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[A58]A Life Of Purpose

by Terence Young, Ter

What does a successful life look like? When we ponder that question, we might first think of money in the bank, a beautiful home, and a great-looking car. Or we might think about someone who has gained fame in a sport, art, or profession that they value. We might think of a successful career. All these things can be part of a successful life, but if a life is not lived with purpose, these things become nothing more than external trappings. Purpose gives a life its heart and soul.

To live a life of purpose requires a certain amount of soul searching. Success experts often say that if you listen closely to your heart, you'll be able to determine your real purpose for being here on this earth. Surely you are not here just to breathe the air and take up space. And just as surely, you are not here to take all you can from the rest of the world without giving something back. Living with purpose is all about finding out what it is that you can give back to the rest of the world.

Every person is uniquely suited to make some important contribution to the world. The Bible says, "Give and it will be given to you." A life spent selflessly has rewards that will surprise you if you've never tried it. Those rewards are feelings of peace, happiness, fulfillment, and personal worth. It's good for the soul to do something useful and helpful for others, even if it is just sharing a smile or brightening their day with a good joke.

The 1980's were called the "me decade" because people began to quit valuing their family and their fellow man, and started putting themselves first. They started "looking out for number one." The result of this type of outlook is not as joyful as it sounds. Fortunately, popular wisdom has turned the corner and people are again putting others first. Yes, there is truth to the idea that you need to assert yourself at times. Being a doormat isn't good for you or anyone else. Still, it truly is more blessed to give than to receive.

So what is your purpose? Maybe you have a strong sense of it. If you don't, consider these questions. What are five things in your life that you value deeply? Can you name five issues or causes that matter most to you? What accomplishments from your past were the most rewarding to your soul? And here's a challenge. Try to express what you believe your mission on earth is in only twenty words or less.

There are many causes and groups who could use your helping hand. Even if you don't know your one main purpose, you can still get involved in helping. You could write letters to the editor about causes you care about. You could send a percentage of your income to a charity you admire. You could volunteer to help someone learn to read. You could take the time to visit someone in a retirement home, hospital, or prison. As you branch out and give of yourself, your purpose is sure to emerge.

I don't know where to start, but I have plenty to write about and plenty of ink in my pen, so I'll just let my thoughts splash. Meet the Robinsons is one of the best animated films made in the past decade. Yes, better than Ratatouille, Monsters Inc., Ice Age, etc. Why? This film contains such a strong meaning, and the producers did everything they could to get their message across. Some of the main themes of the movie are living a life with purpose, failure is more important than success, and moving forward. After watching, I couldn't quite mask my appreciation for the film, so this article was written. Meet the Robinsons is supposedly a children's movie, but I thoroughly enjoyed it along with the adults I watched the movie with. Now, going along with the catch-phrase of the movie, lets keep moving forward.

Purpose is defined by different people in different ways. For example, Lewis' purpose was to revolutionize the world with his inventions. Whoa. Now that seems nearly insurmountable for some, but not for young Lewis. No matter how many times he failed, (with adoption, and the prototypes of his inventions) Lewis was always aspiring to improve the world in the best way that he possibly could. For him, it was inventions. For you, it is probably different. It could be filmmaking, writing, entrepreneurship, accounting, making music, drawing, or whatever you like to do. The bottom line is that there is always room, in any career field, for a competent individual who strives to live his/her life with purpose.

Lewis is introduced to us a young inventor, who makes plenty of mistakes on his machines. Why is that? Lack of experience could be one reason, but it helps the filmmaker prove a point: failure is more important than success. If you take a look around, you might notice that the most successful/wealthy people in the world all fail. A lot. If you don't believe me, go ahead and ask them. Some brave/crazy souls have actually set themselves up to fail intentionally, just because of the experience and opportunity to better themselves. Seems a little extreme, but if you are motivated enough, you can tear through all of your failures. Remember: every time you fail, you are one step closer to success. This is all easier said than done, but who said any of this was easy? When we succeed without failure, we do not gain much. It can actually discourage us in the future when we come face-to-face with failure. So, the next time you are pondering about your past, don't be surprised to find that you have gained the most life experience from your failures. Remove your fear of failure, as Lewis learned to do, and you are bound to hit success in the forehead.

This brings us to the main theme of the movie, moving forward. So what exactly does "Keep Moving Forward" mean? It is the act of continuing your mission, disregarding the obstacles you may face along the way. In Meet the Robinsons, it is often mentioned by the characters. Going back to the theme of living with a purpose, and failure is more important than success; moving forward goes hand in hand with these 2 aspects. If you don't live life with a purpose, you will certainly lack the motivation to keep moving forward. And if you don't understand the importance of failure in your life, how can you propel yourself to success? The fact is: IT IS TOUGH! The ability to keep moving forward is not an easy one to acquire; but if you can, it will be one of the best decisions you will ever make. The ability is a blessing that the entire Robinson family had. Like them, if you can keep moving forward no matter the situation, it will set you apart from everyone else.

Meet the Robinsons is jam-packed with themes to implement in your everyday life, you just need to know how to look for theme. In almost every scene, there is an underlying message, and that makes the movie special. Moving forward, living life with a purpose, and learning to fail are just a few of the messages; the rest are for you to find. Meet the Robinsons showed us not to let any obstacle stand in our way, or any obstacle hinder our perception of success. Be like a Robinson; enjoy life, and no matter what, just keep moving forward!

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Both Terence Young & Josh Lipovetsky are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Terence Young has sinced written about articles on various topics from Health, Personal Desktop and Skin Care. For more personal growth articles visit: . Terence Young's top article generates over 246000 views. to your Favourites.

Josh Lipovetsky has sinced written about articles on various topics from Entertainment Guide, Keyboard Synthesizer and Entertainment Guide. . Josh Lipovetsky's top article generates over 9900 views. to your Favourites.