One big mistake the majority of us make is that we tie our purpose to making big money from our chosen endeavours. The reason that many of us do not focus on what they are passionate about is that they are fixated and worried about where the money will come from, and when they are not able to easily figure out exactly where or how it will yield them money, they do not pay much attention to it even if they are truly enjoying it and whatever we do not pay attention to, we do not profit from because attention is a rare energy that we invest.
It is natural law that if we sow, we shall reap. If we plough in focus and pay attention for a long time to something, and nurture it with other resources, the benefits or gains lurked in it will yield to us because we will have paid the price, which equates with solving specific problems. There is a path and trajectory to these things.
We persist on the course, changing styles when it so requires and staying in service consistently. It may take time before it yields something but even then it may not yield the kind of financial payback we seek because it may offer more than just monetary value. Purpose is not about financial profit. Let us be clear on this position.
What exactly is profit? Is profit limited to the pecuniary? We can profit from the goodwill of an endeavour. We can profit when we find fulfillment in supporting a talent who may be helpless. The success of another person that we support comes with a different kind of satisfaction. We can profit when we live for a cause more than we live for the purse. Though rare, it is a surety.
When our perspective is not right about some things, then the perspective itself is not a profitable one. Profit is more than money. Apostle Paul said to Timothy that Mark was profitable to him for the ministry, that godliness is profitable and in another place that godliness is great gain, and this has nothing to do with filthy lucre where merchandise is made of men. Being of profit in this wise has nothing to do with making money, even if gold is expended in the daily process.
Now, we live in an era where almost everything can be purchased with money, including the souls of men. This is the possibility that has blurred the vision of the Truth from the majority. Paul could say the things he said because he knew with all assurance that his purpose was for a kingdom that was not about meat and drink.
This is the problem that many of us have. While we may earn money from living and being our purpose, we are not driven by or towards money. We are actually preoccupied by other things. Because you do not have this insight does not make it invalid.
What is purpose? What is passion? What is profit? Let us dive a little deeper into these three concepts of our discourse.
When man speaks in terms of purpose, man must understand that it is beyond him. The question of purpose can find the right answer in the Maker. God, the Creator, has His reason for making man, and the key is for man to serve Him. That is the whole duty of man: Fear God and keep his commandments.
Another thought worthy of mention is that God desired for man to take care of His heritage and creatures and to maintain all that God made. God therefore put man in charge and even when God manifested in flesh He told man to occupy till He returns. To further explore the thought that God put man, Adam, in charge of this earth, the Garden, man actually became an employee of God.
Bring that to this time, it is important that each one of us discovers what it is that God purposed him/her for. You are therefore called to that purpose. And each of us must give account for what we are called to do. When Adam failed in his responsibility, God came to appraise him. God asked Adam to give account of his stewardship.
Each of us receives at least one talent. This is the gift or gifts that we use to live our purpose here on earth. When we are using our gifts, we are living our purpose. But how we use our gifts and to what intent we do so shall receive a just recompense.
Man is a creator. Man makes things. We have men who are great inventors who took ideas beyond potential to actual through the painstaking labour of execution. Every man who creates or invents anything has specific purpose at the back of his or her mind. This is a critical thought that we cannot overlook. Did anyone create anything without a definite purpose that such a thing will serve or a deep-seated desire to be fulfilled?
One thing we must understand is that we have to develop our gifts through skilling and we have to serve others in order to earn mastery and proficiency. This is how we actually serve God using the gift He has given to us. When we serve mankind with the gifts that God gave us, we serve the purpose and pleasure of God.
The person who lives his purpose connects with the Infinite because all things that God made are for God's own pleasure, not for the pleasure of man. The pleasure is God's. It is important to state lucidly that nothing was made for itself. Everything was made to serve the purpose of another. This is the real strength and purpose of service. We can see this from Nature: The sun, the rain, the waters, the wind, the seasons and indeed all things are put there to serve all other things and it is important that each of us finds what it is we have been placed here to do.
The person who is able to do this well is the successful person. Robert Greene said that the failure is not the person who does not have money to spend but rather the person who does not know why he is here. I do think that this is one thought that each of us must explore with the intention to locate self and to be that thing that we are here for. You cannot afford to bury your talent or gift while seeking or running after something else. It is a complete misplacement
Therefore, profitting holds a more distinctive meaning apart from the regular. A healthy understanding of the concept of profit is great wisdom that earns us the power of initiative. This guides our dealings always and prevents us from acting inordinately. In our quest for pecuniary profit, we often act bestially, selfishly and full of cupidity. This level of greed stifles great vision and productivity. Growth is stunted because many great ideas are prevented from blooming.
