Yesterday I received a message from a young woman who recently graduated from college. She wanted to know, "Where do you get your motivation for life?" This post is an answer to her question.
At this stage of my life, I live each day with a profound sense of gratitude merely for being alive. Life is no small gift, however you imagine coning to be in this world. I was raised as a Christian and, except for a very brief crisis of faith, I have always beleived that each person was created/inspired by a Divine Being. Not by accident or circumstance is anyone alive at this point in history, but by the intent of a Supreme Being! Though I respect other religios traditions, I am most comfortable refering to this Divinity as God. My primary motivation for life comes from wanting to live in service to Him by living with integrity and helping others. I find much joy in service to others and living life as fully as I possibly can each day. I keep being told what an inspiration I am, so I view this as my main purpose in life and try to live it out fully and as best I can on any give day.
What about the difficult times of grief, severe pain and rejection? What about the discrimination and being treated inappropriately on various occasions? During these times I rely on the scripture in one of St. Paul's letters, "All things work to good for those who love God and are called to His Purpose." This is a hard lesson but I am convinced it is true. I deal with this side of life as best I can through using the means available to insist on being treated with dignity and respect. I have been more successful than not and hope I have helped others as well.
