Purpose Day 3: What Drives Your Life?

Today's chapter was much more in-depth. What Drives Your Life? It was broken down that there are 5 main things that drive people. Here are some of the quotes I high-lighted from each.

1. Guilt
We are products of our past, but we don't have to be prisoners of it.

2. Resentment & Anger: This one stung a little bit because I know it applies to me. I'm do hold on to things from the past, sort of enjoying the angry little memory, like a martyr, reminding myself that this thing happened and allow myself to have a small pity party with it.
Learn from it, and then let it go.

3. Fear
Fear is a self-imposed prison that will keep you from becoming what God intends for you.

4. Materialism
Desire to acquire
Wealth can be lost instantly

5. Need for approval:  This one gets to me too. And many of us I am sure! I hate when I think someone else is disappointed in me, when I know a choice I am going to make is going to make someone else sad or mad or indifferent. I am often affected by what others might think and have often made choices hoping that they will please the other person, even if it doesnt please me.
We allow expectations of others to control us
Peer pressure - what others might think.

This chapters goes on to list the Benefits of Knowing Your Purpose:

1. Gives meaning to your life
Hope is as essential to your life as air and water.

2. Simplifies Your Life
Without a clear purpose... you will tend to make choices based on circumstances, pressures and your mood at that moment.

3. Focuses Your Life
You...keep changing directions thinking maybe this time will be different.
If you want your life to have impact, focus it! Stop trying to do it all. Do less! Prune away even good activities and do only that which matters most.
You can be busy without purpose, but whats the point.

4. Motivates Your Life
Purpose always produces passion.
Its usually meaningless work, not overwork, that wears us down, saps our strength and robs our joy.
I can attest to this last quote. I dont believe anyone should work in a job that they hate. I do know that there are times that we gotta do what we gotta do to get by, but in the long run, working day in & day out at a job that you dislike, or worse, a totally boring job, is NOT worth it. I have quit jobs in the past because the boredom was eating away at me. I did not want to get out of bed and face one more boring day.  But a job you love, or even like, is far more motivating than one you dislike.

5. Prepares You For Eternity
Living to create an earthly legacy is a short-sighted goal
You were put here to prepare for eternity.

So yeah, todays chapter gave me LOTS to ponder as I wonder what truly motivates me and how I can change it to be motivated & driven by Gods purposes & not my own.