The Two Most Important Days of Your Life
“The two most important days of your life are the day you are born, and the day you find out why.”
An off schedule post
This is an off-schedule post. That means something different or interesting is going on that warrants paying attention to. So, my friends, read on to find out more!
Introduction
The quote you see at the top is from that famous American author, Mark Twain. Twain was originally born as Samuel Langhorne Clemens, and he lived from 1835 to 1910. Often called the father of American literature for his sharp wit, social commentary, and ability to capture American life during the times in which he lived. His most famous books, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, were required reading in school for many other children, myself included, over the years.
Interestingly, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was first banned in 1885 in Massachusetts for being “trash” and “suitable only for the slums.” From the 1950s to the present day, the controversy has persisted due to language, racial stereotypes, and other reasons, leading to the book being removed from many mandatory reading lists. More interesting is the debate of whether Twain was actually engaging in the satire of racism to highlight the hypocrisy of a society that claimed to be moral, or, in fact, if his publication is just “low-grade morality.” I’ll refrain from entering the debate except to say that, as a school-aged child, I enjoyed both books and often pictured myself living the adventuresome life of either Tom or Huck.
But the gist of this quote, and what I want to talk about today, is purpose and meaning for our lives. And, as I typically do, I want to tie these thoughts into how you can use them to…You already know what I’m going to say, don’t you? …Achieve your dreams and live your best life! Yes, of course!
The set up
As you know, I spent a wonderful career at American Airlines after almost eight years in the US Air Force, where I served as a technician on fighter aircraft. Most of my time at American was spent in Tulsa at our Maintenance and Engineering Center (now called Technical Operations). I love airplanes, and while a career working in aircraft maintenance is difficult even on the best of days, I approached each day with anticipation and joy, doing what I enjoy and working for a great company with wonderful people.
I know that not everyone can say they enjoy their job, their company, or the people they work with, but I can. To those who do not feel this way, my question would be, “Why are you still working there?” Life is too short to work at a place you hate going to. I don’t know how a person could do their best work if this is the case, so moving on may be the best decision, not only for one’s health but also for one's finances.
I often say that the only people who have a right to complain about their jobs are first-term military enlistees, because they really did not know what they were getting into and have no way out. The rest of us, at least in the USA and most of the Western world, have a choice. Yes, we do. Where we work is a choice. If you don’t enjoy your job and dislike going to work, as many do, you would not be alone. I’ve seen data stating that from 50% (Note 1) to 85% (Note 2) of people don’t enjoy their jobs. Many of the people I speak with are like these folks. It just amazes me that they would do that to themselves. To these folks, I might recommend quitting their current job and finding one they will enjoy so much that they look forward to going to work every day. Then again, if you endure a poor work environment, that says something about you and your motivation, or lack thereof, doesn’t it? Yes, I know, right there…I said the quiet part out loud!
Anyway, I was telling a story before that detour. At one point during my career at American, I was part of the team that originally installed the in-flight entertainment systems on the aircraft. At that time, this included on-board phones. The phones are all gone now, and I say, thank you! If you’ve ever heard loud people talking on their phones in flight, you know what I mean! OK, if you’ve ever been on a long flight, you know that, for aircraft equipped with these entertainment systems, they make the flight much more enjoyable. The original systems had limited options and were not that reliable. Interestingly, over time, many customers simply wanted to load a movie onto their tablets and watch movies that way. Many still do today, and now that many airlines are rolling out free, unlimited WI-FI, things are getting much better. For many of the longer-haul flights, they will have in-seat equipment with an amazing array of entertainment options. Interestingly, many airlines are also putting seatback monitors back into narrow-body, domestic aircraft due to customer demand. What was old is now new again!
Which leads me up to the quote at the beginning of this post. We were on our flight to Amsterdam earlier this year and while I often enjoy reading or even sleeping on these longer flights, I decided to watch a movie for some reason. As I was scrolling through the almost unlimited choices, I came across the movie The Equalizer, starring Denzel Washington in the lead role. If I stumble on a movie with Denzel Washington, I know I’m going to like it and will watch it. Well, it turns out The Equalizer has three separate movies: 1, 2, and 3. I actually watched 3 first on the flight over, and because I enjoyed it so much, I watched all three on the way home! I then watched them again after I got home! That binge watching is probably more movies than I normally watch in six months!
I won’t spoil it for you, but if you want to watch a movie where the good guy wins, I’d recommend these. They are a bit violent, hence their R rating, but the storyline is good. And in one of these movies, I think the first one, maybe all three, I can’t remember, at the beginning of the movie, the quote at the top of this post appears on the screen. And as you watch the movies, you see why the quote is pertinent. Let’s take it from there.
Ask yourself, what is the purpose and meaning of my life?
