What on earth am I here for?

Have you ever asked yourself the question, “What on earth am I here for?” A few years ago, I managed a seven week PR campaign for a special event around this group of seven words. Each week I emphasized a different word by bolding it, and each week, the question took on a new meaning. "What on earth am I here for?" The focus of the event was to zero in and define ones purpose in life.

Think of the purpose of your life, or someone else’s life, as a dinner table full of everyday clean dishes. As you look at the workmanship of the designer, notice each one is a different size, shape, or color, depending on the intended purpose. Some dishes are designed to serve the main course, the focus of attention. Some dishes are side dishes designed specifically to serve soup, salad, or bread, and of course, dessert, all of which support, or enhance, the main course. Other dishes hold cream, sugar, gravy, sauces, jams or jellies. They are often placed in the center of the table and used as needed. At the end of the meal, the designer sits back with a cup of coffee, tea or cappuccino and looks over the table of dishes and evaluates how well they fulfilled the purpose that he intended for each one.

So what is your purpose? What were you designed to do? Do you hold the gravy or the sugar? How do you interact with others every day at home, in your community, at the office? What role do you play? Are you really a side dish, but your ego gets in the way and demands to be a dinner plate, or are you meant to be the dinner plate, but you would rather be an out-of-the-way supporting saucer?

Like the dishes, each one of us is designed to serve a specific purpose, and life just wouldn’t be the same without you doing what the designer intended for you to do.