Believe it or not, at one point I was struggling with my purpose and feelings of not being used to the fullness of my potential. One of my mentors gave me some sage advice in that moment. He said, “Look out the window.” There was a firehouse across the street. He said, “Right now that firehouse and the firefighters inside of it are useless to me. However, if this building were on fire right now nothing would be more useful than those firefighters and their ability to fight fires.” What you have inside of you and the gifts and skills you have been developing for most of your life are valuable to the right person, company, ministry or organization at the right time. Your job is to prepare and position yourself so that when what’s inside of you is needed you are ready to fulfill the assignment. Where there’s a need there’s a way.
THE PATH FROM JEALOUSY
Jealousy does have a purpose. It exposes to us the purpose-filled desires that we may not even know we have. Jealousy doesn’t point you towards moments of success but to a lifetime of significance. The next time you find yourself getting jealous, ask yourself why and allow jealousy to be the catalyst to begin your journey. This journey is your path of purpose. Jealousy helps you gain clarity on your why. And your ‘why’ propels you towards your destiny.
Where there’s a need there’s a way. If there is a need for the purpose that lies within you then you are necessary somewhere. Many times our jealousy comes when we want to be where we see someone else. However, we can be just as effective as those that we see in the place where the need we fulfill is unmet.
THE PATH FROM FRUSTRATION
Frustration is similar. We can get frustrated when we see someone advancing and wonder why we aren’t. We can get frustrated because we don’t see where we fit in the whole situation. We can get frustrated because we keep getting rejected. But those frustrations are placed upon us from external sources. What’s most important are the sources of your internal frustrations.
Often, whatever frustrates you in life is what you were born to solve. What problem do you see and wonder why no one has addressed it yet? In fact, when you see the problem, you say to yourself “well if they just did x, y, and z that would fix that.” It seems so easy to you because the solution is inside of you. People are most often known for one of two things – either the problems they create or the problems they solve. Be the solution to someone’s problem and you will watch your life go from average to exceptional. On a personal level, sometimes people cannot assess your worth and therefore they treat you like you’re worthless.This is why you need to know who you are. Don’t allow validation or lack thereof to rob you of your destiny or to give you an inflated sense of self.
Make sure your perspective is rooted in your honest assessment of who you are and what you’re capable of and not in the opinions of those who frustrate you. Where is there a need? Find that place and you’re frustration will begin to wane…or at least it will be of a different kind.
THE PATH FROM MISUNDERSTANDING
If you are confused about your purpose you will be frustrated at others excelling. But the reality is that it’s not about them, it’s based on a misunderstanding. You saw something that made you have a misplaced desire. You felt some kind of way that made you believe you were supposed to be something that you aren’t. I heard Ravi Zacharias say, “We are trying to reach a generation that listens with their eyes and thinks with their feelings.” That is backwards thinking and will invariably lead to a misunderstanding of reality. The purpose inside of you is yours and yours alone. And if you keep your focus on it you won’t be frustrated or have a misunderstanding.
You will still have discouraging days where you feel left out, rejected, or less than but if you are confident in your purpose you will persevere through those difficult days to a reality that far exceeds anything you thought you wanted, saw in someone else, or believed should be yours. You also won’t be a complainer or a comparer. We tend to complain when we don’t understand our necessity or aren’t willing to work as hard as those we see. Complaints often stem from a misunderstanding of purpose. Purpose is specific in its direction. It requires intentionality and it is not aimless. Conversely, complaints take our mind in a myriad of directions. Knowledge of one’s purpose will keep them more focused on fulfilling that objective than being sidetracked by a million “what ifs” and “how comes.”
A purpose-led lifestyle will encourage complaint-less living. Lastly, remember that if your purpose is necessary on earth (and it is) allow God to direct you on where, how and when to express it. Because at the end of the day, where there’s a need there’s a way.
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