Remington: ‘Passion’ Is Wonderful But No Substitution for ‘Purpose’

Remington: ‘Passion’ Is Wonderful But No Substitution for ‘Purpose’

NO WIND IS favorable to a sailor without a rudder.


The sailor is taken where he or she is directed, not where he or she selected.

No life is favorable to a person without a purpose.

The person is taken where he or she are directed not where he or she selected.

Life without purpose is like a boat without a rudder. You are destined to drift with the currents, waves, winds or storms that come along without the ability to steer clear of the danger.

The danger is known as distractions, negative self-talk, low self-esteem, disbelief and more. Until thought is linked with purpose there is no intelligent accomplishment, writes James Allen. Having a purpose will make most, if not all, of your life decisions easier to carry out. Purpose creates the yes! in your life that allows you to say no! in a strong loud voice, to those distractions that come at you daily. Young men and women go off to war, some never return, to defend the Constitution of the United States. Would you do the same to defend your constitution, your purpose in life?

Do you know the purpose of your life? Do you have a purpose to your life? Or do you allow others to direct you? Do you follow them to be part of the crowd or to be a pleaser? With the absence of purpose, you will be destined to live a life given to you by others. Some people will tell me that they live life with passion. To be clear, there is a difference between purpose and passion. People are passionate about sports, flying, boating, skiing, food, theater, music, and the list goes on. Purpose, however, is what you bring to life.

My purpose in life is to achieve my Highest Human Potential so that I may help others achieve theirs. My purpose is to bring to light the truth that everyone from teens to seniors have their own purpose or screenplay to act out and that they can rewrite any scene that doesn't suit them so that they may achieve their Highest Human Potential. My purpose in life is to vibrate at the highest level allowed by God.

How do you know if you have a purpose? I break down purpose as an acronym to make sure I have it covered.

P = Passion. From the Greek word paskho, which means to suffer. It's a term applied to a very strong feeling about a person or thing. Jesus Christ had a purpose. It was to take away the sins of the world. He was so passionate about it, that He died on the cross to make it happen. But even Jesus had his moments of doubts, as we learn in the Bible's book of Luke 22-42: "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."

You too, want to be so passionate about your purpose that you are ready to die for it. Not literally but figuratively. Meaning missing out on certain things so as to do the things that are in alignment with your purpose.

U = Understanding. Understanding is the ability to understand one's knowledge and choices. It is the realization of your decision. It is knowledge and wisdom put into action. If knowledge is power, and wisdom is your choice to use that power, understanding is the execution of your choice to use that power. You know your why. You get it. You have a handle on it. You grasp it. There is no doubt in your mind why this is your purpose and that you are going to follow through. February is littered with unkept new-year resolutions because the understanding of the why was not attached to it.

R = Resolve. To resolve is to come to a definite or earnest decision about something. You are determined to do something every day that leads you to your purpose. Like brushing your teeth, combing your hair or making your morning drink.

P = Protection. Is your purpose so strong that it provides you protection from the distractions of the day, intentional or unintentional. You will stay the course to accomplish your purpose. Protection like in Psalms 91. "He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, if you say, "The Lord is my refuge, (my purpose is my refuge) and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent."

O = Obedient. To comply with or follow the commands, restrictions, wishes or instructions about the purpose. Will you be obedient to the laws of the universe? Laws of polarity, attraction, reciprocity, cause and effect, compensation and give and take? The law of perpetual transmutation? Know that the smallest thing you do may have a profound effect. The law of relativity meaning nothing is either good or bad, it's the meaning we put to it. Are you willing to do those things that you need to do on a daily basis? More on some days and less on others. Either way, it should be the first things that you do for the day.

S = Spiritual. Is your purpose woven into the fabric of your being?

Does it make you spring out of bed with the excitement of a child on Christmas morning? The dictionary defines spirituality this way: "The quality that involves deep feelings and beliefs of a religious nature, rather than the physical parts of life" and centers on the "deepest values and meanings by which people live." It often embraces the idea of an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality. It envisions an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his or her being or purpose.

E = Execution. Saying and doing are two different things.

The carrying out or putting into effect a plan, an order of doing, or course of action is the key element to success. Following through on all the above elements to manifest or realize your purpose will be the life force to your purpose.

We are all here for a purpose, a reason, a meaning. Rumi, the 13th century Persian poet wrote that there is one thing in this world you must never forget to do. If you forget everything else and not this, there's nothing to worryabout, but if you remember everything else and forget this, then you will have done nothing in your life.It's as if a King has sent you to some country to do a task, and you perform a hundred other services, but not the one he sent you to do. You would have accomplished nothing.

That work is the purpose, and each is specific to the person.

Peter Remington is an executive at Houston CityBook and also a business consultant and life coach. For more information on him and his Prepare 4 More, visit here.

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