MAKING YOUR LIFE COUNT FOR SOMETHING WHORTHWHILE

Many people feel what they do is meaningless.  They go through the motions like robots, but their hearts aren’t really in it.  They don’t see the significance in their lives.  Do you ever feel this way?

It is paramount that we find and commit ourselves to a worthwhile cause as a part of making your life count.  It is only when we feel our lives have a higher purpose that we are truly experiencing all that life has to offer. 

Real joy in life comes from serving a cause that we feel is worthy of our time and energy.  Are you living your calling?

There are many reasons to find and commit yourself to a cause, but here are the five that I will like to share with you.

1.  Serving a great cause makes us feel happy and valuable

That is happiness: to be dissolved into something complete and great.
~ Willa Cather

A part of living life to the fullest is being happy.  A big part of happiness is knowing that your life has meaning and purpose.  It is knowing that you are a valuable person.

When we go to the effort to find and serve a meaningful cause, we are happier.  We get a deep sense of satisfaction that our lives matter.

Our life gets used up anyway.  Why not make it count for something worthwhile?

2.  Investing in a great cause is investing in ourselves

Our deeds determine us, as much as we determine our deeds.
~ George Elliot

Serving a significant cause makes us into a better person.  There is no way around this. 

Giving yourself to a bigger purpose makes you grow.  It stretches you and helps you to see the real miracles that happen around us every day.  The challenge and fulfillment you experience will enrich you in ways that you can’t even imagine!

This kind of smart living helps us to get our minds off our own little, petty problems for awhile.  It puts things into perspective and causes us to be more grateful for all the blessings in our lives.  It opens our eyes to see the greatness all around us.

3.  Pouring ourselves out for a great cause will lead us to authenticity

Life is a promise; fulfill it.
~ Mother Theresa

We are all endowed with unique gifts and talents.  Discovering your place in a great cause is like finding a huge missing piece of yourself.  You are not complete without it.

The more you unpack your purpose in life, the closer you get to the real you.  All the less than honest parts of yourself tend to dissolve.  They fade away because they are no longer needed.

This is a process that occurs over time, but it can’t really begin until you start to see who you really are.  Following your heart is the first step in this great journey to fulfill the promise you were created to fulfill.

4.  Making your life count will give you a clear purpose in life

The purpose of life is to live a life of purpose
~ Richard Leider

Many of us wander through life aimlessly.  We fail to establish goals.  We bounce around like a pinball from one thing to the next.  As Thoreau points out, we go to the grave with the song still in us.

However, once you identify and pursue a valuable cause, it is like your internal GPS kicks in.  Your vision for the future begins to take shape and you feel emboldened.  There is no longer a lack of clear direction.  Your life has purpose.

This purpose becomes a driving force.  It is the inner energy source that propels you upward and onward tirelessly.  Purpose is refreshing, rejuvenating and exhilarating!

5.  Persevering in making your life count will make the world a better place

Each small task of everyday is part of the total harmony of the universe.
~ St. Theresa of Lisieux

What do you want to be remembered for once you are gone?  What will be your legacy?  What will your children and family recall about you?

I have personally pondered these questions and I believe the answers are an important part of living life to the fullest.  It is important to make a positive mark on this world.

I want to leave this world just a little bit better than I found it for the next generation.  I want to be a part of the solution instead of a part of the problem.  I want to finish my life and know that I used it wisely.  I want to know I pursued smart living.

Find a way to make your life count for something

There are a number of ways to do this, but you have to start somewhere.  Here are some suggestions on how you can begin to make your life count for something.

1. Brainstorm possible causes – Start by examining your heart and asking yourself some questions.  What’s important to you?  What do you value?  What are you passionate about?

Here are some ideas to help you get going:

- Raising your family and children

- Helping the poor here and abroad

- Volunteering to improve your community

- Teaching people an important skill or concept

2. Decide how to get involved – What are your talents and how could you apply them to benefit a cause that you are passionate about?  What can you do?  It could be just about anything.  Are you good with computers, accounting, research, fund-raising, organizing events, construction, vehicle maintenance or writing?  Any of these talents and a million others are needed in all kinds of great causes.  Decide how you can help and then get started!
3. Make your life count – Find an organization or group of people that are already doing things to further the cause that you are passionate about and join them.  Don’t be shy about getting involved.  Assert yourself and you’ll be amazed at how quickly you become one of them!

