Want to know the secret to a long life?
I’ll tell you. But first, let me explain the three reasons why people die young:
- Loss of money.
- Loss of love
- Loss of purpose.
Now the three reasons are equally important and sad.
But the truly heartbreaking one is loss of purpose.
Because it’s the only one that’s controllable
How is it controllable? How do you ensure that your purpose never goes extinct?
Here’s how.
Sustainability
Tying your purpose to achievement is great. But it’s not sustainable.
When you tie your reason for living to just one goal, once that goal is met, you’ll need to go out and find another one.
You’re always in search of a new one. Always looking for a new title, a new target, and a new timeline.
But the drive to do so can run out. So, instead, look for the desire to serve others.
Once you make your purpose synonymous with helping others, you’ll never run out of it.
Because, after all, the world is full of people who need help. It’s the one target that can never be met, which will only fuel you to go after it harder.
Excelling at what you do for your personal goals is honorable. But excelling, with the end goal being the service of others, is how you keep your drive from going extinct.
Endless Wins
Other than the fact that personal goals are not sustainable, they’re also not guaranteed.
When you’re achieving, there are wins and losses, but when you’re serving, there are only wins
Which translates to endless fire.
Endless motivation.
Endless purpose.
If you’re pursuing a goal, your life only has meaning in the context of that goal. Whether that goal is achieved or not, your meaning is attached to it.
But when you’re serving another person or focused on serving people, your life always has meaning.
Pursuit of Happiness
Many people search for the pursuit of happiness, and they search for it in the wrong places.
Material possessions, titles, relationships, and all are good things to have, but they’re not where happiness is.
Because as I mentioned, self-serving goals are not sustainable. They eventually run out, as will the happiness tied to these goals.
True happiness stems from having a purpose. It comes from having someone to help.
So, ask yourself, who can I serve? How can I be of value to somebody? How can I make their life better?
And what is amazing about that is it is this infinite and invincible form of power.
So don’t go searching for happiness. Go searching for someone to help.
Passing the Torch
If you want to guarantee that your fire never runs out, just think of how you’re setting a great example for others.
That’s a beautiful byproduct of accomplishing things. Inspiring others who are watching you.
They see you achieving all these great things, so they believe they’re capable of greatness themselves.
So try this. Focus on winning just so you can inspire others.
And you’ll never lose your purpose.
Live With Intention
The last reason why serving others results in endless purpose is the reminder that life is timed.
When you realize there’s a clock counting down on your life, it creates a tremendous sense of urgency.
So, never let a second of your day go by unintentionally. Even if you’re resting, rest because you’re rejuvenating.
Remember that every second counts and that in every second you’re alive, someone out there needs help.
Don’t live your life so that when you die, you realize you had so much more left to give. Instead of regretting how you lived, give every second of your life a purpose.
When you do that, you realize that even if you don’t live up to your capacity, you at least tried your best, and you’ll have nothing to regret.
Because you’ll have had purpose for the very last second of your life.
