When All Is Said and Done (2019) by Daniher Neale

Author:Daniher, Neale [Daniher, Neale]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Mark Twain wrote: ‘The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.’ I’m pretty happy about that first day – I wouldn’t have missed it for quids! However, finding out why – finding my purpose – has been a lifelong quest.

These days, there’s plenty of advice that says that to find true meaning you should just follow your passion. If only it was that simple.

You may well have passions and dreams for your life that you believe are tied to meaning and purpose, but then you discover that life doesn’t always go according to plan. What if you’re no good at the thing you’re passionate about? What if you really want to be a pro golfer, but you simply don’t have the talent? I say stick with golf – it’s good exercise and a great way to spend time with your mates – but don’t confuse enjoyable pastimes with your purpose.

Very few of us find a calling – a passion that crosses with a vocation – let alone one that lasts a lifetime. As John Lennon reminded us, life is what happens when we’re busy making other plans. Instead we are driven at various times by different passions, starting with childhood dreams of being a firefighter or an astronaut and (hopefully!) fine-tuning them along the way.

Don’t get me wrong: working out your unique strengths and talents is one of the greatest things about life. There’s nothing like having a real crack at doing what you love; you have a consuming interest that gives you a reason to keep learning and working toward mastery. This is what striving is about.

The wisdom here is in where you draw the line between feeding your ego and finding your purpose.

Obsessive passion can be dangerous. If you put all your eggs in one basket and trip up, there’s not much left when all the eggs break. If you’re driven purely by ‘I want to be a star’ but don’t possess the requisite talent and work ethic, you are delusional, and destined for disappointment when it all comes crashing down.

I was lucky – I got the wake-up call in my early twenties when injury forced me to look at real life, rather than on my narrow self-centred plans. In order to build the better side of our character and become the best version of ourselves, I believe we need to look at who we serve outside ourselves. When you look beyond your own selfish motivations, and towards something honourable you will discover your purpose and begin thriving.

I know this for sure. You might hit several dead ends before the right path emerges and you begin to thrive, but once you find that path, make a note of the date. It’s a very important day.

*

Those final two years wearing the Bombers jumper had reignited my enjoyment of the game and reminded me why I fell in love with footy in the first place.

I remembered being

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