I recently ran across this quote from Rick Warren from several years ago, when his wife was diagnosed with cancer.  Warren is the author of the New York Times Bestseller The Purpose Driven Life.

This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer.

I used to think that life was hills and valleys – you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don’t believe that anymore. Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it’s kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life. No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.

You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems. If you focus on your problems, you’re going into self-centeredness, which is “my problem, my issues, my pain.” But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.

A couple of thoughts came to my mind when I read this quote.

1. Many people have pain and problems in their lives because they, or someone they love, have rejected, ignored or shirked their life’s purpose.  Example:  a man who doesn’t keep his commitments and fulfill his responsibilities as a husband and father causes pain for himself and his entire family.

2. Knowing and pursuing your life’s purpose gives you meaning and direction in life.  You have a target to aim for.  You know the score.  Because you know where you’re going, you’re not easily swayed by people, things (like cancer), or situations that seek to defeat you or pull you in another direction.

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On Sundays I write on Spirituality, Faith and Ethics. I do it because I believe we’re all spiritual beings and have some sort of a moral compass in our lives. You can learn more by clicking here.

For as long as there have been people living in this world, people of every age, race and gender have sought to understand the meaning and purpose of life.

At one level, it’s the stuff that philosophers and theologians question and debate. At another level, it is something that all of us grapple with at one time or another.

Today, it seems like more and more people are searching for the meaning and purpose of their lives.  If you doubt me, simply consider the fact that over 30 million copies of a book called The Purpose Driven Life, by Rick Warren, have been sold since it was first published in 2002.

I’ve been trying to remember when I first learned that my life had a purpose. I don’t mean when I first discovered what my purpose was…but when I discovered that there was a reason for my existence.

I think it must have been when I was a child, thanks to the influence of my parents, church and school.  As far back as I can remember, I’ve believed that God created me, wants a relationship with me, and put me here on earth for a reason.

Of course, this begs the question:  “What is the reason?  What is it that God wants me to be?”  I’ve discovered that this question has led to one of the greatest adventures in my life.  Gratefully, my parents, teachers, pastors, mentors, friends and others have helped me over the years to understand and clarify my purpose and calling.

Through reading the scriptures and listening to the experiences of others, I’ve discovered that God wants me to be the best “me” that I can be, according to the passions, interests, talents, skills and abilities He’s given me.  Gratefully, he doesn’t expect me to be whom I’m not.  He simply wants me to live up to my full potential as the “me” he made me to be.

What happens when we don’t understand and live according to our God-given purpose?  From my observation, we can experience more stress, conflict, feelings of unfulfillment, work-life imbalance, frustration and even a sense of hopelessness and depression.  These are all things I want to avoid in my life – how about you?

So, do you know that you have a purpose in life?  And do you know what your life’s purpose is?  One of my goals here at Life Compass is to help you discover your purpose and live out every day…to help you be the best version of you that you can be.

Why?  Because I’ve discovered that my purpose in life is to help others find more freedom, purpose and fulfillment in their life and work.  I hope you’ll come along with me on the journey, and I hope you’ll share your questions and thoughts!

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Oakland A's prospect Grant Desme is retiring from baseball to enter the priesthood.

For those of you who are new to Life Compass, I write on Spirituality, Faith and Ethics every Sunday.  Here’s why.

Have you ever thought that some people have a “higher” calling than others?  As a child, I often believed that those who work “in the ministry” as a pastor, priest, nun or missionary had a higher calling than everyone else.  After all, they serve God, right?  And everyone else serves…uh…someone else, I guess.

As a young adult I learned that God has given everyone a purpose and calling in life, and that we all can serve Him by doing what He called us to do to the best of our ability.

Whether we’re a plumber, baker, banker, attorney, mechanic, or something else, the Bible tells us, “Whatever you do, do your work as for the Lord” (Colossians 3:23). It also gives numerous examples of how our work benefits and enhances the lives of others.

The problem, of course, is that we need to figure out what it is that we’re called to do.  And it seems to me that only a few people actually do that.

Yesterday, Fox News ran a story on their website about a young man who discovered his true calling.  Normally, something like this wouldn’t make the news.  In fact, I can’t recall the last time I saw a headline that said something like, “Susan Smith discovers her calling and will become a banker” or “Bob Johnson finally figures out he’s supposed to be a teacher.”

What makes this a newsworthy story is that it’s about a top major league baseball prospect who discovered his true calling and decided to enter the priesthood:

As a top prospect for the Oakland Athletics, outfielder Grant Desme might’ve gotten the call every minor leaguer wants this spring.

Instead, he believed he had another, higher calling.

Desme announced Friday that he was leaving baseball to enter the priesthood, walking away after a breakout season in which he became MVP of the Arizona Fall League.

“I was doing well at ball. But I really had to get down to the bottom of things,” the 23-year-old Desme said. “I wasn’t at peace with where I was at.”

“I love the game, but I aspire to higher things,” he said. “I know I have no regrets.”

Some will applaud Desme because he is giving up the potential fame and fortune of major league baseball for the priesthood, thinking that “ministry” is more important than baseball.

