LIVING A PURPOSEFUL LIFE

There are people whose wheels have stopped; people who have lost their jobs or their families. Without any commitments to keep them moving forward, they come to a standstill, passing their time with alcohol or TV/Netflix.

There are people, though who don't sleepwalk through life - But push through no matter how rough things are for them.

"It's not enough to have lived. We should be determined to live for something."

                                    - Winston S.  Churchill

They get up in the morning not because they will suffer the consequences if they don't, but because they are eager to live another day. The sun in the sky energizes them. They wake up filled with a sense of purpose.

Chances are you know someone with a purpose. People with purpose are vivid. People with purpose are full of personality. They understand their life is short and that time is limited, and they know what they are doing with it. They are magnetic in a way other people are not. You can't help but feel drawn to their energy.

Sleepwalking through life is like dozing on a cold harmattan day; you mean to get up and get something done, but it's so cold right where you are - until you wake up and realize fifteen years have gone by.

HOW TO TELL IF YOU'RE SLEEPING THROUGH LIFE

It's easy. Take a deep breath. Feel the life in your hands and feet. Feel your connection to the ground holding you up. Ask yourself 

"Does my life have a purpose?"

If you do not hear a clear yes, it's a no.

Whether you believe this sense comes from God, your inner self, the universe itself or that silly old goose, the subconscious; this sense is reliable. You don't need to be sure where it comes from to know that.

If you do not have a lot of faith in yourself or do not trust your own judgment, you don't have to rely on that touchy-feely crap. 

HOW TO WAKE UP TO YOUR LIFE

The best way I've found to wake up to your life is to get rid of everything which sends you to sleep: The selfies you send on social media, the ream of TV shows you keep up with, recreational drinking, and any activity which takes up hours of your week with nothing to show for it.

Get rid of it all at once, if you can. If you can't, it's all right to take it slow; give up your least favorite TV show, give up your least favorite social media platform. In a month or two, do it again. Doing this for a few months can turn a life around.

Next, fill the empty time with things which wake you up. This could be interests you've always wanted to pursue, languages you want to learn, or relationships you want to deepen. Use your time to do what you've always wanted to do, whether it's learning a new programming language, sewing, painting, spending time with a friend, or whatever that makes you happy and will bring a viable meaning to your life as you watch the days go by.

"The path to our destination is not always a straight one. We go down the wrong road, we get lost, we turn back. Maybe it doesn't matter which road we embark on. Maybe what matters is that we embark." - Barbara Hall