify with. But it will take time, and so we need patience and perseverance.
Final thought
You are either living with a purpose or for survival. You can't be in between.
The best life, however, is purpose-driven. A life motivated by what to give rather than what to get.
You can start living a life of purpose by guiding your action not by what you hope to get but what you want to give.
And you can start that journey today!
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