Unique and significant

We are all images of God yet we are each so different to another to one another, so unique. No two humans are the same; even identical twins can be told apart. You are the only you that has ever and that will ever exist. You are a unique combination of physical attributes, emotional make-up, gifts and talents, personality traits and experiences that make you, you. “You are unique and if you do not fulfil who you are, the world would have lost something great” It is believed that great musical composer Ludwig van Beethoven’s mother was pregnant with him she was told that he would be an abnormal child and was advised to have an abortion. She however sought a second opinion and decided not to abort her child. He grew up to be one of the greatest composers in history. He lived to fill his niche. Imagine if his mother had got the abortion, what an amazing gift the world would have lost. It doesn’t matter where you were born or what your circumstances are at the moment. It doesn’t matter what people have said about you or even what you may have wrongly believed about yourself. What matters is that you are important; you are an irreplaceable image of God. You were created with intricate design for a unique purpose in this world, your place of assignment, your niche. No one else can fill it. “Where I was born and where and how I have lived is unimportant, it is what I have done with where I have been that should be of interest” “Positive minds produce positive lives. Negative minds produce negative lives. Positive thoughts are always full of faith and hope. Negative thoughts are always full of fear and doubt”

WHO AM I?

1. Who are you? 2. Who do you think yourself to be? 3. Who is the person staring back at you in the mirror? 4. Have you ever wondered if that’s all there is to you or if there is more to you than what meets the eye? WHO AM I? Since time in memorial human beings have asked this question. We yearn to find out who we really are because we realise that there must be more to us than the image we see in the mirror. Genesis 1 vs. 26 “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness and let them have dominion…………………………….” Most of us know this verse but do we understand it. Do we believe that we are all made in the image and likeness of God? No matter whom we are or where we come from or were we are at this moment in time, as you read this, we are God’s likeness and image. When you look yourself in the mirror, do you like what you see in there? Do you think that what is in the mirror looking back at you is the likeness and image of God? Think about it………………………………….? Do you love yourself? You are unique and significant. The sooner you realise that and believe that and live it the better for you and the more significant you will be in life. The mind is the leader or forerunner of all actions. Our actions are a direct result of our thoughts. The more we realise the potential we carry and realise our place of assignment (niche) in life. This is the basic foundation of realising our niches’ in this world. Let’s all realise our importance and live our lives to how God sees us in life. Let’s all believe and know that God made us who we are for a specific reason, in this season and time for His fulfilment and of the Kingdom Of God. “THE PERCEPTION YOU HAVE OF YOURSELF IS THE CORE OF WHO YOU ARE. IT AFFECTS EVERY ASPECT OF YOUR BEHAVIOUR. A STRONG POSITIVE SELF-IMAGE IS THE BETS START FOR SUCCESS” LOVE YOURSELF

Purpose and Career; How To Link The Two Part 5

"Persistently seek the career that is aligned to your purpose" After you have defined the career that is aligned to your purpose, you need to seek it and do it persistently. Seeking the career that is aligned to your purpose is oftentimes a difficult task so you will need to persevere. The type of perseverance that you may need to put in while you seek the career that is aligned to your purpose may be akin to type of perseverance that you sometimes need to put when you pursue your lover. Steve Jobs in a Stanford commencement speech once said, “You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers … If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”

Purpose and Career; How To Link The Two Part 4

Clearly define the career that is aligned to your purpose After you have discovered your life purpose, you need to clearly define the career that is aligned to your purpose. Thus, you need to delineate the particular occupation and the particular field in which you believe the career that is aligned to your purpose exists. Occupation describes the kind of work the person does on the job. Examples of occupations include secretaries, economists, accountants, lawyers and teachers. A field describes a discipline, which is a branch of knowledge. Examples of fields include business, arts, education, social sciences and medicine. The same occupation entails different duties and responsibilities depending on the field that one chooses to work in. The work done by a nurse working in a hospital (medical field), for instance, is different to that done by a nurse working in a production company (business field). Delineating the particular occupation and the particular field is the best way of pinpointing exactly where you believe the career that is aligned to your purpose exists.

Purpose and Career; How To Link The Two Part 3

The law is written within our members Buford presents us with an approach to discovering one’s life purpose that seems too simple to be true. Consider, however, the fact that the apostle Paul mentioned in his letter to the Romans that the law is written within our members [Romans …]. “What law was he talking about?” and “Which members was he referring to?” Well, a number of responses can be given to the question “What law was he talking about?” because there are many things that God wants you to know about Him and about yourself. One of these responses, however, would be your life purpose. Your life purpose is one of the fundamental questions of life and it is one of the things that God wants you to know about yourself. The answer to the question “Which members was he referring to?” is your heart. I say your heart because it determines the course of your life [Proverbs 4:23]. The dominance of the question of purpose throughout your life makes it one of the issues of life. God placed your life purpose on your heart so that you may easily find it. How? By enabling you to be good at something and giving you the passion for the thing that you are good at. Does it not warm your heart whenever you do something that you are good at and passionate about? Sure, it does. It does because whenever you do something that you are good at and passionate about you are doing what you were born to do – you are fulfilling your life purpose.

Purpose and Career; HowTo Link The Two Part 2

Discovering your life purpose There are many ways that you can discover your purpose, the simplest being by finding the connections that exist between your competencies and your passion. Purpose is something you’re good at and that really excites you Bob Buford, author of Half Time: Changing Your Game Plan from Success to Significance, argues that one’s purpose is something that one is good at (competence) and enjoys doing (passion). “The goal is to find something that fits within the boundaries of these two questions – something you’re good at and that really excites you,” writes Buford. The two questions that Buford refers to are: (1) What have you achieved? (Competence) (2) What do you deeply care about? (Passion) The connections between your answers to these two questions point you to your purpose

Purpose and Career; How To Link The Two Part 1

You Wish. Despite the odds, however, finding a career that is aligned to your life purpose is 100% possible. But then, it depends on how you make your career choice. The environment and opportunities surrounding often derail you from looking for a career that is aligned to your purpose by turning your heart to money, possessions and prominence – things that are unrelated to your life purpose. If you want to find a career that is aligned to your life purpose, it is not enough for you to simply long for more meaningful work. You need to discover your life purpose, clearly define the career that is aligned to your life purpose and then persistently seek it. Nicholas Weiler, in his book, Your Soul at Work says, “Fulfilling careers seldom happen by chance. People who find personally meaningful vocations do so because they assume responsibility for their journeys.” The journey to finding a career that is aligned to your purpose is one such fulfilling career and to attain it you need to assume responsibility for your journey. You begin the journey by searching for your life purpose.