The first thing you need to do to find your purpose is to believe and know that you have a purpose. Some of you already know what your purpose is but are afraid to act and feel stuck where you are. If you have not found your purpose yet, do not worry; you are not alone. Your purpose will find you if you are open to it. Most of us live a mundane life with a job that does not satisfy us. I believe that everyone has a purpose in life. You do not have to win the Nobel Prize or achieve great success to have a purpose. Like I said in the previous chapter if you are happy where you are in life and feel that what you are doing gives you meaning and joy, then that is your purpose, and that’s where you belong. Everyone needs everyone else to survive in this world; we all have functions in this world, and we work well together. For example, what did you have for breakfast this morning? Did you have eggs? If you did, have you ever thought about how these eggs wound up in your refrigerator? Think about this: it started with a farmer who raised the chicken, then sold their eggs to the wholesaler, who sold them to the supermarket, whose driver delivered them to the market, where the stock boy put them on the shelf, which was where you found them, placed them in your cart, and then paid at the checkout counter, where the cashier rang you up. And this is an example of an egg, let alone a chicken! I probably missed many steps in between, but you see what I mean? We all have a function in this world, so how do you contribute to this world of ours? Do you know where you belong?
If you feel that you do not belong where you are and are not happy with what you are doing, then your inner self is telling you that you need to be elsewhere. The first thing in discovering your gift is to believe that you are gifted. The second is to listen from within; listen to that inner voice and follow your dreams and desires. You must have faith that God made you for a purpose. Some people do not follow their dreams because of self-doubt. They say things like, “I am not good enough,” or “I am not smart enough,” and millions of other reasons why they should not follow their dreams. What you must understand is that what one person can do, another can do, especially when you have a burning desire and torch in your heart about your dream. Most of the successful and influential people that you see today started with nothing, and they had so many setbacks before they got where they are today. Did you know that Colonel Sanders, founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, was turned down 1,009 times before he became a success and created the most popular fast-food chicken chain restaurant in the world? It is not about others believing in you. It’s about you believing in yourself! What would have happened if Colonel Sanders had given up at 1,009th time? KFC would not exist today. This man believed in his recipe and did not give up.
Another amazing person who believed in her gift was J. K. Rowling, the author of Harry Potter. Rowling was on welfare until she had an idea about writing a book starring a boy named Harry Potter. Before her success, twelve publishers turned her down. Today, she’s sold over five hundred million copies, and Harry Potter has become the best-selling book series in history. She became a billionaire. She lost her billionaire status after she donated millions to charities. One important thing to take away from J. K. Rowling’s story is that you need to believe in your dream and give back to the world what God has given you. Once you reach financial wealth, I hope you will look back and give to the less fortunate. As Denzel Washington said, “You will never find a U-Haul behind a hearse.” That is right: you cannot take your riches with you. Whatever wealth you have created will not go with you to the afterworld. The best thing to do is to give it away before you go. You are the only one who can change your life. If you do not believe in yourself and your dream, who will? God has given you a gift, you need to express it and develop what God gave you.
Do you doubt your purpose and abilities? Let us take a closer look at self-doubt. The reason why you have self-doubt is that you do not think that you have the skills to do what needs to be done. Self-doubt is a learned behavior and can be unlearned. You must understand that you can develop and harness your skills in any endeavor you choose. Not everyone is born with a natural talent and knows everything that they need to know about their endeavors. Sure, some of us, like Mozart who, was born with a God-given talent, but most of us must learn and develop our skills. Even though God has planted a seed in your heart that sparks your purpose, you have to develop your gifts and skills. Michael Jordan is one of the best NBA players of all time, but he still practices daily. He spends at least two hours a day on the court developing his skills. He has a professional trainer and sticks to a strict physical and mental training schedule. Another amazing athlete is Manny Pacquiao, one of the most beloved and best boxers of all time. Manny grew up in poverty in the Philippines.
One day spent watching a boxing match between Mike Tyson and James Douglas changed his life. He knew then and there that he wanted to be a boxer. God speaks to us in mysterious ways, so have faith and listen to your heart. Pacquiao didn’t know how to box, but he was determined to learn and harness his skills. As I said, God puts the sparks in your heart, but you need to develop and harness your skills. Like Michael Jordan, Pacquiao trains daily. He runs ten miles and does eight rounds of shadow boxing, fifteen rounds of sparring, and ten rounds on the heavy bag. He also does two sets of one hundred reps of ab crunches and two sets of one hundred reps of knee ups.
So even though you are gifted, you always have to harness your skills. We live in a world today where information and training are readily available and accessible. Anything you want to do is possible. You could become a brain surgeon if you wanted to. Think about it. You can always go back to college to finish your undergraduate, another four years of medical school, then three to seven years of residency. Of course, this is a long commitment and journey, but it can be done if you want it bad enough. So if this is the case, then almost anything is possible. Where do you think your inspirations and desires come from? The answer is God. God puts you on this earth to serve and to live a life that he designed for you. You just must listen from within and trust in him. So how do you listen to God? God speaks to us in different ways. Sometimes, an event that we did not expect turns into an opportunity— for example, the discovery of penicillin.
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Halfway through an experiment, Alexander Fleming left and went on a vacation. He left a dirty petri dish in the lab sink. When he got back, he discovered that there were bacteria all over the dish except the area that formed mold. Upon examination of the mold, he noticed that the culture prevented the growth of staphylococci. Penicillin has saved millions of lives throughout history. The microwave was another accidental invention, and now, everyone in the world is benefiting from it. Percy Spencer was working for a company named Raytheon. He was developing microwave transmitters during World War II. One day, he had a candy bar in his pocket, and he stood too close to the machine. He realized that the candy bar had melted, and the rest was history. There are many more examples like this throughout history. God speaks to us in many ways; you just have to listen, but it does not have to be this grandeur. It could be a silent feeling that you have in your heart telling you that you need to be a doctor, a musician, or whatever. You are here to serve, remember that! Whatever the voice tells you, trust it and go with it. God bless you.
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