I originally wrote this article in July 2016, but I still feel the same way.. Enjoy!
A certain fellow in my life encouraged me to do this and that’s all it took to get me typing away. I need to admit that sometimes, we do need someone who can give us a little push to do those things that we need to do. (Edit: this fellow is now my husband!) So, back to my seven-letter word. P-u-r-p-o-s-e. Yes, it plays a very big role in how our lives turn out. It is our lives’ essence. I am your regular 9-5er. I love my job, yeah well it pays the bills. But recently, I have been somewhat bored out of my skin.
Perhaps I have lost passion for some things, maybe I need to rekindle passion for some other things, or maybe I just don’t know what to do with myself lately. Perhaps a combination of all three! In our journey through life, some of us do not clear-cut know what to do with ourselves. Lol. And hey, it’s absolutely okay – well as long as we do not dwell in that uncertainty all our lives. I have felt like that a lot of times. I am one of those weird humans who feel like ”ok, so I have many talents and I can do many things pretty well”. But if care is not taken, people like us may never really end up doing any of those many things.
I am obviously far from being perfect but I also know that I do a lot of things very well. While this may seem like the story of my life, I have realized that your purpose really is in your passion and this my tale of hobbies may help someone channel their inner Marco Polo – the explorer. So, grab some popcorn. Here is a summary list of the things I derive joy doing:
Finding purpose in the mundane things:
I love to sing. I think that this comes naturally to me and boy have I been in the choir countless times. I’m also a member of a three-woman singing group who meet occasionally to sing about our faith. Except we have not met since forever. Everyone’s busy and then some of us relocated. Oh well.
Research and fact finding. Ha research mama! Anything pops into my head right now, I’m all over the internet digging out its ancestors. I also love history, archaeology, and I do a lot of scriptural research (I am the inquisitive type). You can’t just tell me one thing now and I swallow it hook line sinker – except I am convinced within my spirit. Draw me into a deep conversation and I’m your girl! I am however not given to pointless debates/arguments.
Writing. Yes we’re here. There are few things in my little head that could lighten up a soul every so often. Only, it’s somewhat of a big deal to sit and put these things down to paper, or computer as we do now. It does take some dedication and I am trying to put in the effort it requires, any chance I get – like this.
Hand craft. I love to make things with my very hands. I could make you a pretty little hand bag with a piece of African fabric or leather. Except I need the hosts of heaven to grant me the will and patience to sit with this right now. My love for hand craft led me to learn how to make ankara bags during my national youth-service program after university. In 2008, I designed greeting cards for my loved ones at Christmas just for the fun of it. And I kid you not, these were not just mere paper cards. They were glittery with stylish serrated edges.
I draw well. Give me a pen plus a blank paper when I’m less busy and you’ll have a miniature bella in a pretty ball gown soon enough. Or perhaps just a couple of cubes stacked up on each other if you’re not so lucky.
Decorating. Beautifying stuff. Interior and exterior. I headed a decorating group in my university days. Fortunately or unfortunately, I didn’t further this skill afterwards. Unfortunately because maybe I could have had one extra source of income. Fortunately because I can focus on something else, and at least that creates one extra room in the industry for a more serious minded fellow than me. Lol.
Dance-queen. Save for the fact that I do not particularly party or club, I love to dance. Not just that, I can actually dance well. I do this to work-out sometimes when I find it difficult to hit the gym, talk about rigorous dancing. Only thing is I do it mostly when I’m indoors – shylock (pun intended). I feel the need to state here though, that dancing has nothing to do with my purpose. Just so we’re clear, it’s just a hobby for me, could be different for somebody else.
I love to encourage and impact. This to me is one of the greatest of my passions. We all have our own fair share of challenges. Don’t even get me started. But it doesn’t always have to be about us, sometimes we need to be there for other people. Add evangelizing to this point. Very few things actually make you feel like you are living life and this is one of them for me. I can’t overemphasize the importance of touching lives and impacting them with things money can’t buy. For me, it is the essence of living.
Why have I just shared these? How many of these things am I purposefully pursuing at the moment? **Stutters. Why? I’m not sure I have that time right now. When will I start? Tomorrow, next year, when I have saved up enough, when I get married, after my first kid, sometime in future. Err maybe never ma’am! We have that tendency to make excuses despite the fact that we have been gifted talents or skills. Call it whatever. But still we find ourselves doing things we have no iota of passion about. Perhaps because it’s easier to just settle for the most convenient thing, or perhaps because we need to make a living.
Guys, while it is absolutely exigent that we make a living, life is too short to look back and regret not doing the things that are at the very depth of our hearts. And don’t forget that the gift of a man makes way for him. So maybe I can’t tell you exactly what your purpose is, but if anything, I know that purpose brings fulfillment. Absolutely. Completely.
I have an unexplainable hunger for living in purpose and I think it will be such a spectacle when you do too. One way to assure myself that I am walking in purpose, in any aspect of my life is to ask myself: ‘how am I affecting people’s lives by what I am currently doing? Even if it is only one person, whose life has been positively touched by whatever it is I am doing, I will be satisfied. Manifest your talents, no one gift is a waste.
Somebody somewhere may just be depending on your gift. There is a reason you have that particular talent or skill. Fulfillment and purpose for you could be birthed by walking in a combination of various talents, that you have. Or it could be just one talent – for those who have it as lucid as black and white. Quit looking in the wrong places, look within. Walking in purpose does not mean that there will be no challenges along our paths in this beautiful crazy world. There certainly will be. But what will keep us going is the fulfillment and inner satisfaction that living in purpose crowns our lives with.
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