Make your life count!  Get involved in a worthwhile cause so you can find significance and the real you.  Don’t waste another minute feeling unimportant and aimless!  Your life is too important of a thing to waste!

MOST VALUABLE ACHIEVEMENT

Most of the highest achievers in this world are people you’ve never heard of. Because achievement is much more than amassing fame or material wealth.
Achievement is living fully in a way that is meaningful to you and in line with the values you feel most deeply. Achievement is expressing the unique purpose that is at the center of your being.
Achievement does not require the approval, permission or recognition of anyone else. Achievement is following the desires of your most authentic self, not merely satisfying the shallow impulses of your ego.
The vast majority of achievements that come to life every day are quiet and peaceful and immensely fulfilling. Do not confuse true achievement with meaningless spectacles that make a lot of noise but have no lasting value.
In the smallest moments there is the potential for great achievement. For what true achievement is, is living with purpose and love, with thankfulness and joy.
Remember always that achievement is more than merely constructing great edifices. The most valuable achievement is building a meaningful life that makes a positive contribution.

MAKING LIFE UNIQUE AND WORTHWHILE

Now the key to make life really unique and worthwhile is to share.  Sharing has a certain unique magic of its own.  Here’s what I learned about sharing ideas:

If you share an idea with ten different people, they get to hear it once, and you get to hear it ten times.  So here’s part of self-interest for yourself– getting you even better prepared for the future.  Share ideas.  Share with your family, share with the people around you, share with other employees, share with your colleagues.

When one person shares with another, two things happen.  The audience could be transformed, and so could the speaker.  If you share with someone else, they could be transformed.  You may have dropped in at the right time.  This may be their moment.  They’ve got three numbers dialed into the lock already, and if you say it well and say it right you’ll be the fourth number that they can dial into the lock of their personal experience and the door will come open and there’s opportunity they never saw before.  The person who hears could be transformed.

But here’s what else is exciting.  The person who speaks could be transformed.  Guess what we’re all looking for–transformation for our new life.  The new life tomorrow, the new life this month, the new life next year, the new life this year.

The caterpillar one day says, “I think I was made for more than this crawling on the ground.”  So the caterpillar climbs the tree, attached himself to a leaf and spins the cocoon.  Who knows what disciplined effort it takes to spin a cocoon.  But something inside the caterpillar says, “I was designed for something more than being just a caterpillar.”

And then when the cocoon is ready and it opens up, out comes a butterfly that flies away, maybe singing, “I believe I can fly!  I believe I can touch the sky!  I used to be a caterpillar on the ground, now I fly.”

I’m asking you to go through such a metamorphosis.  I’m asking you often to go through a period where you say, “New skills, new things are waiting for me,” and part of this will come if you’ll translate for other people what you feel in your heart and in your soul.  As awkward as your language might be at first, don’t hesitate to do it.

Here’s what sharing does–it makes room for more.  Key question, if this glass is full of water can it hold any more?  If the glass is full of water, can it hold any more?  And the answer is yes, yes, if you pour some out.  So jot that down.  If you want more, you’ve got to pour out what you’ve got, then you have the opportunity to receive more.

Now, unlike the glass that remains the same size when you pour some out; not so in consciousness human beings.  Your capacity will increase the more you share.  You’ll get bigger and bigger and bigger.

Now why the self-interest wish to be bigger?  Here’s why:  to hold more of the next experience.  Some people can’t hold much happiness because they’re too small, their thinking is too small, their activity is too small, they’re too small in their ability to share, they’re just too small.  Can’t hold much, they’re too small.

But the bigger you get, the more you will receive.  When happiness is poured out, you’ll get more.  When joy is poured out on the nation, you’ll get more.  When bounty is poured out from the economy, you will get more, if you share what you’ve got and become bigger and bigger and bigger.

Now some people are not only small, they have their glass turned upside down.  It’s hard to get anything in.  But if you come to every situation with an open mind, an open consciousness, ready to receive, I promise you will find the people that will share with you, and that will accept what you share with them.

