YOUR PURPOSE AND YOUR PASSION 

Written By James Asu "Olapurpose"

(Purpose Discovery Manual For Youths And The Young At Hearts~)

“If you can’t find your purpose, find your passion and your passion will take you to your purpose.” 

Nothing exists on earth without purpose. There is a purpose for every beings and things on this planet. There is a purpose why they are in existence. When the purpose of a thing is unknown, abuse or misuse is inevitable. Many who are born great are rather living as nonentities because of lack of identities because they don’t discovered the greatness embedded in them. They don’t discover their original purpose. They don’t discover their original intent why they are on this planet. That is why they are living in other people’s shadows. They want to do what other people are doing. They want to follow other people in doing what they are doing irrespective of the fact that that is not their area of calling or gifting. The discovery of your purpose can make you great in life. If you can’t find your purpose, find your passion and your passion will take you to your purpose. What do I mean by that? If you can’t discover what you’re here on this planet to do or to achieve, then do something that you love doing. When you’re doing that thing you love doing, you’re automatically functioning in your purpose. Doing this is a pointer to your purpose.    

INTRODUCTION

Each of us is unique. Like snowflakes that look the same but under the microscope are different, we each have our own specialness that nobody else possesses. We have our own physical attributes, our own mental make-up, our own environmental background, and our own cultural inheritance. Nobody can be you because you are YOU. You can be great. You can do great thing if you think you can and you will. You can become the best doctor in the world. You can become the best lawyer in the world. You can become the best teacher in the world. You can become the best actor or actress in the world. If you can think it you can become it.  But more than all these, we have our own special, unique, and un-copiable talents. Nobody is born to be a copycat. You’re born to do that unique thing, that thing that is special. That thing that is peculiar to you, just YOU.  These talents are our gifts for life on earth. Some of us search in vain for their own special talents and never realize them fully before they die. Others come to them late in life after journeys that take them down dead-end streets. And others discover them early and are able to develop their special talents for their own joy and that of others. If you discover your talent it will benefit you and it will benefit others. If you become who you are born to be it will benefit you and others around you. It will make you proud, it will make your family proud, and it will make High Achievers College your school proud that this particular student was part of our students. So it is very important for you to discover the purpose why you are here.

You see lots of stars and celebrities that we emulate and envy, people like Wole Soyinka, a great writer, people like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie also a great writer. Your own gift can be Journalism, Actor, Actress, Publisher, Newscaster or Neurosurgeon, just like Ben Carson, he was once a dull student. His teacher saw him as someone that can’t have high grade but his mother saw that he has great talent and he’s going to become someone great in life. He nurtured him and told him not to be carried away by too much exposure to the television. I was at Festlad College 2 weeks ago and I told them that most times students are always found in front of the television. They always want to watch the television. What is television? Television is a televised vision; bringing people’s vision into a device called the tele. Vision is a preferable future. It is what you want to achieve in 5, 10 or 15 years down the line. It is what you what to do at a particular time. To realize it, you must visualize it. You must see it before you can seize it. The future you don’t see, you can’t seize. You can’t become who you’ve not dream about. If you want to become who you’ve not dream about, you’re going to end up becoming someone else. Because you’ve not dream about that particular person you want to become.

Two years ago I shared with University of Lagos students a presentation titled “Prospering by Your Potential.” You can prosper by your potential if you can discover the reason why you are here. You will not be living in other people’s lives or shadows. You will be your real self. You will work hard to realize your true self. You’re not anyone else, you are YOU. Be yourself. The seed of greatness is inside of you. Like an apple before it will become that fruit called apple. Nobody can eat the seed of an apple. So, there is a seed of greatness in you. Nobody will see it until you tell them, until you show them to people that seed of greatness resident inside of you. Just like an advert of peak milk “It’s in you.” Greatness is in you. But the only catalyst, the only thing that will push it out is the discovery of your purpose. Purpose discovery is the starting point towards getting to your stardom in life. If you don’t discover the purpose why you are here then it will be tedious, it will be very difficult for you to achieve true success. Because for instance before you go to Commercial class you know why you went there. Before you go to Art class you know why you went there. And also before you go to Science class you know why you went there. You want to become someone great in life. And those subject you’re offering will propel you towards becoming that particular person you’ve dreamed about to become. So, it is very important to know the purpose why you are here. I have not defined the word purpose am only making illustrations about it. What is purpose? Before I defined it I am going to ask 10 questions which will tell whether you’re living inside your purpose or outside your purpose and they are listed below:

