Have you ever wondered where true happiness comes from?

Have you ever wondered how two people can grow up in similar surroundings with similar influences and one person becomes outrageously happy and successful whereas their equal counterpart lives a life of misery and insignificance? What causes one person to come from nothing or bounce back from heartache, despair, and hardship whereas another person in a similar situation becomes bruised, beat-down, and permanently scarred? Is it pure and random luck or is there a key component that an individual possesses that allows them to bounce back and create a life of happiness and significance? Before we answer that question, let’s discuss what I mean by happiness. I do not mean a superficial, short-lived sense of joy that comes from buying the latest HD television or Prada bag. The happiness I am talking about is a deep, burning joy for the life you have created and continue to create for yourself. It is a raging passion that drives everything you do and gives your life significance. So where does that kind of happiness come from? That happiness comes from creating a sense of purpose in your life. It comes from developing a sense of purpose that is congruent with the values and standards you have created for yourself and drives everything you do.

We are about to step into a new year, and for some of you, a new life. Now is the time to wipe the slate clean and begin to design the life you would love to live. Now is the time to develop a true sense of purpose that is congruent with your values yet extends beyond yourself to change the lives of those around you. Now is the time to evolve and increase the standards you have set for yourself. As Michelangelo has said: “The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.” Do not settle anymore for a life of mediocrity. Settle for nothing less than the best because you deserve it. Think you are not worth it? Think you are not strong enough? Think again! There is no difference between you and the greats like Mother Theresa and Ghandi. The only thing that sets them apart is they took a stand for what they believe in, developed an unwavering purpose, and made a unconquerable commitment to living out their life’s purpose. They saw what others did not see. They believed more than others believed. They had a desire to become more than other people were willing to become. Maybe you have no desire to have an influence like Mother Theresa or Ghandi but you do have a desire to be the best you possible. You must begin to see what others are unwilling to see and to do what others are unwilling to do. Michelangelo stated about his Statue of David: “I saw an angel in the block of marble and I just chiseled 'til I set him free.” Become your own Statue of David. See yourself as a block of marble just waiting to chip away the block until you have created a masterpiece within yourself. This can only begin by developing a deep sense of purpose and committing everyday to living out that purpose. You find your life’s purpose and devote your life to living out that purpose, you will not only create a life filled with joy, happiness, and fulfillment but you will also create a life of significance that will have in impact on the people around you and for people for generations to come.