What's your life goal?

[Jack]

[

I want to say my life goal is to "live fully in Christ" because it sounds pretty and I know that's what it should be, but I really don't feel like that, at least at the time being.

I think 'should' is a word we could all do without. Its a word that makes people feel guilty.

I should feel guilty, though, because I am wanting to live 9/10ths in Christ and not fully in Christ like I know I should. I think that's how most Christians feel. We're all sinners and we all want to do things our way. It's something I'm constantly working on. It's part of the inherent nature of man, I think. We all want to be happy in doing things our way, even though it rarely, if ever, really works.

Its ok just to be you with whatever beliefs, non-beliefs, certainties or uncertainties are in there.

I actually felt that way for about a decade, but now I cannot disagree more. Who says it's ok?

I think it's a trap to think that we are "good enough." It's a trap to have pride in ourselves and think we can do anything, because we can't.

[dubhlinn]

Yo Cran...

From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.

Karl Marx.

It's life Ma,and Life only.

Bob Dylan.

Slan,
D.

[Cariad]

Well Cranberry we'll have to agree to disagree then - the biggest beef I had with Christianity is that they say we are all sinners - I don't agree with that. I don't believe that when an innocent baby is born that its tainted with original sin. And I think that guilt is very corrosive to the human spirit. Sure, like pain, it can be a good indicator if you've gone off the straight and narrow - that's what a conscience is for - but its not a useful emotion otherwise especially when other people and their moralities with their shoulds and shouldn'ts, stick it on you. I believe that God gave us brains to use and a life to experience, to discover what is right and wrong. Who says its ok to be yourself-? I think God does - because he/she/it created us and if thats good enough for God its certainy good enough for me - and God gave us all the equipment to find out what is right and how to live now - not 2000 years ago. Sorry - thats just my personal views - I don't expect anyone else to necessarily think the same way.

[dubhlinn]

...I don't believe that when an innocent baby is born that its tainted with original sin...

With you there Bro..

Bloody vegetarians...

Slan,
D.

[Jack]

It's very hard to understand, actually. A lot of Christianity is very difficult to "grasp," mentally, because it just doesn't make a lot of sense. I think that's what the "faith" part is about. Even though something doesn't make sense with our logical brains, we have to believe it anyway. I think it's beautiful.

Do I get to change my name to Pat Robertson yet?

[emmline]

A few weeks ago I bought a silly little feng shui charm to put on my key ring at Whole Foods. Without quite knowing why I rejected "wealth" and "health" in favor of "empowering life." Maybe that's meaningful. Maybe not. Maybe it just means I buy stupid impulse items.

My goal might be to write meaningful or interesting words, probably in book form, that other people will read and be somehow positively affected by.
I think that's also one of my purposes. But maybe it's not.
And carrying out my purpose is of more value to me than a goal I thought up as a way of fulfilling my purpose. Purpose is kind of obscure, but I'd rather fail at my goal than fail at my purpose.

[chas]

I want to be good -- a good husband, good father, good son, good brother. I'd like to leave some mark on the world that makes it better. Hopefully something I do will lead to a better understanding of something -- most likely climate, but could be just about anything.

I'd also like to retire early and make flutes.

[spittin_in_the_wind]

I guess I'm kind of like Missy, want to raise my kids to be healthy, self-sustaining adults. But as time goes by, I have come to realize that "life goals" are really an illusion, and not in a bad way. So many things can happen unpredictably to change the course of your life, and often it is for the good ("if ____ hadn't happened, I would never have done ____"). This has happened over and over again in my life. So, I don't think in terms of goals anymore but more in terms of deepening my relationship with the world and other people. This being said, as a young person, it is very important to think about where your career opportunities may lie. You do need to be able to make a living. Just remember that any career, no matter how wonderful and fulfilling, will have its monotonous times and can still feel like "work". That doesn't mean you have chosen the wrong life/career path, it's just reality. But if, overall, you feel good about yourself and what you are doing, it is a good decision. And no career/life path should be expected to fill all of your needs, emotionally or otherwise. It's important to have different aspects of your life which are totally separate from the rest--work, recreation, personal, etc., where success in one isn't tied to success in another.

