Why is it important to have goals higher than ourselves?
If our goal is to start a business, get a particular job, get married or a myriad of other goals, we work hard for them and with luck, most times we succeed in accomplishing our goals.
Soon after, we realize that circumstances in our life are not always of our own doing. We realize that other peoples actions impact our life. We realize that we can practice all the defensive driving we want, but if the other person on the road is not driving by the rules, there could be an accident and we could be a victim of it.
We realize that we are not infallible. Maybe our business that took off initially has reached a stagnant stage and is no longer generating revenues. Maybe we got the job we wanted, but the work is not what we wanted to do or is not something we are good at. Maybe we jumped too soon into getting married or got married for the wrong reasons.
If it was just us, a single person, we could try to get back on our feet, and if unsuccessful, move in with our parents, hang out with our friends, get unemployment benefits or just scrape by.
But what if we have children, parents or other family members to take care of? What if we want to change something about the system? What if we have a cause? Maybe we feel strongly about domestic violence or animal cruelty. Maybe we want to rid our community of some ills or make it better. Maybe be want to make our community or our country proud.
If our goal is to make a difference only in “our” life, it is easier to despair, to lose hope and to complain about our life or to become fatalistic. But if other’s welfare is at stake or our goals are higher than ourselves, even with continuously being knocked down, we are more apt to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and start all over again.
Knowing that a higher goal will spur us on in face of all obstacles, shouldn’t we all have a goal that is higher than ourselves? Do you have one?
If not, then make one.
If yes, then you are way ahead of the game.
A Mothers Chronicle 