Establishing a Foundation

                Over the years I have seen many people with great talents and skills, good education and resources, family and friends, whose lives seemed to amount to nothing. They seemed to have everything going for them and they should have been destine for greatness. Instead they ended up unhappy and unfulfilled. Meanwhile others who seemed so mediocre, plain, ungifted, dull, and unimaginative have become extremely successful individuals. They have happy marriages, good families, money, and power, everything it seems the talented and gifted people should have acquired. Why does this happen? Why do bad things happen to good people? Do we have a specific destiny and purpose? If so, how do we achieve it? What are the keys to life? The answers to these and other questions are the things will we be addressing in this book.

Life and Destiny

                “What is the meaning of Life, what is life’s purpose?” People have always known that there more to life than mere survival and have gone in search of that meaning. Philosophers have been trying to answer this question for thousands of years with theories such as personal and group accomplishment or religious experiences or even spacemen. Some claimed to have found the answers, while others rejected their ideas and have continued searching. Many end up attempting to find purpose by attaining wealth, power, and pleasure. Others have found satisfaction in self-denial and misery. Some seek after intellectual and political pursuits. How do we know who has the correct answer to life’s meaning? This will require making judgments on what is right and wrong. Which in turn always leads to the controversy of whose values of right and wrongs are we going to use in making these judgments?

                There are many great theories that may sound great and majestic on paper but only by examining the results of these theories can it be determined if there is any validity for these ideas. If the theory stands the test of time and trial, then it can be trusted. Remember, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”[1] Nothing should be taken on face value but must be tried and examined for both short and long term effects. If the theories are true, then its virtue will be evident in an analysis of the results. If the theory was wrong, we will see the tragedy of its mistakes. No matter how good and wonderful things sound, if they don’t work, they are useless and should be rejected. Don’t be caught in the trap of trying to revive failed and dead ideas. (One definition of insanity is to try the same thing over and over, expecting different results) There will be examples of various theories and philosophies through out this book, which we can observe and make judgments as to their validity.

                The true purpose of life has to be universal, meaning it is applicable anytime, anywhere, in any circumstance and for anyone. Thus, if it does not work all of the time, it is not true purpose but a selective purpose for certain situations. Let’s start with one of the more common views of life, which is “acquire all you can”.  In the American culture, this seems to be the very popular view of life. We educate ourselves and work long hours to attain wealth. Even the poor in America are wealthy by standards in many other countries. But this material view of life is not universal. In many other countries, the purpose of life may be to just survive one more day. This idea of life’s purpose being solely for the acquisition of things doesn’t work for those in poorer places. Then “getting all you can” cannot be a universal philosophy because it does not work in all places and situations. Neither is it universal that everyone should be in poverty or live communally or ignore technological advances or trying to live in the past. It also is not realistic to believe that all people will have the same outcome in their endeavors. Our family situations are all different, health is different, intelligence is different, governments are different, and desires in life are different. We could go on and on about all the things that make us all different, but what can we conclude from these facts? Physical circumstances are never universal and physical results are never the same. Therefore physical things cannot be used as a basis in making decisions for the universal purpose of life.

                As we examine, we will find there is only one thing that is always universal to all cultures and economic levels. It is the spiritual nature of man. Because the spiritual nature of man is the only universal element, then the spiritual nature is where we will find true purpose. So what then is universal to all men’s spirit, regardless of age, wealth, intelligence, health, family, and government, etch? It is the way the human spirit responds to love and challenge. It is from this basis that all mankind attains purpose and meaning.

                Having a purpose is what gives life its value and meaning. Let’s compare life to money. In order for money to have value, it must be spent. If you had all of the money in the world and there were not stores in which to spend it, then what good would the money be? It would have no value unless it can be exchanged in some way. It is the same with life. Life would have no value unless it could be exchanged or spent for some purpose. Every person on the face of the earth has the same amount of time each day, how we choose to spend our time is how we are choosing to spend our lives. By examining how we spend our time, we can determine what we consider truly valuable. So as we proceed, try interchanging the word “time” for “life”. Because your “time” is your “life”. It can sometimes be very surprising what we consider worthy of our time and existence on this earth.

                Some spend their lives for their jobs, others spend their lives for their family, and some spend their lives for their country. Others may spend their lives for drugs and alcohol or some other foolishness. Each of us spends our lives for something. We must decide what is worthy of our existence on earth. We usually sell our time for money, which we call our job, because we believe the money is worth a piece of our life. Yes, we may need money to live but it should not be our only focus. “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”[2] This then brings up a pivotal point, how much is your life worth? Some think it is worth an infinite amount, others don’t think it is worth much at all. But your life is only worth the value you place on it.