I too want to applaud him – but not because I think one vocation is more important than another.  It’s not that baseball is not right. It’s just that baseball is not right for him!

I applaud Desme for taking the time to clarify his calling and for being brave enough to make the change, no matter the cost. And what led him to make this decision to find the work he was meant to do?

1. He realized he wasn’t at peace and didn’t feel fulfilled.
2. He aspired to be all that God wanted him to be (he called that “the higher things”)
3. He wanted to live without regrets.

What about you?  If you were on the pathway to be a major league baseball player (and perhaps earn millions of dollars), but you knew things weren’t quite right, would you keep doing it for the money/and or the love of the game?  Or would you follow your heart and do the work you were meant to do?  Please share your comments below.

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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Being Arrested

Today is a holiday in the U.S. to honor slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

As a nation, we honor him for his fight for justice for African-American people who had been oppressed by unjust laws and immoral abuses.

Speaking of justice, I don’t think I could do Dr. King justice by trying to write about all that he sought to and did accomplish through his civil rights work.

I’m sorry to admit that I’m a white man who hasn’t taken the time to truly read about and understand all that Dr. King stood for, and the impact that his words and actions have had on our country – and on other people around the world.

But today, I read Dr. King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” written from a Birmingham, Alabama jail cell on April 16, 1963.   Dr. King had been arrested for participating in a civil disobedience demonstation and was being criticized for his tactics by white ministers from the community.  Dr. King wrote this letter to answer the charges and questions from these critics.

King’s critics asked him why he had come to Birmingham to stir up trouble, so to speak.  He replied with a simple answer:  “because injustice exists here…and I feel compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own hometown.”

He went on to explain that “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

As I read the letter, I was immediately amazed and impressed by the sense of mission that I could feel through his writing.  Dr. King was a man who understood the times he lived in.  He knew his calling and mission in life.  He knew the price he would have to pay in order to fulfill that mission. And he was determined to pay the price.

When I finished reading, I couldn’t help but ask myself:

• Do I really know my mission in life?
• Do I know the price I need to pay in order to accomplish that mission?
• Am I willing to pay the price?

What about you?

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What do you want from life?

Do you know exactly what you want from life, and what price you’d need to pay in order to achieve it?

That’s the question Matthew Kelly asks of the teens and adults he meets as he travels and speaks.  Sadly, very few people can answer the question with certitude.

Most people know exactly what they don’t want, but few have the same clarity about what they do want.  Kelly, author of The Rhythm of Life: Living Every Day with Passion and Purpose, laments:

It constantly amazes me that men and women wander the earth marveling at the highest mountains, deepest oceans, whitest sands, the most exotic islands, the most intriguing birds of the air and fish of the sea — and all the time never stop to marvel at themselves and realize their infinite potential as human beings.

More people have access to education today than ever before.  But I cannot help but feel the modern educational experience is not preparing us adequately to attend the rich banquet of life.  Certainly the young people of today have mastered the use of technology and are capable of solving complex scientific and mathematical problems, but who and what do these serve if they cannot think for themselves?  If they have no understanding of the meaning and purpose of their own lives?  If they do not know who they are as individuals?

What do you want from life?  I can’t recall the first time someone asked me that question.  But I do remember a time in 1999 when one of my mentors asked it.  He encouraged me to answer the question by creating a master dream list and writing down every single thing I wanted to be, do, have, and achieve in my life.

That was over ten years ago, and I’ve assembled quite a list since then.  Over time, I’ve added many new things to the list and have deleted things that I no longer deem important.

By keeping a master dream list and reviewing it now and then, I’ve learned a lot about myself and what I value in my life.

My master dream list helps me know where I want to go and beckons me to develop a plan on how I’m going to get there.  It gives me clarity in times when I’m faced with multiple opportunities, helping me make decisions that move me closer to the achievement of my dreams and goals for the future.

If you don’t know what you want from life, everything will appear either as an obstacle or as a burden.  But one of the greatest lessons of history is that the whole world gets out of the way for people who know what they want or where they are going.  Be assured, if you don’t know where you are going, you are lost.

So, what do you want from life?  What are your dreams?

Think about it.  Ponder it.  Write your answers down.  Make a list.  There are no right or wrong answers!  Write quickly.  Don’t overanalyze.  Write everything down – even if it seems a bit silly.  Put  a date next to each item on your list.

Then schedule a time to regularly review your list.  I’d suggest doing it once a month as part of your weekly review (perhaps on the 1st Friday of each month).  The more you review your dreams, the more you can clarify which ones to work on now, and which ones will have to wait for later.

Has anyone else used a master dream list before?  If so, has it helped you in achieving your dreams?

If you’re new to Life Compass, on Sundays I write on Spirituality, Faith and Ethics. Here’s why.

If I were to ask you what you “do”, what would you say?

Most likely, you would respond by telling me what you do in your day job. Because most of us identify who we are with what we do for a paycheck, whether we’re a plumber, teacher, truck driver, etc.

