You too can live a fulfilled life. You too can live a wonderful, charming and successful life. But your life will never be as charming and wonderful by imitating others, but living life in your own special way.
This is because you are unique. Unique not in the way you look or speak but unique in your purpose. God has placed each one of us here for a reason. He has also equipped us for that particular purpose. Guess what? The world is waiting for you to come alive. Yes You: COME ALIVE. You will not come alive by doing what everybody is doing, not even what others have done. This is so because what others have done is different from what you should or have to do. What they have done must reveal what you too can become when you search and discover yourself and purpose.
Sheikh Muhammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoun, in his book, My Vision, in which he spoke about what drove them to build the kind of Dubai we know today has this to say: “many brilliant ideas have circulated the globe and various nations have copied their concepts, so much so that these once inspired creations often become hackneyed. However, “second-hand” ideas are not enough for us here in the UAE. We would far rather lead than follow”. If this is their mindset, is it any wonder why Dubai is now the preferred destination for vacation and business? In the same way, second hand ideas are not enough for you. When you depend on second hand ideas you will never make the difference you were created to bring to our lives and this world.
You too must go deep down into yourself to discover the set of skills that God has given you to fulfil your purpose. To seek to live your life in imitation of others, no matter how accomplished they are, is to settle for a “second-hand” idea. Their stories are just to motivate you.
But why would one be quick to go after ‘second-hand’ ideas? Why would people fail to get their own ideas? They are looking at the wrong places. Some are looking at their university degrees. Some are looking at their connections with people of power and influence. But these are the wrong places to look. The real power is from within.
The real power and true uniqueness lies in you. It does not lie in looking at what others have done and seeking to do it better but discovering the world inside you.
An ancient Indian mythology explains the richness and power that is locked up with each man: Thousands of years ago, it was believed that everyone who walked on the surface of the earth was a god. But mankind abused its limitless powers so that the supreme god decided to hide the godhead, the source of all this potential so that no one would find it. The question then became, where such a thing could be hidden? The first adviser said it could be placed deep in the ground but the supreme god replied, “No, eventually someone will dig deep enough to find it”. The second adviser then offered, “What if we placed the godhead at the deepest part of the ocean”, to which the supreme god responded, “No, eventually someone will dive deep enough and find it”. The third adviser chimed, “well, why don’t we put it at the top of the highest mountain?” which prompted the supreme god to reply, “No, I’m certain that eventually someone will scale that height of peaks and find it”.
After reflecting for some time, the supreme god found the solution; “I will put the source of all human power, potential and purpose inside the hearts of every man and woman and child on the planet, for they will never think to look there”.
Your true uniqueness lies in you. The power to make a difference is in your heart. You too can live a beautiful life. You too can change the world. The world is waiting for you.
By Fr. Delight Arnold Carbonu
