“True happiness is not attained
through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.”_ Helen
Keller
All great
people are not drifters, but they are men of great purpose.
Men of
purpose don’t live their lives by a muddle default—as the general mass of
people do. They utilize their waking hours intelligently toward achieving a
meaningful goal.
Great minds
understand in depth the insight of an American social reformer, Charles Henry
Parkhurst, who said: “Purpose is what gives life meaning.” In other words,
living for something meaningful is what separates us from the rest of the animal
kingdom.
And we can cite
Einstein’s example as someone who lived for a worldly purpose. He chose to
direct all his energies to the pursuit of how the physical world works. He
sought to comprehend how light travels. Consequently he revealed to us the powerful
theory of relativity.
However, to
make that discovery, the ambitious scientist worked and thought continuously on
the concept for more than ten years. It is no small feat to remain committed to
a task that pays no immediate reward, year in, year out for up to a full
decade.
Great people
know how to stay the course of purpose, no matter how long it takes. This is
how they leave a lasting impact on the pages of history. On this, the British Statesman,
Benjamin Disraeli did assert that: “The secret of success is constancy of
purpose.”
The theory
of relativity is now one of the arcs of modern physics simply because Einstein
was a dreamer who dared to live for a useful purpose, in worldly terms.
To maximize
our potential, we must think of something worthy to commit ourselves to. And the great thinker, James Allen also counseled
us to: “Be of single aim; have a legitimate and useful purpose and devote yourself
unreservedly to it.”
So, decide
today to aspire for something fitting of your best, something bigger than
yourself and dedicate your life to it. Set your goals tall enough, and never
stop striving to hit them. This is the way to make the most of your one single
sojourn on our transitory planet earth.
In the words
of Mitch Albom, the international bestselling author of “The Five People You
Meet”: “The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving
others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to
creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.”
Finally, I humbly
conclude that the ultimate purpose of life has less to do with enjoying copious
personal comfort but more to do with living rightly by adhering to the Laws of
our Creator, being useful to others, and fighting for a good cause that will
benefit many generations yet to be born.
This is not
only the source of true fulfillment in this world but also the means to eternal
felicity in the otherworld.