                There is a story of a woman who went to this doctor, who used some special cream to treat an eye problem the woman had. The cream caused the woman to go blind. She sued the doctor and won one million dollars. She would never be able to see again but she had one million dollars.[3] Given the chance, would you exchange your eyesight for one million dollars? (This is a test) Of course not. Would you take one million dollars to have your legs removed?  Would you take a million dollars to let someone do a lobotomy on you? Would you take a million dollars to allow someone to kill you? These all may seem like stupid questions but the object is to know that you are worth something. By just taking this little quiz, you have placed a value on your life of several million dollars!

                We must consider ourselves to have value, in order for our purpose will have value. If we do not consider ourselves to have value, then we cheapen not only our life but also the lives of all who come in contact with us. In other words, if we place a low value on our own life, how can we place high value on the lives of others? Let’s compare our lives to money again, because most people can understand money and its value. It is easy to spend $1, we don’t think much about it. We give away pennies and consider them pretty well worthless. But we find it hard to part with $100 bill. We use it very carefully, not wanting to see it wasted. The $1 bill and $100 bill are made of the same exact paper and ink. The difference is how those who exchange them perceive their value. We perceive the $100 bill is worth more than the $1 and treat it with honor and care. It is the same way we will treat our lives. If we think we are not worth much, we will exchange our lives for next to nothing. But if we feel we are valuable, we are careful how we use our lives and our time. We are careful not to waste our time doing useless and destructive things. We can be either value ourselves as a $1 bill or a $100 bill. It is up to us to place value on ourselves, not the government or some elite institution or the opinions of others. The value we place on ourselves will help us determine the correct way to spend our lives. Everyone has value and everyone is important in the big scheme of things. We need to be careful not to sell ourselves for naught instead for fulfilling our life’s calling!

                Even then, our value is not so much set by what we do or what we say but by who we are. Who we are comes from our character and attitude of heart. Both successful people and those who fail have the same amount of hands, fingers and toes (most of the time).  The difference between the world’s most successful person and the world’s greatest failure is their attitude of heart and character. So it is our attitude and character that will lead to our success and will doom us to failure.

You are unique

                Every person is unique. We all look different, some short, some tall, some fat, some thin, even identical twins are unique. These various characteristics are in our genetic makeup and we may not be able to easily change these characteristics. But the issue is what to do with the characteristics with which we were born. Some characteristics we like and some characteristics we don’t like, some are changeable and some are not.

                We can be frustrated to no end when trying to change things over which we have no control. When I was a child, everyone made fun of me because I was so tall and skinny. I never played sports because I was too weak. I would wish so hard that I wasn’t thin. I disliked this attribute about myself and would do anything I could to change it. I would eat everything I could but to no avail. I would ask my overweight friends how they gained weight. One rather large boy told me he would sprinkle salt on the back of his hand and lick it off. So I started to sprinkle salt on the back of my hand and lick it off. Needless to say, I didn’t gain any weight. I found there was no way I was going to put on weight because that was a personal trait that I couldn’t change.

                We many times approach our problems in life the same way. We don’t like something about ourselves and try to change it. These “bad traits” can cause us a great deal of pain when we suffer rejection or failure. We often do foolish things that don’t really work to try to resolve these dilemmas. But it can be these very “problems” that lead us into our destiny in later years. The real answer is that we need to accept who we are and do the best we can with what we have. (Now that I am older, I like my personal trait of being thin, because I can eat anything and never gain an ounce. All of those who made fun of me years ago now wish they were me!) We never know what the future holds or how circumstances might change. Many times the very thing that causes us pain and rejection can become the greatest blessing of our lives. We must be patient and accept the things we can’t change, saving our energy and time for the things we can change.

                When I was a 17, I keep hearing about this really fantastic girl from all my friends and they would go on and on about how wonderful she was. After a period of time, I finally got my chance to meet this nearly legendary girl. When I finally got to meet her, there was a crowd of boys standing around her, so much so, I couldn’t see her. I made my way through the crowd to meet person of such fame. To my shock, she had frizzy hair, a large hooknose, and buckteeth, wire rim glasses, and no build at all. She was plain and ugly! I turned to the friend and said, “you have to be kidding, this girl looks terrible, a real geek!”

