Life Purpose - Finding Your Life Mission

There is an old story of a man who came home late one night to find his neighbor out on the footpath crouched down under a street lamp. His neighbor, we’ll call him, John, was obviously looking for something.

“What you looking for, John?”

“The key – I’ve lost my key.”

Straight away the man decided to help. So for a few minutes they both rummaged about on the ground looking for John’s key. They didn’t find it.

“Where do you think you actually dropped it, John?”

“In the house.”

“What?”

“I dropped it in the house.”

“You dropped it in the house...Then why are you looking for it out here?.”

“Well, you see, it’s dark in the house – and the light is better out here.”

A silly story which indicates a great truth as far as one important key in our lives is concerned: the key to happiness . Why? Because so many of us are like John. We search outside for our happiness when, in fact, the key to happiness is always inside. It’s inside of us. That’s where we dropped it. And that is the only place it can be found: inside of ourselves .

Professor John Powell of Loyola University in Chicago, wrote a book called Happiness Is An Inside Job way back in 1989. Author of a dozen books, some of which sold well over a million copies, Powell came up with his formula. H = I J. Or happiness is an inside job. This book contained much valuable information in how we can improve our lives; make ourselves more content - happier. But Powell is just one of many who have attempted to get this important message across.

He wasn’t the only one to endeavour to capture the ‘Key to Happiness’ in a formula. At a book sale I came across a slim volume by Greg Anderson. The title of Greg’s book, Living Life On Purpose. And his formula: V + S x P = M. Spelled out, this stand for Vision, plus Service times Passion equals Mission. Oh, and yes, Greg Anderson went much further than most people. He realized that all of us are different. We see things differently, so our particular visions vary. So he asked a question I’ve often asked of people in my own classes on the subject of Happiness: What would you do if time and money were no problem? What would you do if you did not have to think on these things? What would you do?

For the answer to that question you can deduce the type of person your are. Also what you’d would like to be; the sort of life’s work you’d enjoy being involved in.

 But then, Greg went even further.  Firstly he came up with a ‘Guidance for Mission’ in which you needed to ask yourself two questions:  “What are the most significant needs of this world that have been made clear to me?   How do my talents match them?   

But then he goes even further again.   He has a section dealing with Life Mission Aptitude Assessment, where you answer a series of 84 questions by simply ticking either of four options.   One gets 3 points for a Definitely True. “I consistently feel this way;   2 points for Usually true.  “I feel this way often” ;  1 point:  Once in a while.  “I feel this way some of the time.”  And no Never, “I don’t feel this way at all.   Your answers are compiled and carried to a grid reference where you can determine just what your talents are.   For example:  Administration, Craftsmanship, Artistry, Encouragement, Communications, etc..

From all of this, you can deduce not only how you feel about something but whether or not you’re really talented in that direction and could turn your talents towards a chosen Life’s Goal or Mission. Of the dozen aptitudes or skills presented, you simply pick out the top three pertaining to you and write them down. I’ve taken the test four times over ten years and consistently come up with roughly the same three, and in this order: Teaching, Artistry, and Communications. And, as I look back over the past thirty-five years, my life’s activities has borne this out.

I don’t know whether Greg Anderson is still alive and well. But I do recommend that his little book, Living Life On Purpose is well worth...not just only a read, but to be studied. For all of us are seeking for that Key to Happiness. So many are still of the erroneous belief that it can be found it material possessions or people outside of ourselves. So many are still looking under the street lamp. It hasn’t dawned on them that the key was never lost. It has just been tucked away in a safe place within our hearts, waiting to be taken out and used. And when it is slipped into that “Doorway of Opportunity,” and arouses in us to a Vision of Service, that inspires us and fills us with passion we will be on the path, our path, on our Mission. V + S x P + M. Will then be as true for us as it can ever be.

I hope you got something out of Life Purpose - Finding your life mission.