Finding Your Purpose

Rick Warren wrote the best-selling book of all time, "The Purpose Driven Life." It is so ironic that his son killed himself. He was a man of purpose. Maybe his son was sad that he didn't know what his purpose was yet. He didn't have as much of a fulfilling life as his dad, perhaps. 

I wondered after I heard about the incident that maybe he was intimidated by his dad. Pastor Warren was literally the most successful writer ever to have lived. His son might have been thinking, "How can I fill his shoes?" Most people feel like they need to become like their parents in some way. Perhaps that felt daunting to him. 

I think children of famous people tend to feel invisible, or at least like they could never fill their parent's shoes. That makes me think of the song, "Wind Beneath My Wings." 

"It must have been cold there in my shadow

To never have sunlight on your face

You were content to let me shine, that's your way

You always walked a step behind

So I was the one with all the glory

While you were the one with all the strength

A beautiful face without a name for so long

A beautiful smile to hide the pain

Did you ever know that you're my hero?

And everything I would like to be

I can fly higher than an eagle

For you are the wind beneath my wings

It might have appeared to go unnoticed

But I've got it all here in my heart

I want you to know, I know the truth, of course I know it

I would be nothing without you

Did you ever know that you're my hero?

You're everything I wish I could be

I could fly higher than an eagle

For you are the wind beneath my wings

Fly, you let me fly so high

Oh and you were the wind beneath my wings

Fly so high against the sky

So high I almost touch the sky

Thank you, thank you

Thank God for you, the wind beneath my wings."

I suppose Rick should have sung that song to his son. Anyone famous should say something like that to those they love. The people who might feel invisible. 

I loved an interview with Kevin Hart. He said for any famous person, there is a team behind them that made that possible. The person out front usually takes all the credit, but there was a lot of support for them. 

Sometimes you hear famous people elevating those around them and those who made their life possible, but usually you don't. Often times people think they made themselves famous. There are always people to thank. None of us would be who we are without the influence of lots of great people, the friendship of lots of people. Do they ever get a thank you? They just serve and serve and most of them never hear a thank you. I know I never heard a thank you from my ex-husband for all I did for our family. I suppose that was one reason why I eventually gave up. It's not just saying thank you that is needed, but an attitude of being thankful for all that they do. 

Tell the people who support you in some way, thank you. Maybe they have helped you with money, attention, affirmation, time, something that helped you feel like you could rise higher in your calling. Make sure you tell those people thank you. Maybe if more people heard how important they are to someone else, they would never want to kill themselves.