Why Am I Here on Earth? This sounds like a million-dollar question for many of us. When I was little, whenever I was asked what I want to become when I grow up, my answer was always to become a teacher...because I wanted to make a difference in the lives of people. I really thought that teaching was my calling. And then reality hit me when after college graduation, I landed in a teaching job in a private school in my home province. Teaching was never easy, at least for an idealistic fresh graduate like me back then. Teaching requires tons of patience, buckets of humility and unlimited supply of understanding but at that time, I was only armed with too much idealism and pride which was a total misfit. I have no one to blame but myself!
EQ vs. IQ.
I would say my students were pretty normal - typically carefree, they were always full of energy, some were incredibly smart and talented while others weren't..some were naturally kind-hearted and many weren't...(hahaha...I know some of my students will be able to read this blog, I apologize:-). Each one was uniquely different and I was not emotionally wired and prepared to handle them. It was just overwhelming. I later realized that there is no amount of knowledge that can compensate my failure to provide the most basic human need of my students which is respect and a genuine love and affection from a teacher. I would think I did fairly well in terms of transferring knowledge but I failed miserably in connecting and relating with them. And to me personally, in the field of teaching, EQ is far more important than IQ.
God has a plan for me.
After 3 years of teaching, I finally muster enough courage to quit and pursue my dream of travelling and exploring the world beyond my home province. And I believe I was able to accomplish that at least in my own terms. I was able to travel in almost all corners of my country and almost a quarter of the world. But I guess there was more for me than just going and wandering aimlessly to many different places. I know God has greater and better plans for me. It came to a point that I began asking God what's next for me? Is this it Lord? I must be missing something God!
Let God be God.
In 2004, I became a Christian. My new-found faith has taught me to first know my creator to know my purpose. Knowing ones purpose can be a very elusive undertaking if you do not have a right foundation. According to Rick Warren, finding ones purpose has puzzled many of us because we typically begin at the wrong starting point—ourselves. We ask self-centered questions like What do I want to be? What should I do with my life? What are my goals, my ambitions, my dreams for my future? But focusing on ourselves will never reveal our life’s purpose.” And I totally agree with him when he said that "Trusting God completely means having faith that He knows what is best for your life. You cannot fulfill God's purposes for your life while focusing on your own plans." Let God be God. “Without God, life has no purpose, and without purpose, life has no meaning. Without meaning, life has no significance or hope.”
A New Season of Hope.
I am now entering a new and exciting season in my life and I'm feeling very hopeful because I know my life's purpose which is to serve Him through others. There is no greater joy and fulfillment than knowing that you are doing what you ought to be doing.
My prayer for those who are still trying to figure out their purposes in life, please know that as a child of God, nothing is impossible with Him, so NEVER ever give up!
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