5 Steps To Discover Your Reason For Living

“What is my reason for living?”

If you have ever asked this question, you are not alone. People all over the globe have been asking this question for generations. From peasants to philosophers to kings, every human has a deep yearning to find the answer.

Somehow, you know that you were made to do something beyond mere survival. Inside of you is a desire to be significant, to have power, to make a difference in your world. To find a reason for living.

Why? Simply put, you were not an accident. Your Creator placed you on this earth to fulfill a particular purpose, to carry out an assignment. Moreover, God put in you everything you need to fulfill that purpose.

Unfortunately, as Myles Munroe observes in his compelling book, The Principles and Power of Vision,

              "If you ask people, 'Why do you exist?' most cannot tell you.
               They can't explain their purpose in the world. They have no  
               vision for their lives."

Yet, you started out with a dream. When you were young—whether you were five or ten or fifteen or twenty years old—you knew what you wanted to be when you grow up. You wanted to be a policeman. A superhero. A millionaire. A princess with five children. A missionary taking care of African orphans.

Some of those dreams may sound unrealistic or immature. However, each carries a seed of reality that can lead you into your purpose. For example, maybe not a police officer, but perhaps a counselor of juvenile delinquents. Maybe not a princess, but perhaps a godly mother with an organized, happy household.

The problem is that life can bring seemingly insurmountable obstacles to your pursuit of your dreams. Your reason for living can easily be veiled by the discouraging words of other people, financial difficulties, and traumatic incidents.

Or you could be living in fear. Change is often frightening, and going after your dreams—if you're not already doing so—requires a lot of change.

However, unless you are on your deathbed, you can overcome anything and everything that keeps you from realizing your reason for living. Here are five steps that will help you develop a vision for your life.

2. Pray. “But I don't believe in God.” Great! Pray anyway. He made you whether you believe it or not, and wants to see you fulfill all the potential He placed within you. Ask Him for clear guidance and open doors of opportunity to use your gifts and get involved in the things that interest you most. Even if you are already a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven, you will be amazed at how God answers this prayer.

3. Begin vision-mapping. One of the main reasons most people never fulfill their dreams is because they never bother writing them down. They never write down the goals they need to meet as they work toward their dream. Steven K. Scott explains vision-mapping in detail in Chapter 3 of his book, Richest Man Who Ever Lived: King Solomon's Secrets to Success, Wealth, and Happiness. Even if your not sure that you're headed in the right direction, when you begin to write down dreams, goals, and the individual steps to achieve the goals, you almost automatically begin to uncover your reason for living.

• ...write The Great American Novel? Sit down at your keyboard and start writing. 
• ...become a doctor? Start applying to medical schools.
• ...grow and sell organic produce at your local farmer's market? Get outside and start planting!

May I coach you? Don't worry about being a little off track. As long as you're putting your interests and talents to good use, you will eventually discover your reason for living, and the world will be a richer place because of it.