As far as "living fully in Christ", maybe you don't feel like you are 100% there yet because you don't really (in a deep, wisdom sense) understand what that means. That is a function of maturity. Be patient with yourself on that one.

Robin

[scarhand]

I was going to say my goal in life keeps changing, but then I revamped it to say that my goal in life is to learn as much as I (I want to put a qualifier in here but I'm not sure what I want it to be)can and share it, . . .including musical instruments, languages, martial arts forms, cultures . . . (I never should have started THAT list!)

[djm]

I want to be a cowboy ... no, no, a fireman .... um, no ..... um..... an astronaut ..... with a raygun!

djm

[scarhand]

Ray gun!!!

[Lambchop]

I'm not quite 50, but I feel the same way. I just don't know what I want to do. I have a better idea than I did two years ago, and two years ago I had a better idea than I did five years ago, so I guess that's just how it works. Or mabey not.

I want to say my life goal is to "live fully in Christ" because it sounds pretty and I know that's what it should be, but I really don't feel like that, at least at the time being.

Well, that may be because we hear too much of it. We hear it so much that the meaning of the words take over the concept, making it sound trivial and/or unapproachable. All these definitions and expectations surrounding something nearly incomprehensible. Most of the people we hear it from are just parroting it--not doing it. And making a lot of money writing books about it.

Actually doing it, I think, is the work of a lifetime and I'm not so sure that you understand what it is until the end. It's found in the little things. In the way we live our mundane existence and in the way we approach the Almighty, no matter what name you have for him or how you conceptualize him. Your expression of it is going to be as unique as you are.

As for me, I have always wanted to find a big bag of drug-smuggler money washed up on the beach. Yesterday, though, I found a mama manatee. She had a youngster with her, about 2/3 her size, and a new baby which was only about 1.5 m long. They were having dinner of sea grasses, moving along slowly and grazing. Every so often, they'd come up for air, then resume munching, on their way to who-knows-where.

It was enough yesterday to see the manatees.

[MarkB]

Hmmmm, interesting question. The only real goal I ever set for myself was to get a degree(s) when I was suddenly laid off for ever from the assembly line in the early eighties, knowing that I never want to go back to that type of existence again regardless how good the money was.

I was successful but that is history now and I am in a job that I enjoy! As to the rest of my life pre-degree and post degree I never set any goals really when one door closed another open and my natural curiousty has told me to follow it, some doors weren't that good some where better. It has given me a very interesting life. The word...adaptable would fit me nicely.

This morning..right now is to make this day the best day that I can, to take what comes my way and deal with it. To do no harm, or put someone in harms way, to treat others as I would like to be treated. To play some tunes well on my flute when I get home tonight from work. To enjoy my cats company. To go to sleep with a clear conscious.

Tomorrow.....isn't here yet.

MarkB

[scarhand]

if, everyday, we found something that filled up the day, our whole life would be full. yesterday (every day, actually, now that you bring it up) i saw mountains hundreds of times bigger than i am covered with snow in the middle of the desert in the middle of summer. that filled up yesterday for me, and has filled up lots of days.

oceans do that to me, too, whenever i get the chance to see them.

what an excellent concept.

[Danner]

This is the 3rd time I've been asked this question (in one form or another) in the past week! I'm not really sure what I want to do when I grow up. (I'm 14, so I can say that truthfully.) I suppose right now I think that my life goal would be to make a difference in the world. I would like that to include:
1. Becoming a professional musician (both classical & trad)
2. Teaching others how to play music
3. Writing (novels probably)
4. Volunteering
5. Possibly some work in science
I know that I'm probably not going to be able to change the world, but if I could make a difference to one person's life, that would be enough for me.
BTW- My sig says a lot too!