                He said, “Just talk to her”. I finally got my chance to talk with her and within 10 minutes, I was in love! This geeky girl had made up for her lack of beauty by developing one of the most charming personalities I have ever come across in my entire life! She could have been bitter about the seeming curse of her bad looks, instead she developed that which she did have control over, her personality. A few years later, she filled out and became an extremely beautiful woman and even won a beauty contest. But most of her beauty came from inside and it eventually showed on the outside. If she had been prettier, she may not have developed such a great personality. She turned her apparent curse into a real and permanent blessing!

                Everyone is gifted with all of the intelligence, skill, and physical attributes needed to have a happy and productive life. But we sometimes tempted to say, “If I were only smarter I could get ahead in life”. “If I were only richer I could do something important”. “If I were only a better looking I could get a better spouse”. “If I were of a different race I wouldn’t get discriminated against”. “If I were younger/older I could do what I really want to do”. None of these reasons or any other reasons will keep anyone from finding or achieving happiness. Blaming natural circumstances for problems will not make life better. Taking our perceived problems and making them into excuses never helped anyone fulfill their destiny.

                We need to accept who we are and how God made us complete with all of our imperfections. Being upset with our circumstances or ourselves or with God will never change our problem. The answer is to face our problems and take action. Instead of looking at these things as imperfections or obstacles, look at them as opportunities for personal growth. There is no problem we will face in life that cannot be overcome. Things may not turn out quite the way we want but there is no situation can be overcome. The only thing we have to fear is giving up before the fight is over.

                Almost all successful people have had to overcome major obstacles in their lives at one point or another. Thomas Edison was sent home from the first grade because he was unable to learn. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was told no man in a wheel chair could be elected to any public office much less be president. Beethoven was deaf when he wrote his greatest works. Many of the world’s greatest athletes had to overcome all types of major physical obstacles to become the worlds best.

                 Obstacles can’t stop us unless we let them. If anything, they can catapult us even farther toward our destiny. Sometimes they redirect us in our course of life. Obstacles are overcome by hard work, tenacity and wisdom. These trials are what make us strong and increase our faith. The greater the obstacle, the greater a person becomes when they conquer it. If a person doesn’t have obstacles in their life, don’t expect them to go very far or have much purpose. Yet it is interesting how we are always trying to eliminate life’s problems and avoid difficulties when these are the very things that we need. The human spirit needs challenge to live. Without challenge, life quickly becomes very dull and pointless. Without great challenges, there are no great victories. Without the ability to fail, we can never taste success.

                It is those seemly bad circumstances can bring out the best in us. There was a girl who was born into poverty on a small farm in Ohio in 1860.  Her family was so poor; she had to learn to hunt by age 6 just to put food on the table. But she soon discovered that she always hit her target first shot, even when it was moving. Her poverty caused her to develop her skill with a gun and eventually caused her to become the greatest shot who ever lived. Her name was Annie Oakley.

                Neither poverty, nor wealth, health, sex, race, nor any circumstance can stop us from fulfilling our destiny but physical circumstances can be important in giving us direction. Even the time in which we were born is specific to us. If Annie Oakley had been born 100 years earlier, she would not have developed her skill because the guns were not technologically advanced enough to show off her talents. If she had been born 100 years later, she may not have had to hunt to feed her family because she would have had a food stamp program to feed her. (Necessity is the mother of invention) We have to accept we were born in the correct time and in the correct place and for a specific purpose. Our starting point is not nearly as important as our finishing point. (Yet we seem to all focus on our starting point)

                Our unique skills and talents are developed through trail and tribulation. There are thousands of geniuses living in poverty and failure because they couldn’t make it past some obstacle in their life. (Usually laziness and complacency) Because these geniuses have failed, people of mediocre talent and skill have taken their place. This is often because the mediocre person knows that things are not going to be handed to him easily. They appreciate what they have and work hard to show their appreciation. This is often how so many seeming “idiots” get into positions of power and the “gifted” are working under them. Advancement in the world usually has more to do with consistency and tenacity than intelligence and skill. Remember, the difference between an over comer and a failure is that an over comer isn’t always smart enough to know when it is time to quit.

                Now we know that intelligence and skill may not be the determining factor that makes us a successful person. But we find that it is using what we do have to the best of our ability is what makes us successful. Our attitude about life and ourselves makes the difference. And our attitude is developed from our life’s philosophy.

