A Hero's Journey

This week we were asked to watch a talk given by Jeff Sandefer called "The Hero's Journey".  He speaks about the mission we have on this earth and what is truly most important at the end of our life. Surprisingly, it isn't being famous or wealthy.

He says, "I believe that you have a very special mission on this earth.  A mission that will succeed beyond your wildest dreams.  But only if you have the faith and the courage to find that entrepreneurial calling."  Each of us can succeed in our lives.  If we find our calling, that which we were put on the earth to do, and follow that calling with faith and courage.  It isn't easy to be an entrepreneur.  In one of the other videos we watched it said that 99% of people who are entrepreneurs don't receive rock star status.  However, if we are following our calling, I believe it can be exceedingly rewarding.

Sandefer says that the three missions of the school he began and teaches at are:

1. Learn how to learn.
2. Learn how to make money.
3. Learn how to live a life of meaning.

He says that most people come to the school for number 2, but leave feeling number 1 is the most important thing they learned.  He says that number 3 is where we find the most reward.  As I said, once we find what we are meant to do and we actually are doing it, we will find the most joy and be the most fulfilled.

At his school, one of the assignments is to interview 10 people they admire.  They have to have at least 3 people over the age of 60.  He said that the common theme of people over the age of 60 are summed up in three questions:

1. Have I contributed something meaningful?
2. Was I a good person?
3. Who did I love and who loved me?

As we reflect on these questions and think about our eternal journey, these truly are the most important things we can accomplish in this life.  It won't matter to Heavenly Father what our salary was or how big our house was or what kind of car we drove.  He won't care if we were famous or if we started a company at all.  He will care about how we treated others, did we do something worthy with our life and who (and what) was important to us.  If we can answer in the affirmative to these questions and have a long list of people we loved and who love us (not for our fame or fortune, but who we truly were every moment of the day), then we can stand at the judgment seat and know we have accomplished all that we have been asked to do in this life.  At that moment we will be welcomed into the eternities with a simple statement, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant... enter thou into the joy of thy lord." (Matthew 25:21)  If this is not our goal and not the reason why we are placed here on this earth, then why are we here?  This is just a time for us to prepare for eternity, this is not our final resting spot.  We must be engaged in a worthy cause, trying to contribute something worthwhile and doing good works.  God expects this of us. Are we doing our best to fulfill our potential, our calling?