Living on Purpose

“And I don't want to die, don't want to get high. Just want to breathe, breathe till I'm full. So full of this life, so full of this life. Breathe till I'm full, then I'll say goodbye.”

— The Collection, “Breathe Till I'm Full”

It is often joked that we are not living, but rather just breathing to death. This is true and a pretty dark way to think about life. It is a stance on how you choose to see life. It is a flawed view on what we have at our disposal and it deceives us into believing that this life has no value.

We live in a time when you are statistically less likely to see violence in your life, yet we only hear about the horrible stuff on the news. We add security cameras to our houses and always lock our doors. We hide from those, geographically, around us and we ignore the cries of help from others. We loudly proclaim our good deeds of donating to those affected by terror, yet we have a middle finger up to our own neighbors. Where is the love? Where is the compassion? Where are the connections?

When we shade our view of the world, we forget to look for the sunshine. We end up living a life that is always looking forward to the weekend and needing a vacation from our vacations. We lose sight of the beautiful world around us. We ignore those meaningful relationships with neighbors, simply to pacify our own inner turmoil. We actively deny true connection with others for fear of what we think about ourselves. Our own interpretation of who we are is a fabrication of reality being examined by jaded eyes.

Living is more than waking up each day. It is choosing to change the word living to a verb from an adjective. We are not merely alive, but actively seeking for moments that remind us of this very fact. Yet, we are so accustomed to living without life, that we are just breathing to death. When will we break free from this mindset? When will we begin to see the beauty that God has put on full display and turn away from the deceiver.

Many people blame God for the hardships in their own lives. You hear things like “if God loves me, why did He cause that to happen,” or “why does God allow all these horrible things to occur?” They immediately want to blame others, while ignoring what is in front of them. Things happen in this world. The planet was set into motion and we are here to make the best of what we have. The Bible often tells us that it is our own iniquities that cause these things to happen. Not in a sense that God is hands off, but more that He is concerned for our well-being while allowing us to have our own free will.

Think about it this way. When you choose to ignore a splinter, what happens? The smallest piece of material can cause some of the worst discomfort and pain. If you choose to ignore the splinter, it will cause an inflammatory response in your body. Sometimes, pus can form in a pocket and infection can set it. In other words, you had full ability to get the splinter out, but chose to leave it in. This causes further actions to happen because of your willingness to ignore the situation.

I want to breathe till I am full. I want to wake up and share in the joy, heartbreak, or even sadness that my friends and family are experiencing. I want to meet new people that challenge me. Most of all, I want to forget about my iniquities and triumph with those around me. I want to break through the mental state of being afraid to shine and force everyone around me to wear sunglasses. I want to see what happens if I just say hi to the one person that needs it. I want to leave people better than when I found them.

Living on purpose is simply choosing to live each day as if it was meant to be lived. Finding a balance between what needs to be done and what can be done. Creating a plan for what you and for your legacy. What will your legacy be? Pain or joy? Sorrow or happiness? Abandonment or love? 

“I think the best thing we can do is to let people know that each one of them is precious.” – Mr. Rogers

You are special. You are worthy. You are made to live, so get to it.

Let go of the hurts. Let go of the inconveniences. Let go of the past. Walk in the present.and never let anyone tell you that you are not important. There is and will never be another like you. Your life was meant to be a beautiful thing and your acceptance of who you are is extraordinary. 

This is the day that the Lord has made and I will be glad in it.