Several years ago, I read how some churches were turning this idea on it’s head…and encouraging their members to identify more with what they “do” at church instead of what they “do” at work.

It’s an interesting idea, and I’m not sure I totally follow it.  Because I may volunteer an hour or two a month in the church nursery, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that this is my calling.  And yet I’ve met many dedicated people who feel it is their calling to invest their time and energy in a particular area of church ministry.  For these people, they identify much more with what they do at church than what they do from 9-5.

I think this illustrates the point that our calling or purpose in life may or may not be reflective of what we do for a paycheck.  For some, it may be closer to what we do in service to others.

So, what about you?  Does your life purpose match what you do from 9-5?  Or is it something else?  Please share your comments!

Welcome back to Life Compass, where I’m sharing my Ten Pillars of Lifestyle Design. So far, we’ve covered:

• Pillar #1 – Start Your Master Dream List.
• Pillar #2 – Envision Your Preferred Future.
• Pillar #3 – Clarify Your Life Purpose.
• Pillar #4 – Evaluate Your Current Reality.

Now I’ll share Pillar #5 – Reveal Your Personal Values. Last time I mentioned you’ll want to keep your Life Area sheets handy, because you’ll need them for this next step.

Each of us have a set of personal values, or beliefs that impact each Life Area.  These values, or beliefs, guide us when we are faced with choices, set priorities, and make decisions.

We all have a tendency to “default” to unconscious values or beliefs that have shaped us due to influences or decisions from the past.  This shows just how powerful our values and beliefs are, and how important it is for us to consciously determine our values for each life area.

For example, those who have been told that they’ll never amount to anything in life end up believing this is true.  Therefore while they may say they want to make change in a certain area of their life, they fail to take action to change their current reality because they believe deep down that it will make no difference.

So, in this step, I want you to take each of your Life Area Worksheets and write down what you currently value or believe about each Life Area.  This will require some thought…and quite a bit of honesty.

Example:  Life Area – Health

Current values/beliefs: I can eat or drink whatever I want and it doesn’t matter.  I don’t really care how much I weigh or how I look.  No amount of exercise will make a difference in my life.

Once you’ve written them down, take a good look.  Is what you’ve written satisfactory to you?   Does it match the dreams you’ve listed or your life purpose or preferred future?  If not, then write out new values or beliefs that do.  Here’s an example:

New values/beliefs: I value maintaining my ideal weight.  I value regular exercise to maintain my body and keep it in good condition.  I value drinking water more often than I do soda pop.  I value choosing fresh foods over processed foods.

Example: Life Area – Family

Current values/beliefs: I’d rather read the paper and watch television than talk with or do things with my spouse.  My work comes before my family – after all, if I don’t get paid, they don’t eat.

New values/beliefs: I regard my marriage as the most important personal relationship in my life.  I spend quality time with each member of my family every week.  I teach my children to manage money and use it wisely.  I keep communication open and comfortable with every member of my family.

Allow yourself plenty of time to do this.  And if you get stumped and can’t think of any values or beliefs for one life area, just skip it for now and move on to the next.

That’s Lifestyle Design Pillar #5 – Reveal Your Personal Values.  Congratulations, you’re half-way through the Lifestyle Design process, and you’re moving closer to achieving your dreams and finding more freedom, purpose and fulfillment in your life and work!

In the next installment, we’ll cover Pillar #6 – Set Well-Defined Goals.

Welcome back to Life Compass, where I’m sharing my Ten Pillars of Lifestyle Design. So far, we’ve covered:

• Pillar #1 – Start Your Master Dream List.
• Pillar #2 – Envision Your Preferred Future.
• Pillar #3 – Clarify Your Life Purpose.

Today I’ll share Pillar #4 – Evaluate Your Current Reality.

Our lives are made up of seven basic categories, or Life Areas. They are:

1. Family
2. Career
3. Financial
4. Social
5. Health
6. Personal Development
7. Spiritual/Ethical

Many times, when we want to change one aspect of our life, like our income, or our career, we tend to focus so much on that particular life area that we tend to neglect others.

Sadly, the media and our culture often endorse this approach. We celebrate singular success: people who achieve greatness as athletes, writers, business leaders, etc. We don’t often celebrate those who live well-balanced lives and are winners on the field and in the back yard, or in the office boardroom and at home in the living room.

I believe that successful Lifestyle Design is holistic, it impact all areas of life. Think of your life as a wheel…you want it to be well-rounded. You don’t want success in one area to cause weakness in another. It might be OK for a little while, but not for long.

In this step, we’re going to take the time to evaluate how you’re doing in each of the Seven Life areas.  Grab seven sheets of paper, or your computer, and put the name of one Life Area at the top of each sheet.  Ask yourself:

• What things should be important to me in this life area?
• How important are they currently? How are my relationships with others?
• What is going well?
• What needs attention?
• What are your strengths in each area?
• What are your opportunities for growth (formerly called “weaknesses”)

That’s Pillar #4 – Evaluate Your Current Reality.  Keep your Life Area sheets handy, because you’ll need them when we cover Pillar #5 – Reveal Your Personal Values.