Life Philosophies

The life philosophy that we follow determines how we are going to spend our lives and ultimately what we become. We may claim philosophies of high moral character but is it evident from our life style? Examining what we do tells us a lot about our real outlook on life. Unfortunately, many live their lives in such a way that their entire philosophy can be reduced to a bumper stick slogan.

                                                                “He who dies with the most toys wins!”[4]

                The problem here is that “He” is still dead and is unable to enjoy all of his “toys.” He simply leaves everything to someone else. Those who receive the remnants of someone else’s life often fail appreciate what they have gotten or the effort that went into acquiring the “toys”. Yet we spend our lives accumulating wealth and position but for what purpose? I am not saying that the accumulation of wealth is bad, but if wealth is a person’s only objective in life, indeed they are truly poor.

                “The man, who dies rich, dies disgraced”[5] Wealth and power are only a means to an end, but never an end in itself. Wealthy people are necessary for any society to advance and prosper and should not be resented. The purpose of their wealth to provide capital, create jobs and opportunity for others in the course of doing business. But if the accumulation of wealth is just for one’s own personal pride and pleasure, then the purpose of wealth has truly been missed. Why end up dead with the most toys and an empty life?

                                                                “Life’s a bitch, and then you die”

                What a negative attitude of life! Yes, life can be hard but it doesn’t have to be all bad. Frequently, a person’s biggest problems are ones that stem from their own bad attitudes. This negative philosophy is one of mere survival, just barely making it. Nothing is expected to get better, just waiting for the next bad thing to happen. But negative attitudes never lead to victory. A better and more positive philosophy would be: “tough times don’t last, tough people do”[6]. Both sayings can be from the same circumstances but with different attitudes, one negative and the other positive. But the positive attitude says that you can overcome any bad thing that happens. Life is worth living and you will succeed and be victorious, no matter what.

                It is not the purpose of life to just victimized by our problems. Complainers never achieve anything constructive. It like those who complain about the government yet don’t vote. The key is to take positive action with each situation. True victory only comes by finding the good instead the bad in every situation and every person with which we have to deal.

                Everything we do affects those around us, for better and for worse. Negative attitudes are contagious just as positive attitudes are contagious. It is our choice to which attitude we will follow. If we choose that which is right and succeed, others will succeed along with us. When we are victorious, those around us will also become victorious. This is true fulfillment of purpose.

“Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die!”

                This is an attitude of hopelessness. It basically says that you need to get all you can now because there is no future. Never mind the consequences of what we do today, let someone else pick up the pieces. If it feels good, do it! Who cares what damage we do to ourselves or others, just give me what I want now. This is a life based on feelings instead of principle. Such is the attitude of the alcoholic, drug addict, a violent person, an adulterer or anyone consumed by their own desires. They do not have a long-term purpose or goal. They do not care for anyone but themselves. It is basically an attitude of selfishness based on feelings and emotions.

                Emotions and feelings are destructive masters when they cause us neglect what we know to be good and right. They can cause us to act impulsively. Always be leery of someone who relies on feelings more than thinking, they often bring trouble with them. Our emotions are an important part of happy life, they are great followers but they need to be controlled. Overcoming our emotions and feelings can be one of life’s major battles that require strategy, determination and discipline. We need to think about the long-term effects of our actions, not just our instant gratification.

“Honesty is the best policy”

                This is not a real flashy or funny slogan but it is true. Some may say that on their income they can’t afford the best and thus they try to gain by dishonest means. It has also been said that being honest is a lot like being pregnant. Either you are or you aren’t. If we are truly honest, then honesty will permeate everything we do. “He who is faithful in a little thing will be faithful in much” Whenever there is one aspect of our lives that permeates all we do, it is part of our “life Foundation”. These foundations of life are the basis of our attitudes and character and ultimately will determine what type of a person we are. If you are dissatisfied with the type of person you are, then it is time to check your foundation. But the question is what type of foundation is best to have and how do we do it?

Life foundations

                Our life has to have a foundation of principles and the values in which we believe and trust. When we say, “honesty is the best policy”, are we always diligent to be honest in our everyday dealings? Are we willing to do what is right when we can make more profit by being just a little dishonest? Are we willing to do the best job we can when a sloppy job will just get us by? How we conduct ourselves in daily living gives us a clear picture of what we truly believe. But are our beliefs proper and right? For without proper principles, we will never have stability in ourselves or anything we do.

