Don’t we all want to know? How will life turn out for us? What would you do if you had this insight today? Would your approach to life be different?
You and your family are invited to an 80th birthday party. The guest of honor is someone people admire, respect and like; you’re honored to attend.
In preparation for this special occasion, your wife dresses your children in their finest clothes and you drive to your host’s home at the intended time, not far from where you live.
The impressive residence rests on a sizable, two-acre lot, with a driveway lined with trees and beautiful white rose bushes in full bloom. Stopping your car at the walkway, a valet opens your door, greeting you with a warm smile. He ushers you and your family in through enormous stain-glass doors.
From the entrance, your attention is drawn to massive windows overlooking the lawn where a couple hundred people are gathering for this important, catered event, honoring your host. Outside, everyone is listening as the guest of honor begins speaking.
The host speaks of fond memories and appreciation to be surrounded by loving family and friends.
How humbled he is to be a part of the lives of these people surrounding him.
Under closer scrutiny you come to realize it’s you, years from now, celebrating your 80th birthday.
Your grown children are all present with their spouses as well as your grandchildren. You take a moment, appreciating how well they’ve matured into adulthood.
Your daughter is the picture of confidence, kindness and elegance. She runs a successful business and is also an attentive mom raising three beautiful children who live close by and are involved in your life. Who she’s become elicits a tremendous amount of pride. She married her equal, their relationship is one of love, admiration and respect.
Your son’s a success in his own right and credits you with allowing him to make his own mistakes and be there without judgement. A second-term state senator, he’s now running to fill a vacating House seat in Washington.
Your wife — dignified, elegant and in her element. Your emotions take over somewhat as you recall mid-life challenges and how grateful you are to her for staying by your side as you came into your own, realizing and committing to what is important. You’ve grown closer, your bond strengthened over the years.
You reflect over pivotal moments, when you committed to making significant changes with positive consequences, altering the direction of your marriage, your relationship with your children, your health and weight.
Your birth certificate says you’re 80 today, but you feel much younger. No doubt it’s due to lifestyle adjustments made 28 years ago since you were given another chance.
You show gratitude for having survived a heart attack weeks before your 52nd birthday. You altered your diet, lost 40 pounds, upgraded your emotional intelligence and transformed your life.
So much of what you’ve experienced these past three decades amount to key life events; family trips, global travel, and life-long friendships endured.
You’re grateful for all the memorable moments, seeing your children graduate high school, college, marry and now, raising families of their own. Sending your teenagers off to university watching them find their own way in life, failing at times but succeeding overall. Walking your daughter down the aisle 15 years ago and the birth of all five of your beautiful grandchildren.
Your children share touching stories displaying your patience, love, and acceptance. You’ve had an active presence in their lives and remain close.
Friends, former employees and business partners take turns speaking about you; your leadership, generosity, vision and impact left, are all common themes.
As a mid-life spectator at this memorable celebration, what strikes you most is the bond, your 80-year-old-self has built with so many.
Our life mission begins with insight into what we want the end to look like. This is a critical step on the path to executing sound decision-making.
Too many of us sail through life, letting what comes our way happen, with little direction or foresight beyond a job we hold for 20–60 months.
Choices are made haphazardly, often without appreciating the ramifications or our larger purpose until it’s too late.
Material wealth, other’s approval, fear, guilt and resentment consume much of our time, leading us to an unfulfilled life. We are products of our past but it doesn’t define our future. Our potential is limitless.
Knowing your purpose is to have a life map. With a destination in mind, you channel energy into manifesting it. Choices become clearer; where to live, who to surround yourself with and how to remain true to yourself and vision.
This vision is important for man to be fulfilled. Our map guides the way to positive life-altering outcomes. True purpose motivates us to make the hard, but right choices, remain focused through challenging times, when it’s easy to become sidetracked. Men who lack purpose are often prone to poor judgement with life-altering outcomes.
This isn’t to suggest we guide our lives with passion, without mistakes, expecting perfection. Veering off course is inevitable, but knowing how and when to correct is not, without vision.
This is about having a blueprint which keeps us in the present, with an understanding of who we are and why we’re here, rather than one of living for someday to come. It’s about the journey, keeping the destination top of mind.
When we’re dead, we no longer have a say in our story as the die will have been cast.
Now is your chance to change your story. Find power using your pain to ignite exponential growth.
Thoughtfully progressing forward with a purpose, is the fuel required to experience the life you were destined to live.
Begin with a vision of what the end looks like.
