The celebration of Easter provides us with the opportunity to take a step back and reassess our lives. It gives us the chance to contemplate who we are and what we aspire to be. Given that Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we should take advantage of this opportunity to reflect on ourselves and delve deeply into our minds in order to discover what brings us fulfillment and, ultimately, what our mission is in life -- our purpose. In the same way that Jesus Christ led his disciples as his purpose and is now praised for it, we too should uncover what it is about ourselves that we may celebrate and that may ultimately change the world.
Purpose is an amorphous concept; it encompasses a multitude of variables that we must examine, balance and ultimately interpret in order to give light to the answer of what our purpose is. When discussing purpose, it is critical not to mistake it with outcome; that is, we should not become fixated on the end result of our actions but rather on what we can do to ensure that our actions lead to the right result.
Our purpose of life may take various forms; it can be as simple -- but vital -- as being a good parent and raising a well-behaved and productive child who will ultimately develop into a fulfilled and productive adult. It may also be considerably broader in scope, such as being a world-class athlete, a scientist who conducts ground-breaking research or even the leader of a country. This is to say that no cause is less deserving of respect.
Each individual, irrespective of who they are or what they do, plays a critical role in society. For example, the trucker may find purpose in performing good, honest work and raising a family, but the aggregate influence of that honest effort ultimately results in millions and millions of people receiving food, gas and other necessities of life, and those people can use that trucker's efforts to more easily fulfill their own purpose in life. Similarly, a mother who simply wants to raise a successful child may raise a child who ends up changing the world, and her simple goal of raising the child well may wind up altering the world for the better.
When one's purpose is fulfilled, that purpose for which they have worked so diligently comes to fruition, and all their hard work proves to be worthwhile. Pursuing fulfillment inspires us to be better, to do better and to contribute to the world as much as we give to ourselves.
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A sense of purpose seems to have been lost on today's society; many disregard their values and indulge in unethical activity out of self-interest. Self-interest is not the same as purpose. A self-centered individual will undoubtedly have an influence on the world, but it may not be for the better. When people lie, cheat, and attack others in order to advance their own immoral interests, the only thing accomplished is that such a person may reduce, cut off or obstruct the development of another's purpose, thereby resulting in a domino effect in which the scores of people who could have been benefited from the actions of that person end up worse off because of the bad actor.
We witness instances of this in daily life; political operatives and disturbed people work tirelessly to convince and manipulate others into adopting views and acting in ways they would not otherwise. One of the most prominent recent examples of how bad actors can persuade people to be worse off is the propaganda surrounding Florida's improperly dubbed "Don't Say Gay" law. This entirely made-up propagandistic term has persuaded a vast group of people to join the side of fringe, far-left individuals who want to teach second graders about transgenderism and gender identity. I assumed it would go without saying that teaching children political views would immediately alter their path of life and alter their perspective on the world in ways that they would not have consented to had they been of a more mature mind, but apparently, it does not.
Easter is a time for celebration and prayer, for our own well-being, the well-being of our loved ones and the well-being of the planet. I pray that the people of this world discover the purpose for their being and that it is not thwarted by a malevolent few. I pray that everyone finds fulfillment in life, improves as a result and positively impacts the world. While no one is flawless, every one of us has a role to play in achieving success in this life, both for ourselves and for the world. It is my hope that we will see that, and I believe that we will, as long as we see beyond those who want to undermine our life's purpose.
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