One can not live in one’s purpose if one does not know what that purpose is and one can not enjoy life fully if one is not living life on purpose. The question to ask then is this: Am I living my life on purpose? First of all, let us look at the meaning of purpose. According to the American Heritage dictionary, “purpose is intention-what one intends to achieve, ones goals. It is the proper activity of a person or thing (function).” Purpose is having a vision and a mission statement. Habakkuk said that where there is no vision the people perish and Solomon says to ask for wisdom. How do you know if you are living your life on purpose? Here are a few lines from Rick Warren, the author of The Purpose Driven Life. “People ask me: What is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.” Having said that, here are seven steps to living life purposefully:

1. Get your spiritual life in order: Make prayer and obedience your main tools. Do you realize, understand and accept the fact that you are created in the likeness and image of your creator? That God has a plan for your life and you should submit to it? Jeremiah declared: “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11) NLT. Do you know also that this plan was there even before you were born? Another declaration of Jeremiah is: “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb (Jeremiah 1:5). Sometimes we wonder if the things we are facing in life are God’s plans, why are they so difficult? They are difficult because God wants to transform our characters and He uses difficult situations to do that. Knowing this and being flexible with our plans is the first step to living life purposefully. We have to be flexible and willing to change or let go of our plans to embrace God’s. His plans will prevail, regardless of whether or not we are willing to accept and be in harmony with them.

2. Seek divine guidance and allow the Holy Spirit to have full reign over your life. That is obeying the scriptures, by applying them to our lives, and particularly where it says: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). In addition to this, we need to have the knowledge that the Holy Spirit’s job is to assist us. We must have confidence in the divine process, be committed to it and are allow it to work for us. We must resist the enticing desires of self-centeredness or of the flesh.

3. Be passionate about your work and find joy in it. Can you do what you are doing for the rest of your life through trials and tribulations without getting paid for your service? The wise teacher had something to say about this: “So I saw that there is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work. That is why we are here! No one will bring us back from death to enjoy life after we die” (Ecclesiastes 3:22). Sometimes you may find no joy in your work and you may view it as a chore, but do not get discouraged. Always live in the moment, be grateful and do your work as unto the Lord. It is preparing you for your next assignment; the next move forward, which will be bigger and better.

4. Create balance in all areas of your life: Having balance means that you have looked at the life of Jesus, studied His character and how He lived and you are striving to be more like Him each day. Therefore you are spiritually, financially, physically and mentally sound. You make wise decisions. These characteristics are necessary to function at the level that Jesus prescribed for you when He said: “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” (3 John 2). When we have these characteristics we find that other important aspects of life such as; relationships, love, commitment and forgiveness make more sense are more meaningful.

5. Be present and live in the moment: Be aware of whom you are at this present moment. Live in the moment and trust the divine process. Do not get too caught up in the circumstances of life so that you can not focus on your purpose. Be aware and have a presence of mind at all times. Set goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely and allow God to order your action steps. Again the wise teacher reminds us: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take” (Proverb 3:5-6). The Psalmist also advised: “Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.

6. Know who you are and be satisfied with YOU. Know why you are here, where you are going and how to get there. Love yourself and others. Know it is not about you, but about HIM-: For the first forty years of my life, I did not understand the importance of seeking divine guidance in understanding my purpose in life. During those years there was one thing that haunted me. That one thing was a feeling that I needed to be doing something more powerful than any of the careers I held. Then one day it finally dawned on me that if I hired a professional coach, that person would be able to help me figure out what that one thing might have been. Hiring a coach was one of the best decisions that I have ever made in my life. Since then I have come to learn the sad statistic that almost 90 percent of people are not satisfied with or are unfulfilled in their lives, (so I was not alone). Then I remembered the story of Jesus. After searching for Him for three days, Jesus’ parents found Him with the teachers and other leaders. He was seeking wisdom. Solomon again speaks out: “Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding” (Proverbs 23:23).

7. Emulate Jesus and Serve humanity-: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:44). The alarming statistic that almost 90 percent of people are not satisfied with or are unfulfilled in their lives caught my attention and is truly troubling to me. Putting God first in everything, having taken a look at the choices I have made, not settling for mediocrity, or with damaged self-esteem, believing in myself, my dreams, following my intuition and seeing myself as a success and a winner has filled any void I had. This can be the same for you too. As a result of that I am committed to empowering others to dream again, clarify their visions and live their life on purpose. “The future belongs to those who believe in the power of their dreams!” Eleanor Roosevelt.

About the Author

Pauline Lewinson, Life Style Mentor and Successful Entrepreneur, is helping many become the next success story. Whether you're looking to create an extra few thousand dollars per month, be an ex-corporate executive, or the next millionaire Mom, Pauline can assist you to create a second stream of income and greater peace of mind. visit : Inspired Life

Related links:

• How to Form an Intention in Seven Easy Steps
• Use Product Recommendations To Increase Affiliate Sales
• Affiliate Marketing - The Benefits of a Squeeze Page
• How To Become A Facebook Millionaire
• Hypnosis And The Benefit Of Deep Breathing