The Four Rules To Lead An Extraordinary Life
Your daily routine seems to be going smoothly. You have a job, you're paying your bills on time and doing your best to keep up with the other responsibilities in your life -- but something feels missing. You start keeping a log of all the things you're doing for yourself and for others, but it's still not enough. Somewhere along the way, you've started trying to go at this alone, or worse yet: get away from what makes life worth living in favor of mindless consumerist purposelessness that will only lead to more stress than relief.
But you're not alone. Damaged people and destroyed lives seem to be all around us, but the problem is that we can't see them -- they're hiding amongst us, and they're not trying to make things better ... they're just lost.
This article will help you identify the four rules of an extraordinary life, which are:
1. You are not your job or what kind of car you drive 2. What you do must be meaningful and significant 3. You must have fun 4. Your life is not an act of art, but an act of love.
Jesus Christ once said that you should love your neighbor as much as you love yourself -- and I agree with him. We must learn to love ourselves and others before we can make any real difference in the world. We don't create our future ... we may influence it, but first we must learn how to find our truest purpose in this life and then do what we can to live it out on a daily basis.
Think about all the people you work with -- who are they? What makes them different than you? Why would you stick by them through thick and thin? Because at the end of their busy days, they have nothing else going on. They still feel empty and hopeless.
It isn't that they don't feel supported by their family, friends or co-workers -- it's because none of that matters when you're spending your days doing something you hate and are only stuck in a job because you have to be. Too many people spend their lives in dead-end jobs, just trying to collect a paycheck that will cover all their bills, but no extra money for anything else. They watch TV after work at night and wonder why the world seems so lonely and meaningless -- they're not right or wrong ... they're just lost.
Once you learn how to find your truest purpose in life, it's not hard to make a change. You may have to grow up fast, but the rewards are worth it. You no longer rely on someone else for your happiness, nor do you wish for things that others have and you don't. You stop being a slave to the system -- and instead become your own master. And that's when the magic begins.
As Rupert Sheldrake put it: "Enlightenment isn't just an insight into yourself ... it's getting in touch with your bigger self. It's realizing that there is something more to the process than just your own personal growth. Enlightenment doesn't mean you're perfect ... it means you no longer need someone or something else to make you happy."
When you stop wishing for things, you realize that they don't exist. Nothing outside of yourself creates happiness in and of itself. It's all a matter of perspective -- and if your perspective is correct, then life can be truly wonderful.
One of the first things you need to realize is that material possessions don't equal happiness. Your mobile phone and automobile may help you get from point A to point B, but they don't have any real intrinsic meaning in your life. They're only there to get a job done for you.
When you focus on doing something that truly makes a difference in the world -- and when it becomes a part of your daily routine, an essential part of who you are -- that's when the sense of purpose surfaces. Not only will it become fun, but it will make all the small stuff seem so much bigger and more significant by comparison.
If the purpose of your life is to serve others (like a professional athlete), then you will find that the energy and focus it takes to accomplish this will help you become a better husband, father and friend. And it won't take long for you to realize that being "great" at your job isn't about making money or getting bragging rights. It's about making life worth living for others by doing something meaningful.
If the purpose of your life is to serve yourself (like an over-thirty, overweight, retired executive who's addicted to carbs and processed foods), then you will find that taking care of yourself has a very direct correlation with happiness. You will also start to identify the problem that's driving you into a dead-end job, relationship or lifestyle that no longer serves your purpose in life.
And don't think that you have to wait until you retire to do this. You can make any change in your life today ... by simply recognizing what your purpose is, and then doing everything you can in order to realize it.
Here are some examples of common personal missions or goals:
[PLURALITY] (1) To bring people closer together. (2) To make the world a better place for everyone who lives here. (3) To help everyone I know reach their true potential. (4) To make my family proud of me. (5) To live a happy and meaningful life.
1. To be well informed about everything that's going on around me and what it means to me and others. 2. To take care of my body so I can be healthy, fit and strong -- no matter what I'm doing with it in my personal time. 3. To have great relationships with everyone I meet, because I know they are the most important part of life -- they give it meaning and purpose beyond anything else I could possibly do or accomplish on my own. 4. To put my family first, because they are the ones who know me better than anyone or anything else in the world and make me feel like I'm truly worthy of happiness. 5. To do what I do with purpose -- not for money or fame, but because it makes my life so much better and more meaningful.
As you can see, there are plenty of ways to make your life more meaningful and important to yourself personally, but only if that is your purpose in life. The difficult part is never losing focus on this when things are going bad. You have to keep focused on what's most important -- no matter how hard it gets -- because knowing the difference will make all the difference ... every night at home.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you have learned some new things in this article that will help you rediscover the true meaning of life. If not, then read it again because I know it has to be here somewhere.
I'd also like to thank all of my readers who've reached out to me through email and private messages with your thoughts on the purpose of your life. You've helped me realize that anyone can find their true meaning if they are willing to look inside themselves and see what's truly important -- or if they can just take a break from reading these articles long enough to think about what I've said here.