SPIDER’S WEB with CHEELA CHILALA
PURPOSE is unique – meaning it is specific to each individual, and that is because each individual’s life is unique. There are no two people whose lives take exactly the same route; and it follows that there are no two people with exactly the same purpose in life. Purpose sets us apart from each other.
While purpose separates us and makes each one of us unique, there are some factors which are common to anyone seeking to fulfil their purpose. Apart from being common, these factors are important. First, activeness. You cannot achieve anything in life if you are inactive. You cannot relax and believe that things will somehow work out on their own – what is called the cargo cult mentality.
A ship is not built to stay in the harbour. A car is not meant to remain parked in the garage. A bird is not born to stay in the nest. Neither are we meant to stay home and do nothing: we are meant to go out there and do something, for it is the only way we can discover our abilities and purpose. Inactive people have never been achievers.
Stagnant water gathers germs; running water produces electricity.
Second, hard work. It is not enough to be active. We need to work hard at whatever we lay our hands on. Whatever we do, we must do it with all our strength, heart and soul. Lazy people are not capable of achieving anything of worth. The reason some people have remained poor is because they have not worked hard enough.
It is important, though, to evaluate what we work hard at. It is possible to work hard at worthless things, or things of little value.
We must realise that while it is important and necessary to work hard, we need to ensure that we work hard at things that add value to our lives, things that give us a good return for our efforts.
Third, efficiency. There is more to work than just working hard. It is equally important to be efficient at what we do. It is possible to be hard working but still fail to beat deadlines; hard working but producing results of poor quality.
Think of a mechanic who spends the whole day working on a vehicle but does not know the solution to the problem; or the student who spends the whole night studying for an exam but does not understand what he or she is reading.
Surely it cannot be said that such people give full value for the many hours of hard work.
This is precisely why there are lots of people who work hard but remain stuck in poverty; they work hard but are never promoted.
Who wants to promote a person whose work is mediocre despite their having other great qualities such as always reporting for work on time, loyalty and honesty?
Fourth, determination. This means we should never give up on our dreams. Determination means you persist until you achieve your goal, until you fulfil your purpose. Hard work is not a one day wonder; it is a process.
The best things of life are never achieved easily – we have to toil to have them, and this is because the path to achievement is strewn with obstacles and challenges.
Obstacles and challenges will always be there. The point therefore is not how we can avoid them, but rather how we can overcome them.
If we lack determination we will give up on our dreams the moment we run into obstacles – and giving up means losing the opportunity to discover and fulfil our purpose in life.
Whatever the obstacles you face when pursuing our dreams, we should not give up. Do not stay in your nest; you were born to fly.
cheelafkc@yahoo.co.uk