What is your life’s mission?

Everyone was born to perform a definite purpose in life. Each of us was placed on this earth to fulfill an important function. Whether it is to die as a martyr for a country or to maintain the city sidewalks as a street sweeper, or whether it is to perform and bow to standing ovations or be just one of the faceless people in the applauding gallery, the role you play is vital for the effective functioning of the whole.

We are all blessed with natural abilities and unique talents which when utilized to full potential would effect a positive change, maintain order, or improve and excite life here on earth. Aristotle says, "Where your talents and the world’s needs cross, there lies your vocation." To which I add, "Where your talents, passions and dreams meet and fruit, there lies your destiny."

Your True Passions

A passion is an object you are intensely enthusiastic about or an activity that you really love to do. You can say shoes are your passion if you truly love shoes; you can say baking is your passion if the activity brings you the greatest pleasure. Or it could be playing the piano, singing, making people laugh, designing interiors or helping others in need. (My own passion is collecting paintings while a friend of mine’s is collecting cars.) Your passion is what lights your fire, enflames your whole being, warms your soul, and gives you the greatest sense of fulfillment. It makes you wake up in the morning full of wild excitement and anticipation to indulge in that special passion of yours.

When you are involved in your true passion, the world disappears, time stands still and you don’t grow tired doing it – in fact, the longer you are engulfed it, the more you get energized. And when you use your passion as the basis for your livelihood, your chances of professional and monetary success are ensured. Pavarotti loves to sing, Oprah loves effecting a positive change in people’s lives, Mrs. Fields loves baking cookies, Manolo Blahnik loves shoes, and Elton John loves to compose songs and perform, and they are all super millionaires doing what they love to do!

Most people live their whole lives without defining their passions. This causes a lot of unhappiness because unless they are involved in their true passion, they will forever feel empty, unfulfilled. Lucky are those who define their passions early in life – they gain a sense of order and direction for what they want to achieve and where they want their lives to go.

This Enigma Called Life’s Mission

Wise men know that you need to have a life’s mission to achieve in order to have a meaningful and fulfilling life. Your life’s mission is that special purpose you were created to perform and achieve while on your limited time on earth. This is what makes you important as a human being; this is that special job you are supposed to deliver or pave the way for, otherwise your whole existence would be devoid of meaning.

People are looking for meaning in life. Wihout this, they feel so empty and insignificant and can’t understand why. What they are actually searching for is their life’s purpose, their life’s mission, their true calling. Without a clear vision of your life’s mission, living won’t make any sense to you and will never be satisfying for you.

Life is a continuous search for your true calling. You will have to look deep within your heart for its fondest wishes; you will have to explore your mind for its wildest dreams. You will have to spend quiet times with your soul to find out its true desires. Connecting with your spirit reveals your life’s mission faster. When you find it (or a semblance of it), you will have to keep defining and redefining it until you are completely sure that it is finally the one true mission for you.

Then you will experience a change in your life. You will be happier and become more efficient and effective. This is because you’ll finally be living your life "on purpose" like a ship lost at sea which at last has found its guiding star. Your life’s mission is exactly that – a guiding star to your destiny.

My Own Search

All of my life I have been searching for something. I took up architecture in college, sang on TV with various singing groups (in my younger, wanting-to-be-noticed days), composed advertising jingles, wrote hit songs and stage musicals, produced shows and directed television specials, managed talents and performers, took up seminars and courses on almost about anything, and traveled a good part of the world. Through it all, I have always kept the hope and faith that my journey would someday lead me somewhere more joyful and meaningful.

By some mysterious stroke of destiny, I started to write and began to find great pleasure in sharing the little life lessons that I’ve learned along my ramblings. I had to experience all of the above activities only to find out my greater calling – I have become a teacher!

‘Teachertainer? What’s That?’

Holly, my most profound guru in the U.S., predicted all these. One afternoon over tea and ginger biscuits, she just blurted out, "Dero, deep within you is a teacher waiting to exhale!"

I answered, "Teacher? Yuck!" I have always thought that teaching is such a boring and demanding occupation. It certainly is no fun.

"Ah, but an unusual one," she quickly retorted. "You’ll be a teachertainer!"

"Teachertainer? What’s that?" I blurted back.

"A teacher who entertains!" she smiled, flashing her blue eyes.

That happened before I even started to write. Oh, Holly, if you only knew what you got me into! I spend sleepless nights thinking about topics to write about, trying to distill little bits of information and wisdom that would mean something to other people. But if I could reach out to even just one person, it would be worth all the questionings and conversations I have with myself about the point of the whole exercise (and the late nights!).

And so, very soon, I will start another chapter in my life. I’ll try to be the "teachertainer" that Holly declared I’d be. I start off with my first seminar entitled "Make Your Impossible Dreams Come True!" For me, it will be a realization of an impossible dream. This Saturday, come celebrate with me!

* * * Those Tricky Anagrams!

Our readers did it again! I told you it would be an easy set, didn’t I? These bright people cracked the anagram puzzles last week: Randulf Arce, Opel Descutido, Edmer Dacillo, Angel Barnes Jr. and Jovita Ramos.

So, what well-known name, event or term can be unraveled by rearranging the letters in the phrases "finer who pray," "I’m nice, I’ll wrap" and "old rare angel"? (Chicken feed, as Robina Gokongwei would say!) They are Oprah Winfrey, Prince William and Loren Legarda.

A lot of people have noticed that the "deeperdoor" in my e-mail address is an anagram of my name. Amazing, huh? Try working on your name, too, and form anagrams that can be made from its letters.

Challenged for one more? Try this one: "communicate or kind lies." This time, I’ll give you a giveaway clue. They are a powerful Hollywood ex-couple. Enjoy!

* * * Join The Pedero Dreams Seminar

My seminar, "Make Your Impossible Dreams Come True!" – will be held on Saturday, April 27, at 5 p.m. on the Roof Deck of the IPI Buendia Tower, 501 Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Pasay City. The IPI Buendia Tower is on Buendia between Bautista and Dominga Sts. across Houseware Square, two blocks from the Taft-Buendia LRT station (watch out for the "Imarflex Factory Outlet" sign).

A light, hearty meal will be served and each participant will be awarded a Certificate of Attendance. The registration fee is P2,800. And you can get an early bird discount of P300 if you register on or before Wednesday, April 24. Registration is ongoing on the Roof Deck, IPI Buendia Tower, Monday to Friday, 2-7 p.m. only. For more information, e-mail deeperdoor@yahoo.com.

See you at the seminar and learn the powerful techniques and universal secrets that can help you make your impossible dreams come true!

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I’d love to hear from you! E-mail deeperdoor@yahoo.com (no attachments and chain letters, please!). Should you want to forward this article, be sure to mention the author Dero Pedero and acknowledge The Philippine STAR. The reprinting, recording or publishing of this article in any form including the web requires copyright permission from the author.