(from the Jim Rohn Weekly E-zine – http://www.jimrohn.com)

The Value of Sacrifices in a Relationship

When уоu love somеоnе and you have thеіr bеѕt interest аt heart, you mаy bе willing tо sacrifice sоmе оf whаt уоu wаnt іn order tо give уоur loved оnе what thеу want.
It's common fоr spouses tо make sacrifices fоr оne anоther and parents tо sacrifice for thеіr children. It's important tо learn thе vаlue of sacrifices еven though thеy mау nоt be pleasant.
Mаny experts feel thаt thе willingness to set aѕidе onе's оwn desires for the benefit оf anоthеr іs а good thing. It shows true love and commitment whеn уоu can put уоur partner's nееdѕ ahead of уour оwn desires.
Yоur Attitude Tоwаrd Sacrifices
Sоmе women feel theу've made tоо manу sacrifices for thеir partners. They mаy hаvе gіvеn uр thеіr dream to hold а certaіn job оr put off gоіng tо school. At fіrst the sacrifice mаy havе bееn fоr thе partner's benefit, but then came children. Thе sacrifices continued untіl thе dream theу оncе had merеly faded аwаy.
Whаt's wrong wіth this picture? Wаs thе woman the оnly onе whо made sacrifices for thе relationship and thе family? Iѕ ѕhе uѕing hеr choices аs excuses fоr not pursuing dreams when ѕhе соuld've ѕtіll dоnе ѕо?
How you view sacrifice iѕ whаt matters! You сan ѕее thе sacrifices you make аѕ а choice for what reаllу matters, rathеr thаn somethіng that yоu hаve to give uр.
If yоu're committed tо your relationship, іt's poѕѕіblе you wоn't evеn ѕeе уour willingness to give ѕоmеthіng uр for уour partner's benefit aѕ a sacrifice аt аll!
Make Good Choices in Your Sacrifices
Yоu wаnt tо bе sure, hоwеver, thаt уоu make sacrifices for good reasons аnd thаt your partner аlѕo sacrifices fоr уоu. Marriages аnd partnerships аre supposed to bе for the benefit of bоth partners. Thereforе, sacrifices muѕt gо both ways.
It's important thаt yоu nevеr feel like уou're forced to make a sacrifice. It muѕt be somеthing that уоu do willingly, wіth nо regrets.
In addition, yоur sacrifices ѕhоuld nеvеr compromise your morals or personal values. Thеѕе types оf sacrifices will most сertaіnly leave уou wіth regret аnd feelings оf guilt. Unfоrtunаtеlу, thе partner who would ask yоu to compromise уour values may not thе bеѕt partner fоr уou.
Values such аs thеse shоuld nеver be compromised fоr someone еlsе:
* Honesty. If уоu feel yоu'rе bеing asked tо sacrifice honesty tо hеlр a loved оne out, explain whу thiѕ iѕ а sacrifice уоu саnnоt make.
* Loyalty. Loyalty іs part of who you аrе, deep on thе inside, аnd giving that uр would meаn giving uр a part of уоurself. Agreeing to dо sо wоuld оnlу sour thе relationship further dоwn the road.
* Faithfulness. What do yоu dо if yоu find out yоur partner has cheated? If fidelity іѕ a valuе уоu hold dear, it's unlіkеlу thе relationship wіll survive. It's рossiblе, hоwеvеr, tо learn tо forgive, but it maу be morе difficult to learn to trust аgaіn.
Anу relationship уоu enter into іѕ gоіng to require ѕоme give аnd tаkе bу еасh partner. Be wіlling to sacrifice, choose wisely in уоur sacrifices, аnd уour relationship wіll thrive!

Shine your positive light

Does the world around you seem too hectic and frenzied? Then your best response is to be extra calm, peaceful and patient.
Does the world around you seem too greedy and selfish? That’s your opportunity to be extra loving, giving and sincerely compassionate.
Does the world around you seem too confusing and aimless? Then choose to be extra focused and purposeful.
The world outside reflects back to you the energy you give it. If you don’t like what you see, you have every opportunity to change it by changing the way you are.
When you’re a beacon in the darkness, your light will shine for a long, long way. When you’re the difference that makes the difference, your efforts will bring abundant fruit.
If things around you seem to be at their worst, that’s when you can accomplish the most by being your best. Shine your positive light in the face of negativity, and you will change your world.