Do you know your purpose in life?

“The two most important days in a person’s life are the day you are born and the day you discover why.” — Mark Twain

 It was a beautiful December evening on a South Coast beach, when I had a conversation that changed my life forever.

I was sitting with my friend who had just quit a well paying job in a prestigious career to join a startup company. I asked him what in the world had made him take such a move.

At that point, my rather calm and soft-spoken buddy sat up in his seat and began speaking with more passion and excitement than I had ever seen in him. He explained that what he was doing was a step towards his life purpose. And then he said something like, “In all the training I have ever received and all the experiences I have ever gone through, God has been weaving them together to prepare me for this moment.”

 I don’t remember anything else we spoke about after that, because unknown to him, his words had hit me like a slap in the face and ignited a hunger I didn’t know existed.

That day, I had stumbled on an important truth. That in every human being, there is a hunger for significance, and a longing to live for something greater than themselves.

What is your purpose? Why do you exist? Here’s the thing: we were not created merely to be born, go to school, make money, get married, have children and then die. While we may pursue these things, we instinctively know that life is more than just the sum of them.

Too many people today have entered their dream career or married their dream spouse only to find themselves disillusioned and wondering what next. Many people spend their lives climbing the ladder of success only to find it was leaning against the wrong wall.

The film Braveheart had Mel Gibson’s character saying the unforgettable words, “all men die, but not all men truly live”. To truly live, you must live for something far bigger than yourself. Your life needs to have an impact on those closest to you.

Your best hours need to be spent not in a job but in a vocation that leaves the world a better place. And your life needs to leave a contribution to others who are not as blessed. To truly live, you need to leverage your unique God-given gifts to make a difference to the world in a way that only you can.

You are not a mistake. Your being on earth is not a coincidence. Nothing about your life, good or bad, is a waste. You were created for a unique purpose and you owe it to yourself to find it and pursue it to the fullest!

Photo: www.finerminds.com

Pastor M is a leadership coach, author and the senior pastor at Mavuno Church. Follow him on twitter @muriithiw or like his Facebook page, ‘Pastor_ M’