                Let us build a proper foundation. There are four foundation “stones” that are necessary to accomplish this. These foundation “stones” are Knowledge, Wisdom, Integrity and Honor. Without these four foundation “stones”, we can never find fulfillment, contentment, or satisfaction. The parent-child relationship is a good example of how to plant proper foundations “stones”. Just as we would plant these foundations in our children, we can plant them in ourselves also.

                What should we as parents do to raise our children properly? We provide the basic necessities of life such as food, shelter, and clothing. But children do not live by bread alone but need parental guidance, parental love, family security. These are the spiritual necessities of life. None of us would deny our children food and let them starve but we can let our children starve spiritually if we do not feed them proper values. It is our responsibility to provide spiritual and moral guidance. Just as we would protect our children from strangers and dangerous situations, so must we protect them from destructive ideas and attitudes? Once our children have become fully-grown spiritually, then they will be strong enough to withstand the trials of life and be an overcomer. In the same way we must spiritually feed ourselves on constructive values and shun things that would destroy our lives. We must give ourselves time to grow spiritually also and become mature before trying to conquer the world.

                Education is the first foundations stone we provide for our children, not just the formal classroom education but also an education on how to live life. We show them how to be responsible and productive by providing for our family physically and spiritually. We show them how to love, be kind and merciful, thus we are teaching by example. We must become what we wish our children to become. If we want our children to be dependable, we must be dependable. If we want them to be honest, we must be honest. If we want them to be intelligent, we must be intelligent. They learn their basic attitudes and morals from watching us, thus they become like us. (Children usually do as we do, not as we say) In spite what many experts may say, there is no one better qualified to teach your children than you. But what shall we teach them? (Remember, children still have free will and may reject the good example you have given)

                We all need a well-rounded education. This is why we send our children to school for 12 or more years. We hope our children have good teachers and a good classroom environment. We can also take time to teach our children by reading to them, taking them interesting places, going beyond the normal paths of general education. Everyone should have a specialty area in which they are interested. Hobbies, music, sports, poetry, cooking, and such make for a well rounded person. This is whether a person is young or old. When we become too old to learn, we are the same as dead. This has nothing to do with age. Some stop learning by age 16 and others are still learning at age 90. Education is something we should never neglect. It doesn’t have to be formal education but we need things to stimulate our minds, just as we need exercise to stimulate our muscles. The mind needs to be worked if it is to stay sharp and reliable. The more a person learns, the easier it is to think and the more of a background they have to answer life’s questions.

                But what about a person who is born into a poor third work country where there is no education system. There still things to be learned and if a person is diligent with what they have, other doors of education will open for them. Yes, it is harder gain an education but the harder the trial, the greater the person who overcomes. The education needs to be relative to the society where the person lives. In some places, just knowing how to grow crops properly is considered as important as being a doctor or a scientist. The object is to learn all we can and use what we know for the benefit of everyone. As we expand our education, new opportunities will open before us.

                My father had a very limited education and I was far beyond him in my knowledge but he was still able to teach me some of the most valuable things I know. The things he taught me were from his life experiences have been priceless to me over the years. Upon looking at my father’s life, the most valuable thing he gave me was wisdom. The few possessions I received after his death are now gone. The memories of ours lives together may soon be forgotten. The one thing of true value that he gave me, which I can pass on to my children, is wisdom, the wisdom of life. It is the authentic family heirloom and one of the most valuable things we will ever possess.

                Wisdom is a most unique component of life. People seem to think with all of our new technology and science that wisdom has become outdated. True wisdom never ages or needs updating. Wisdom shows us what to do in every situation, giving guidance, giving us confidence, and letting us have authority over life. Wisdom can be thought of as common sense but there is nothing common about wisdom. It is a difficult thing to find. It has been compared to silver and gold in value, to be searched for as treasure. Many great men and women are known not so much for what they did but for the wisdom they possessed. Wisdom shows itself in many ways, it is up to us to seek it and find it, whether in books, stories or in real life examples we see everyday.

                Wisdom and knowledge go hand in hand and are dependent on one another. Knowledge is the substance we use and wisdom is the action we take. We can educate our children with all kinds of knowledge, send them to college, and they still won’t know how to live life if we don’t give them wisdom. But if we teach our children all types of wisdom and fail to give them knowledge, they are still at a disadvantage. It would be like trying to fix a car; we may have tools (knowledge), but lack the skill to fix it (wisdom). Or we may have the skill (wisdom) but not have the correct tools (knowledge). Either way, we need the correct tools with the correct skill to get the job done. The one advantage of wisdom over knowledge, is a man of wisdom can eventually find knowledge, where as a man of knowledge may not necessarily be able to find wisdom.

