10 Life changing lessons Nr. 3 – I know where I am going

Alice and the Cheshire Cat (in Alice from Wonderland) has a conversation and as an answer to the question: “Where should I go from here?”, the following well known answer is given:

Confusion seems to be the default setting amongst most people. Where, how, what, when, this way, that way or another way depicts the quagmire of confusion so many people struggling to entangle themselves from.

In lesson number 2 I said that the second most important question in life is…

So, what would the most important question in life be?

I believe this is the most import question to answer in life. The former, as well as another important question – where do I come from? – is not within your power to change. It concerns the past and can not be changed. It reminds me of my good friend that I met in Emtonjeni (juvenile correctional facility outside of Pretoria), Thabo Morewa (fictional name) that was serving a life sentence for high jacking and murder. Thabo said: “I can not change what has happened in the past, but my future is in my hands.” Good news – Thabo was miraculously released from prison in 2008, he got good work, I married him a year later and he is an active citizen making an impact in society.

Call it what you want: Purpose – direction – focus – strategical planning – the fact of the matter is that all successful marketplace leaders that I met over the last 25 years, have this in common…

So, what is the answer to the number 1 question in life – where am I going?

Let me assist you in discovering this by doing the following exercise (this exercise is designed to help you dream again) :

Work + 5 years = write down what it is that you want to achieve in your work over the next 5 years? There are 3 scenarios:

My current reality My wild dream A mix of reality + my wild dream

Society + 5 years = what is it that you can do to have a positive impact on the community in which you live? There are 3 scenarios:

My current reality My wild dream A mix of reality + my wild dream

Personal + 5 years = this is your opportunity to be a little selfish; think of what you want to achieve? There are 3 scenarios:

My current reality My wild dream A mix of reality + my wild dream

In lesson nr. 2 I spoke about talents, personality and values. These are the ingredients that add some flavour to your dreams and future. Your unique talents, personality and values is what brings spice and all things nice to your own special life and design.

Where you live and find yourself currently, i.e. geographically, plays a big role to get clarity to the answer “where am I going?”

Let me use my own life as an example to illustrate the three steps. In following the 3 steps that I describe here, my own answer to the question “where am I going”, would play out in the following way:

1. My Dreams:

Work = I dream of becoming a marketplace mentor who impacts people to discover their creative purpose at work so that their work will worship God’s honour and glory.

Society = I am actively involved in my community in order to influence and assist the people to be proud citizens of the Kingdom.

Personal = I live to create a multi generational inheritance that will make my wife and kids proud of the legacy that I will leave.

2. My Identity

I know what my talents are. I am well aware of my personality type and have clarity on my values.

3. My story

I have written the story of my life and know that I love the country, South Africa, in which I live. I have a passion for my people and will spend my life in establishing the Kingdom of God amongst them.

In summary – the following graph combines the 3 steps that will help you to get clarity about your future. Life is much more than sleep, eat, work; sleep, eat, work; sleep, eat, work. Start dreaming again, discover your purpose and live with your future in mind.