10 QUESTIONS TO PONDER TOWARDS THE DISCOVERY OF PURPOSE:

1. Do you feel stuck in your life and likely to be passed over for opportunities for joy?
2. Do you often feel that you do not have the abilities to succeed in your goals or dreams?
3. Do you feel that your background has limited your future?
4. Do you often think that you could have advanced farther than you have but were blocked because of your abilities and circumstances?
5. Do you often fantasize about what “might have happened” in your life, but never pursued the fantasy because it seemed unrealistic?
6. Do you regret the choices you made in your life because you lacked confidence in yourself or felt that you were “over your head” in expectations versus abilities? You have expectations that are more than your abilities!
7. Are you unhappy or dissatisfied with your grade in school or course of study and anticipate a better or more exciting career life?
8. Are you unhappy with your life as it is, compared with where you want to be in life?
9. Are you unhappy with your parental upbringing and standard of living? You can upgrade it if you can discover your purpose! You can be the Goodluck Azikiwe Ebele Jonathan of your family. You can be the one that will make the name of your family to be known globally. Chinua Achebe wrote that book “things fall apart” years down the line and even now that he was no more here they’re still making lots of monies from the sales of that book. And it has been translated into more than 50 languages and read in most schools across the world. Because he discovered his purpose early enough.

10.  Do you feel totally unprepared to meet a major challenge to your life’s goals or to survive the unexpected possibility of your worst nightmare?

If you answer yes to 60 or 70% of the questions that means you’ve not discovered your purpose. Do you know or not that with your purpose you can achieve greatness? You can achieve success with it. You can become whoever you dream about and get to wherever you want to get to in life. You can be an A student. You can have All-round A’s in all your subjects. It is possible. If you can think it and work it, you can do it. Many people always do lots of talking and forget the working aspect of it. Do you want to become a top flier? High achievers are top fliers. They are stars in their nation, generation and across the world. They aim high. They achieve their dreams faster because they work harder. When others are sleeping they are busy pursuing their purpose. When others are watching television they are busy investing into their future studying hard to be the best. They are busy doing their home works and assignments. Let’s get into the main discussion of this presentation.   

WHAT IS PURPOSE?

Purpose is an original intention or function of creation. It is the true essence of your existence.  Creation is you and I. We are created from a source. Every product emanated from a manufacturer. Yes or no? So, every individual came from a manufacturer, from someone that created us. An intention is something in your mind, what you have in your thought, what you want to do with that particular product. Function is what someone or something is use for. As a youth you must be useful. You’re youthful to be useful.  You’re designed to do a particular thing which will bring glory to you, your family, to your community, your nation and to your generation. And also there are ways by which you can discover your purpose which are listed below:

WAYS OF DISCOVERING YOUR PURPOSE.

1. What comes to you naturally? For instance I can talk and talk about purpose nonstop without getting tired or exhausted. And sometimes my mum tells me guy you talk a lot. I always told her that I talk a lot and I make money a lot. Is it not good? That is my purpose. My purpose is to help other people to discover their purpose. When people ask me what is your purpose? I always tell them my purpose is to help other people to discover their purpose and I always finds fulfillment doing it. That is my purpose. To help others to discover the path to their purpose, greatness, success and financial liberation. So it is very important to convert your talent to money by first discovering what comes to you naturally and showcasing it where it is needed and appreciated.
2. What triggers you? There is one particular thing you always do in class. Maybe you’re talented in drawing and your classmates or teachers are commenting that you’re good at it. That is a pointer to your purpose. Maybe yours is reciting inspiring poem in class. What is that particular thing, just one thing that you do and people always comments and compliments you? That special thing that people always say good thing about that “with this you’re going places.” That unique and peculiar thing that always triggers you. You must discover that thing early enough. Now is the time for you to discover it. 
3. What do you love doing? For me I don’t love cracking jokes or comedies. It’s not my make-up. That is not what I am born for or to do. I am not a comedian. But to talk and talk on purpose a day is not enough for me to talk on purpose. Because that is my purpose. Purpose is the true essence of your existence. Anybody that exists without discovering his or her purpose will end up as a nonentity not as a celebrity. I had the privilege of meeting Mrs. Dora Akunyili, Nigeria former information and communication minister during Nigeria Leadership Summit 2012 organized by Anabel Leadership Academy last year December 11 and 12 and shared some of the things I am doing with her and also had a snap shot with her. I was able to do this because I have already discovered my purpose. With your purpose you can get to anywhere in life and meet anyone irrespective of their status. My purpose earned me the privilege of meeting people I wouldn’t have met hadn’t not been that I discovered it. Purpose gives you sense of belonging and essence of being. So you must discover what you love doing.  
4. What do you hate seeing?
5. What is God saying concerning you and perfect plan for your life? There is something inside of you that will take only God to unravel or reveal to you. So you must always be connected to Him. Many are disconnected but you must be reconnected so that you can be able to access fresh ideas and insights about your purpose.

