*This post was made back in 2017.
“What gives your life purpose?”
Les Brown
I first heard this line maybe a month ago while randomly scrolling through YouTube.
Such a simple line.
So simple that I saved the video and now listen to it once a day.
And so I asked myself, what is my purpose? What do I have to fear?
Memory lane and where it started
During my days at UMass Amherst, I vividly recall asking myself where I wanted to be, what I wanted to accomplish, what were my dreams, and, like so many others, how I would make money (I still think about this).
There were many hard, painful days.
But the one thing I feared more than anything, more than any broken bone or punch to the face I’ve taken, was failing myself.
Giving up, to say it another way.
I remember when I failed an exam.
I remember when I lost my wrestling matches.
I remember not being accepted to my college of choice.
Heck, I remember when I cheated out of my lifting sets!
There’s a silver lining in all of this
But I remember the positive impact from all those experiences as well.
I learned I could deal with adversity, that I could own up and face my fears.
It wasn’t easy, and I’ll never advise that to anyone.
But it’s also why I savor those moments. We all can.
Because we can live to tell about it one day.
A new day to make a difference
With all that said, I continue to ask myself that very same question to this day.
What is my purpose?
What do I have to fear?
I know one thing’s for sure – I’ll keep pushing forward.
We only have this one life.
Live it.