We can profit when we invest our resources into building others, who may not be able to afford our cutting-edge services. This is where mentorship comes in. With this mindset we secure tomorrow today. We must always remind ourselves today what shall become of us tomorrow. While we want to focus on the moment, we have to be wise to know that what we do today is what can be developed or improved upon tomorrow.
If you are called and purposed to minister to the souls of men to the intent of salvation, your profit, which is not directly yours, is the profit of the one who called and equipped you for the divine purpose. From this you may profit to the pecuniary if you are able to make disciple of men of means. But this is not the purpose for which you are called. It is for the harvesting of their soul, not for their deep pockets.
Passion is energy. Passion is fuel. Without passion, we are not able to accomplish our discoveries, desires, goals, and pursuits. When we talk about passion, it goes just beyond what we are interested in. Truly, when we talk about what we are passionate about, we refer to a vocation or something we make a living from and earn money from or something in that regard, but it is more than that.
Thus, when we have a passion for a thing, we love that thing and can do anything to earn that thing but if we do not have the fuel or energy to actualise it, it will remain in the realm of the potential. That passion may not see the light of day because we lack the passion energy to bring it to manifestation.
Let me reiterate that in the light of this discourse, after we have been able to discover our purpose, we must exhibit the passion to pursue the actualisation of it [the purpose]. The strength to do that, and the fuel to constantly oil our engine is called passion. Without it we are not able to keep the fire burning without us burning out.
A true passion is grit. We become gritty and grittier about that thing we are passionate about, that thing that is of interest to us, that thing that we may have discovered to be our purpose and calling. The moment we can answer the question, 'What am I called to do', then we are in a great place to begin with and in every step of our journey through this space, we must apply ourselves to that question.
That is the way to make our election sure. Permit me to borrow that phrase from Paul in order to give life to this thought. True Grit does not terminate until it has accomplished its purpose. It takes an idea from conception to completion. It is the power of execution.
Is it possible to achieve our purpose and not have money? Can I become my purpose here and not be financially successful? Can I find what I am truly passionate about and not make money from it? The answer is yes. But this may not equate with penury. Again, Paul said, 'As poor, yet making many rich.'
This is one mistake that many of us make. We are not successful because we made money. We are successful when we live our purpose and become our interests. We can therefore be successful in one area or thing and not have lots of money. This is true.
I listened to Bob Proctor discuss the concept of passion and profit as he spoke about a doctor he met in the course of his work of mentoring people or something of that sort. He stated that the doctor was unhappy that he did not have a lot of money or as much money as he wanted and he asked him the question 'What are you passionate about?' and the doctor responded that he loved his medical practice but that he was not making enough money from it.
Bob Proctor said he told him that he may not need to abandon what he loves because he was not making enough money from it, but that he should seek ways outside it to make money. That makes a lot of sense. We can make money through investments and doing other things on the side, but profit does not end with making money. Do not forget this sterling thought. It is a fortune.
It is extremely important for each person to define what success means to them. What is your definition of success? That is what you must be preoccupied with. That is what you must be passionate about. That is what you have to pursue. I like the definition of Earl Nightingale on the subject of success: 'The progressive realisation of a worthy ideal.'
The import of this thought is that you know what is worthy to you. You are passionately working towards making it happen. And though you have not attained it, you find fulfillment in the very thought of the idea. That is what it means to have a definite chief aim. Having, knowing and working towards one's definite chief aim in life is a worthy idea and it is not commonplace.
One thing is crystal clear about a man of purpose. The man who lives a lucidly defined purpose is subject to the whims of definite chief aim and is preoccupied by a compelling need to honour only the one who calls him or her. His thoughts and words are clearly directed at this and he is not persuaded otherwise. The mind of this being is difficult to sway either to the right, left or centre. It is stoic in nature and lives based on specific values. Nothing else really matters.
What foundation are we laying today? This thought goes beyond ordinary financial considerations. However if money is all you seek, you can make loads of it if you pursue it but when and after you have, will you be able to control it or will it control you? You may not have an answer to this seemingly simple question but you do need to take a thought of it.
Purpose, Passion, and Profit are such great subjects that many of us are ignorant of and that is one reason we are limited and not as productive as we should be. When we are able to apprehend these concepts and live through to them, we become fruitful to extremely phenomenal levels.
