[Regular weekend columnist Liz Wessel is away. Special thanks to my cousin, Dr. Terry Chapman, for this excellent post!] 

Mission is your most important task in life! Without a strong purpose, all your emotional pursuit of a meaningful life will find you flailing, rather than using your unique gifts and attributes to assist others. Your mission becomes your life’s priority, and all else is relatively unimportant. And your life satisfaction level will increase too.

But how decide what your gifts are? First, identify what you like doing and do very well, based primarily on your opinion but also those of others. These are your God given gifts. Then add your attributes such as honesty, candor, physical strength, or artistic appreciation of the arts. Only you will know what these are.

Focusing on these unique gifts and attributes will help you decide where to spend your life’s energies, both in career settings but also and often in personal, family, and community settings as a voluntary caregiver. One’s primary gift could be their uplifting sense of humor; for another it is an uncanny ability to arrange family reunions. The next person easily plans financial affairs; and another can make older people feel safe and loved. Still another has strong coaching abilities. What is your Gift?

Then, consider how you could best utilize your primary Gift to help others. Which setting would work best for you: your family, your friends, your job, or somewhere in your community. This plan of action becomes your Purpose and life's Mission. Productive caregivers have a mission unmatched by any other calling. Your ministry of help to others makes a huge difference in improving the lives of all you help.

Dr. Terry Chapman, Guest Columnist

Photo of Dr. Chapman: Facebook