Imagine you wake up one morning and meet God.
God says:
“Man, what do you think you are doing working for an IT company??? You waste ten hours a day coding, and then spend your lunch break staring at girls???!!
You were meant to achieve so much more!!! I can’t tell if you’re afraid of what people may think, the opinions of your parents or your peers, but you’re not listening to your inner voice! MY voice!
Listen to me. I have put you on this earth to build the very best school in the world. A school that will teach children more than how to get a job, it will teach them to live a fulfilling life.
Raising the money for something like this is difficult. Convincing parents to choose their children’s happiness over their own uncertainties is even more difficult. You have already lost a few years since you’re 25 now. Not to mention you graduated with a degree in engineering! But forget all that now, this is your LIFE’S PURPOSE we are discussing.
Once you pursue your life purpose, nothing and no one can stop you.
So now GO!!! and do what you were born to do!!!”
For the first time in memory you feel a deep sense of peace. A sense of unity.
In your heart, a fire has kindled. It’s become a roaring flame.
You collapse at God’s feet and promise him you will pursue your life’s purpose.
You go straight in to work, quite your job, and storm out of the building, FREE!!!
That is when the real challenges begin. There are so many obstacles in your way, but you are resolute. It doesn’t matter how hard it gets, you never ask “Should I give up?” but instead “How should I conquer this next challenge?” Your plans might not follow your timeline, but you don’t lose hope. You experience negativity from your parents and friends, they think you are throwing away your life for a fool’s errand – but you push on. You friends get married, get promoted, start families – but nothing discourages you. While they are trying to find inspiration in books and motivational videos, secretly wishing for your fortitude – you are reaching your goals.
You give your blood, sweat, and tears to this goal. A decade passes by. You start to achieve a great degree of success, and you would not give up before you reached it.
Your story is told online and in newspapers, you are known as “The man who brought enlightenment back to education” You receive awards and global recognition for your work..
It’s now been fifteen long years. The road has been hard but fulfilling.
You are travelling to see one of the schools you established.
And you see a familiar face.
You almost call out in joy. You bow down at his feet and exclaim “Oh God!!! Thank you for showing me what I was meant to do in life!!! If it hadn’t been for you, I would still be back where I was, wasting my life! I will never have a family, and my parents have left me – but none of that matters at the level of fulfillment I feel internally! My real family is the thousands of children I have helped!”
He peers at you between squinted eyes “Oh my!! Aren’t you the guy I ran in to almost fifteen years ago? You cried on the ground in front of me? You had the most amazing dialogues I’ve ever seen!
“Dialogues???? What are you talking about?” you ask. Totally dumbfounded!
“Those dialogues you went on about, saying you were going to build a school! The director was mad at first, but then he thought it was hilarious. We searched for you after, but you disappeared! Why did you take off before getting your paycheck?”
“Wait, aren’t you God?? What are you saying?”
“Hahaha…that is a nickname some people call me by. But no, I’m Murugan Paidman, sorry to disappoint you. Man, your acting was just great!! You totally had me convinced you were an IT guy. Even your outfit was like the real thing. Speaking of, what are you doing now?”
Your legs crumble underneath you and you sink to unconsciousness.
Life can be a story we tell ourselves. The concepts of “me” or “!” are just ideas we create. Life purpose isn’t something that can be obtained at the finish line. Purpose is generated as we go. ‘Waiting for your purpose to find you’ is just pausing your life, while the world goes on around you.
Inherently, life means nothing . The wonderful thing is you have been given the ability to make it what you want.
Do not wait for your purpose to find you. Go out and make it.