A missionary doctor was in our home when he shared the three most important questions people universally ask. His talk though short, was life-transforming for a young person like me. His three questions were:
- Who is your master?
- What is your mission?
- Who is your mate? (or spouse-to-be)
His talk led me on a journey as a fifteen-year-old boy to find the reason for my existence. These questions were not the ultimate life questions but made me think about life and my path toward living out my purpose.
I have used the same outline for the past decade in coaching many people – guiding them through these questions that were asked to me three decades ago, and it has the same result. As a result, more and more people are asking the right questions to unlock their purpose in life.
This forces us human beings to think about our existence. It goes beyond our doing and narrows the focus to our being. – who we are and why we are here on earth.
I have a life principle to help us start our journey to our purpose. BE BEFORE YOU DO. Being precedes doing. When I know who I am, what I am called to do will follow.
Imagine a fish that will not swim or a bird that will not fly because they feel that they are not who they are created. We are designed for a purpose. It is sacred that we as human beings need to know to live our entire lives.
Our life comprises many areas – from our physical, family, mental, financial, spiritual, career, and personal. It is called the wheel of life. (review this) Each area is connected to one other. When one spot is weak, the others are affected. Jesus addressed this by saying, “What would a man profit if he gains the whole world but loses his soul.”
We don’t want to reach that stage of emptiness and purposelessness. That means we can have all the external factors of success but still feel something needs to be added. Bono has seen it for over a decade – “we still haven’t found what we are looking for.”
You can be a respected CEO yet come home to a broken marriage and strained family relationship. You can have the fame and power that the world offers you but know deep in your heart there is more to this life. That is purpose shouting and giving us a clue that something is amiss.
Look at the illustration of the barrel on this page. When one area is lacking, we can never reach the fullest life God has for us. The water spills. I want you to experience God’s full life of purpose for you.
As you read this book, it will require a lot of introspection. You need to pause at specific points to think and question things happening in your life. I need you to heighten your self-awareness so that you can honestly face your situation.