What are you looking for in life?
Over the last year, my life has taken a bit of a turn. My perspective of things has changed, the way I think about life and living has shifted. I’m sure this is partly just because I’m getting older! But also it has to do with being more aware of what I want to get out of life.
Plenty of people reach a point in their lives where they just aren’t satisfied with where they are, or what they have. Midlife crisis is a great example of this – people start realizing that their life is going by very quickly, and think they’re running out of time to “have fun”.
The question is:
Have you ever really spent time thinking about what you want to get out of life? Or will you wait until you reach a point where you realize life is passing you by?
Alex Blackwell from The Bridgemaker recently posted on specific strategies for personal growth. Here’s a thought provoking statement that he makes:
“The desire to create the life we want takes a measure of risk and it does take courage. Sometimes building a solid foundation when we make the decision to walk away from our comfort zones gives us the firm footing we need to go forward and to explore what’s next in our lives.”
Are you content in all areas of you life? Why not start to overcome fears of failure, and think about some areas of your life you can change.
Seriously, what are you looking for in life?
Are you ready for big changes in your life? The fragility of life: a wake up call Finding the will to change your life Love Life: just a slogan? Life’s not about ‘what’s better than’
October 28th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
That is a very good question! After spending all of my childhood and part of my adult in a dogmatic religion and unhealthy relationships, I haven’t given this much (or any) thought. I will definitely go to bed with this question.
October 28th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
I still don’t know, but I know that I am committed to figuring it out (at some point). I concur about the courage; it’s hard to admit that I don’t know, and what I thought I did know might be completely wrong.
October 28th, 2008 at 9:22 pm
@Carla – Thanks for your thoughts, it’s a question I also like to re-address from time to time..
@Sara – Great insight, I often feel the way you have described – thinking you might know, at times feeling you don’t know, but being committed to figuring it out..
I think that it’s a fascinating and important question that needs to be stewed on many times in our life, there’s often not a clear cut or ready made answer – the point is to not let life go by without making sure you ask yourself “what am I really looking for here, what am I trying to achieve?”
October 29th, 2008 at 8:13 am
I’ve found in the last few years that my ‘wants’ in life are not too important, compared to what God wants for my life. Getting closer to God & getting to know Him more, for me, has meant that my desires for life have been able to mean more as they have been things that can be put into His hands – a safe place. I’ve also found that wanting God’s purposes to happen in things in my life has made them way more fulfilling.
Doesn’t make life easier, but does make it worthwhile & fulfilling.
However, God promises that plans comitted to Him will succeed. It’s important to know what’s involved with the comitting to Him part. It seems like the biggest aspect of this is unselfishness.
As an aside, it seems to me that some people are satisfied with stability & routine with not much changing in life, and other people are satisfied with new & exciting things or changes of direction. Just a way in which people are different. I think more important than this is the fact that everything can be satisfying in life if done with a good attitude, an attitude that puts others 1st.
November 7th, 2008 at 2:38 am
I would add to the quote presented, with the point that much of the courage needed to create the life we are interested in involves letting people around us know our actual plans. This is hard enough to be a stopping point for most goals as the resistance to our goals/interests from those closest to us can seem to be unsurpassable. It is those that are closest to us that can have the effect of keeping us down if we don’t acquire the understanding that we have to ignore material directed toward us that isn’t encouraging.