What if I told you that it’s not important that you live to an old age? That living old is not that much of an achievement as people make it out to be? I can guess what your reaction would be – you would bind and cast me underneath your breath, have a problem with my thinking cos I would hit a lot of nerves that will not make having that conversation any worthwhile.
But the truth is hard on this one – living old should not be treated as the ultimate success for any life, living finished should.
At the end of every man’s life, only two things will matter: (i) the feeling of fulfillment when you look back (ii) the expectation of reward when you look forward to where you are going.
When every life ends, it wouldn’t matter how long any one lived. The truth is, the only people that worry about that are the people who remain here, still living; who still think longevity of age is equivalent to gravity of impact. People who would trade living purposefully in exchange for living till a hundred, even though a long life without meaning.
It is better to live finished than to live old. The idea of living old is attractive but living finished is every bit of what living old is not. Jesus died at the age of 33; no one has ever thought to mention that he died in his prime, or he died untimely. I’m sure it hardly crossed anyone’s mind to wonder why he left at such an age when many other humans still have untapped potentials. You know the reason why it hadn’t and still hasn’t? It’s because Jesus lived finished.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LIVE FINISHED?
To live finished is to live having fulfilled purpose. To live finished is to live having achieved the objective for your living. And yes, it is possible to live so.
To live purposefully is to live in light of the essence for your being alive. It is to live with clarity and direction. It is to have a reason for waking up every day, and knowing that every day you wake up, is a chance to take a progressive step towards the fulfillment and the completion of your assignment in life. Living purposefully gives you a definite path to follow.
It is not to waste time and chance. It is to put life into relevant use. It is to be focused and aligned.
Living purposefully teaches that life is not random. It gives the understanding that not everything or everyone fits into your destiny. It helps to be conscious and mindful of how we live. People who live irrationally cannot live finished. People who live wherever the wind blows are not people who live purposefully, hence, they are not going to live finished.
Purposeful living prevents envy, comparison, and societal pressure. Imagine living 80 years of life in constant dissatisfaction with yourself; always looking through the lens of others when making self-appraisals. 80 years is a good old age, but 80 years without a sense of personal fulfillment is a waste.
It teaches to understand and appreciate uniqueness. Sticking to the one that is yours regardless of what others are doing, and how fast they are moving. Being genuinely happy for others without beating down on your own purpose-driven progress, just because it appears slower.
Purposeful living is also to understand that purpose is not for enjoyment, but for serving others. While there is a place for enjoying the reward of your hardwork, spending and flexing yourself, we must bear in mind that that is not the whole point of it.
True relevance is measured by what you give, and not what you have. That at whatever level your purpose-laden journey brings you, you are expected to be impactful to others.
When you keep dishing out while you concurrently revel in what you have labored for, you know within yourself that by the time the end comes, you would have lived in true purpose that have served others.
Purpose is not merrymaking. It is not daily joyous celebration. Every purposeful person is a savior to others.
Friends, let’s not waste time on distractions. Let us prioritize live finished over living old. When we focus on living finished, living old becomes an advantage to us. Let’s live for it daily. Let’s focus on calling, identity, assignment, and most importantly, living for eternity.
Don’t live old, live finished.
One response
Amazing rightup