                Two other major forces that need to be taught with wisdom and knowledge are honor and integrity. Integrity is what gives everything in life its value. If we have no integrity, how can anything we do be trusted? Without integrity, our friends, our family and our life become superficial. Without integrity there is no trust. Just as a building is only as strong material from which it is made, so a person’s life is only as good as the quality of their integrity. What is integrity? Saying what we mean, and doing what we say, without deception or ulterior motives, regardless of the cost or consequences. To have integrity is to be a totally trustworthy person, always doing what is right, fair and honest. A simpler way to state it is “Doing what is right when no one is looking”[7]

                Our integrity makes us steadfast and faithful. It is personal discipline that makes us consistent in being who we are. Moral standards need to be founded in integrity or they become hypocrisy. There are times when we may fail to be the person of integrity we want to be. There will be times when we need mercy and forgiveness. This will bring us to the humbling realization that we are imperfect just as all those around us are imperfect. If those around us are imperfect as well as ourselves, how should we deal with one another? This brings us to Honor.

                Honor is one of the most difficult qualities to define. Honor is a way of telling a person you really care and value them for what they are, not just what they do. Honor is giving them preference, commitment, trust, as well as giving others mercy when they do not measure up to our standards. Honor is what makes any relationship a joyous experience and greases the wheels of society, making life go smoothly. Honor is an extension of integrity, for without integrity there is no honor. Even honor among thieves requires a certain amount of integrity between the thieves.

                Our honor is also meaningless when we fail to honor others, especially those who deserve our respect. If we cannot honor others then we should not expect be honored. We would then be considered arrogant. No one really respects an arrogant person; instead the arrogant are despised and ridiculed for their foolish behavior. Honoring others means accepting others as they are, for everyone is born with a certain amount of honor, but woe be unto anyone who looses it! When we loose honor or integrity in the eyes of others, it is near impossible to get it back. This is why we must do everything we can to hold on to our honor and integrity and not let it be corrupted by a lack of moral judgment or by attacks from others. We need to guard it as if our very lives depended on it. Without honor and integrity, we have no real life. These are two of the most valuable things we will ever possess. The quality of our honor and integrity determines the quality of our character. A person of high moral character is a wellspring of life for all of those around them. But those without character are basically worthless, and a drain on all who come in contact with them.

                Honor, integrity and wisdom are what separate us from machines. Computers can have knowledge. They can repeat knowledge verbatim but they have no wisdom. They cannot reason and make moral judgments. They have no honor. They cannot love. They have integrity in the fact that they do not lie, but it is different type of integrity than moral integrity, which involves a choice to be honest. Honor, integrity and wisdom are virtues of life that make us who we are.

                The poor as well as the rich have equal access to these foundation stones of life. They will work anytime, anywhere, for anyone. They are eternal; they never wear out, go obsolete, or need updating. These foundation stones are dependable and true. We need to not only teach them to our children but also live them. When we do “practice what we preach”, we not only set a good example for our family but for all of those around. These principles are what make life worth living.

                From our four building blocks, knowledge, wisdom, integrity and honor, we form our attitudes and philosophies of life. From these things we will know how to respond to life’s dilemmas, plan strategies while standing firm in the storms around us. They give us strength as well as the ability to reach out and strengthen others. They give us the power to overcome problems and master our lives. Only by implementing them will we be ready to discover our true destiny. Without these four foundation stones, we will never fulfill any of our purposes, no matter who we are.

Basic Steps reviewed

                The true purpose of life has to be universal, working anyone, anytime, anywhere. We find that physical circumstance is always changing so true purpose is found in the spiritual nature of man.

                We are unique individuals created for special purpose. It is our uniqueness that prepares us for our unique destiny. We need to accept who we are and overcome our deficiencies while developing proper attitudes. By examining our use of time, we can determine what is important to us and what is not. It is up to us to take action when we find an area in our life that needs changed.

                The proper approach to our purpose is found in the four spiritual building blocks of life. They are knowledge, wisdom, integrity and honor. Using these building blocks, we form our life’s attitude and philosophy. Once we have implemented them in our lives, we will be ready to discover our destiny.

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[1] Samuel Johnson, 1775

[2] Mark 8:36-37

[3] Zig Zigler motivational teaching

[4] Slogan on a bumpersticker

[5] Andrew Carnage

[6] Robert Schuller

[7] J.C. Watts, Oklahoma Congressmen