WHAT DO YOU WANT IN LIFE?
Many years ago in Africa, there lived a rich king in a prosperous kingdom. The king had great riches; fertile farmlands filled with productive cash crops; thousands of herds of cattle, donkeys, sheep and horses; many carriages driven by strong steeds; many houses big and small; thousands of slaves, male and female slaves and slaves born in his household. The king had all good things of life. But he had only one child, a son. The king loved his son, of course. But he also had a slave he loved as much as his son. When the king became very old and it seemed he would soon go and joined his ancestors he called his son and his beloved slave. He told them that he wanted to share his properties between them. He said his son was entitled to only one thing out of all his estates. He was to choose only one property and all the remaining properties would be given to the slave. The king gave the son seven days to figure out what he would choose.
The prince was confused. What would he choose? He asked his girlfriend. She said he should choose the gold. At least they would have all the money to spend. And what would happen to the houses, the animals, the farmlands and the carriages? The prince thought. He asked his age-group friends. They said he should go for the carriages, with which they could rove and roam. And what would happen to the gold, the houses, the animals, and the farmlands? He asked his association of farmers and, of course, they told him to pick the farmlands. He could grow lots of cash crops and become even richer than his father. But the prince was not convinced. And what would happen to the gold, the houses, the animals, and the carriages? Finally, the prince asked a wise man.
The wise one asked him, "What one thing could you possess in life that would attract all other things you want in life?" The prince didn't understand. Then the wise man put it this way: "What singular property of your father could you possess that would earn you all other properties?" Suddenly it dawned on the prince and he hurried away from the wise man to his father.
An assembly of the kingdom was called that the prince was ready to choose his one property out of all his father's fortune. The beloved slave came with a parade of dancers and drummers, ready to take possession of the king's estates. Eventually the prince was asked to make his choice.
Stepping forward, the prince greeted all his people and announced, "I don't want the gold. I don't want the houses. I don't want the animals. I don't want the carriages. I don't want the farmlands." People were already growing impatient with him. Then what do you want?
"The only property of my father I want is this slave," the prince declared pointing to the beloved slave.
There was a moment of silence among the people. Then an excited murmur began to grow in the crowd as the fact dawned on all the people.
He who has the slave has all that belong to the slave!
The beginning of success is to know what you want. If you don't know what you want then you won't know when you accomplish it, and so you have no basis for success. This is the main reason many people are not successful in life. They don't know what they really want in life.
The basis for personal success is to know what you want, not what others want, not what somebody wants for you, but what you want.
That you don't know what you want is also a reason you don't have. You don't have because you don't ask, and you've not really ask because you don't know what you want.
You say you know what you want because you think you know. But if you allow me to probe you a little it will soon dawn on you that you really don't know what you want in life. Okay, let's go.
What is life to you? What do you want to accomplish at the end of your stay here? What gives you fulfillment? What would you want people to say about you when you're gone?
See, until what you want is very clear to you, you aren't living a successful life, your material possessions notwithstanding. So then the foremost favor you should do to you is to sit down and do some soul searching. Ask yourself those questions again and find answers to them.
- What is life to me?
- What do I want to accomplish at the end of my stay here?
- What gives me fulfillment?
- What do I want people to say about me when I'm done?
Do that exercise again and again until your conscience consistently agrees with your answers. Reduce your answers to one or two bullet points, declaring pointedly what you want in life. That becomes your personal mission statement.
What you want must be clear, consistent, convincing to you, and commands your commitment.
It is clear. What you want in life should be so clear to you that you cannot mistake it for something else. It should be so clear to you that you can recount it anywhere and at anytime. It should be so clear you can articulate it without thinking.
It is convincing. You are convince about it, you cannot be confused. Until you're convinced about what you want, you cannot convince any body about it.
It is consistent. What you want in life should not be subject to changing situations. When it is clear and convincing to you, you can consistently desire it. Though it is consistent, what you want in life shouldn't be rigid. You can update it with fresh information.
It commands commitment. It's worth your commitment. You want it so much you cannot but be committed to it. You want to commit your life to accomplishing it. If you are not willing to commit your life to ti, then it is likely not what you want. If you've discovered what you want in life, then it will command your unreserved commitment.
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