WHAT IS PASSION?

Passion is a very strong feeling of liking of something; a hobby or an activity that you like very much. That is passion. Passion and talent works handy. They work together.

TALENT DISCOVERY IS PARAMOUNT TOWARDS DISCOVERY OF PURPOSE WITH PASSION

Thomas Wolfe said: “If a man has a talent and cannot use it he has failed, if he has a talent and uses half of it he has partly failed. If he has a talent and learns somehow to use the whole of it, he has gloriously succeeded and won a satisfaction and triumph few men ever know.”

The studies of self-development writers tell us that every single one of us, every one of you seated here possesses talents in some form or another. Our talents do not depend on background, upbringing, social class, job, ability or disability; hence the belief that they are divinely gifted. Our purpose is determined by God but to be discovered by you and I. Your mum or dad can’t discover your purpose for you. They can only tell you your passion. None of us possesses a greater or lesser talent than any other person. It is their use and application which distinguishes the so-called “talented” from the so-called “less-talented or untalented”. Nobody is a nobody and nobody is untalented. Your talent is not greater than my talent neither is mine greater than yours. Your talent maybe useful where mine may not be useful! So it all depend on going places where your talent will be recognized and appreciated.  

Everybody has a unique talent.

CASE STUDY OF PASSION IN ACTION:

Before I leave am going to read this quote by Steve Jobs, legendary founder of Apple Computers and Pixar Animation Studios,

“Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I love what I did. You’ve got to find what you love. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be satisfied is to do what you believe is great work.

And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t find it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle for less. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Keep looking until you find your purpose. Don’t settle. You’re more than this.  

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma-which is living with the result of other people’s thinking. Two things lacking in our schools today is creative thinking and problem solving skills. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.

Everything else is secondary.”

Your purpose discovery is primary everything else is secondary!

Mother Teresa once said, “We cannot do great things on this earth. We can only do small things with great love.”

Your purpose delivery requires lots of passion!

Lastly I want to say “YOU CAN BE THE VERY BEST IF ONLY YOU TRY. PUT IN MORE EFFORTS. A VERY VITAL FACTOR ON YOUR ROAD TO STARDOM IS PASSION. YOU MUST HAVE PASSION FOR WHAT YOU ARE DOING. THE MONEY WILL COME IF YOU CAN MAKE YOURS A SUCCESS STORY. SO MANY TIMES LITTLE THINGS DO COUNT YOU KNOW? YOU MUST STRIVE TO DO THAT WHICH YOU ARE BORN TO DO WITH LOTS OF LOVE.”

Remember, the greatest discovery you can ever make is the discovery of your life’s purpose and doing it with every passion inside of you.

DELIVERED BY JAMES ASU, PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT OF SCHOOL OF PURPOSE DISCOVERY INTERNATIONAL DURING GOLD IMPACT NETWORK LEADERSHIP TRAINING TAGGED: “BE THE BEST” @ HIGH ACHIEVERS COLLEGE ON WEDNESDAY 6TH NOVEMBER 2013

JAMES is a Purpose Discovery Coach(PDC),Television Personality. He is a speaker and writer who focus on human capacity development, purpose discovery, development and  delivery.He is also the founder of Global Changers’ Forum (GCF): an annual gathering of first-class  individuals, intellectuals and professionals who are poised and passionate to live first-class lives through the discovery and delivery of their untapped potential, unstoppable passions and unlimited purposes in their nations and across the world.

James is the principal consultant of School of Purpose Discovery International (SOPDI): a centre of learning for purposeful living.

He is available for invitation to speak, facilitate or teach in Seminars, School summits,Campus Fellowship,Conferences, Youth programs and empowerment events or trainings.

Contact him on:+234(0)8169653332or infojames4impact@yahoo.com.

“My purpose in life is to help people to discover their purpose and prosper .”