I said I wasn’t going to ruin the movies for you in case you hadn’t seen them, so I’ll leave it to you to watch them. I’ll just say that I watched them multiple times, and I’ll likely watch them again as I seek to better understand the theme. And all these movies have caused me to reflect on the quote and ask myself, “What is the purpose and meaning of my life?” “What is the purpose and meaning of any of our lives?” Note: I’m well aware there is a book by Victor Frankl, about his time in the concentration camps of World War II titled “Man’s Search for Meaning.” I may get into that deeper aspect at another time in another post, but for now, stay with me.
So I’m going to give you my thoughts on these questions, and I’ll ask you to ponder the purpose and meaning of your life. As you read on and hear what I have to say, you may find yourself pondering whether what you thought was the answer is really the answer. When you answer this question, ask yourself if you like the answer or not. If you do, then I say congratulations, good for you. If you are unsure or think you may need to make some changes, then of course, you know I’d recommend the Afterburner Success Partners course or book. The course is available on the website, and the book is available via the link in Note 4.
Why is the day I was born one of the two most important days of my life?
This is pretty much self-explanatory, or at least I hope it is. Simply stated, it’s the starting point of our potential. We have the potential to do or be whatever we want to. Of course, there are people who are born and live in countries where they do not have the unlimited opportunities we have in Western societies. We’ve spoken in the past about what is called the birthright lottery and discussed it in detail in the book The Birthright Lottery: Citizenship and Global Inequality by Ayelet Shachar. The book is a bit of a difficult read, but I think you can get the point just from the title.
Because of our inability to reason at such an early age, we often don’t figure out this question of what our potential is until later in life. For those of us who were raised by two loving, caring parents who were involved in our lives and nurtured and guided us as we grew and matured, we may have an opportunity to figure this out earlier than some and get on a course that will help us live a wonderful life. I’ve discussed this in past posts, where I referenced another great book, The Two-Parent Privilege, by Melissa S. Kearney (Note 3).
So what this means is that when we are born, we all have a certain potential. Some have more potential than others. This may be because of circumstances or upbringing. All this discussion is applicable in a secular society, that is, a society structured around the separation of government and religion. Frankly, I would argue that, in America, there is really no such thing, given that America was founded on Christian principles. Others are obviously free to disagree with this point. I served my country, so those who disagreed with me always had the right to do so in the free society known as America. I raised my right hand and pledged my life so that others may exercise this right.
The Bible tells us that we were all created in God’s image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-28). God’s will for us is to know Him, love Him, and make Him known. Making Him known is referred to as “The Great Commission,” Jesus’s final commandment to spread the gospel and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20). As such, our purpose of being born is simply this.
Discovering why I was born
So if we agree that being born is our starting point with unlimited upside potential, at some point, the natural question, as Twain alluded to, is what is the purpose and meaning of my life? I might argue that it is as simple as what I stated in the previous paragraph, and for many people in this life, that is enough. Our meaning then is to reflect God’s image, love God, and spread His word of salvation to the world. Or, as we’ve said in my church at one time, “Go, make disciples, who make disciples of Christ.”
For the rest of us, who are not, for whatever reason, able to simply live that life, I would say that we need to figure out what our meaning in life is.
While I had parents like the ones I just described who cared for and nurtured me, I did not figure it out until I was about 20, when I was attending “The School of Hard Knocks.” At this point, I was behind the power curve in what I wanted to do and, to be frank with you, spent the rest of my adult life working toward where I wanted to be. But at least I did figure it out.
Other folks figure it out later in life and find themselves further behind the power curve. It is much harder to get ahead of things to live our best lives if this happens. It can be done; we’ve just made it harder than it needed to be.
And then some folks never figure it out. I’ll leave it to you to determine what it looks like if a person never figures out their purpose in life.
What might our purpose and potential look like? Let me provide a couple of thoughts to consider about what life might look like when we figure it out:
We’ve discovered what we are meant to contribute to society and other people. What does this look like in practical terms?
We learn what drives or motivates us. What is our calling?
We learn what gives our life direction and what fulfills us. What is our mission in life?
And then, I might add, as you knew I would, suggest we develop a lifetime goal and accomplishment plan to carry those things out. As you probably already know, without a plan and timeline, reaching our goals and doing what we want to do is less likely than when we have a plan and execute it. Of course, Afterburner Success Partners can help you! Take the course or buy the book! Either way is a win!
Summary
Ponder the question, “Why was I placed here on earth? What is my purpose and the meaning of my life?” I might argue that we could do no better than simply follow what the Bible tells us to do. For most of us, I might opine that what we do is a combination of what we are Biblically called to do and our personal desires. Can we do both? I think we can. In fact, I would argue that we really can’t separate God’s call for us from using our personal gifts to their full potential. Here’s what I think Twain’s quote means in a nutshell:
Don’t just exist; figure out what your life is for and then live it on purpose
But then, I might say it slightly differently…
Determine what your gift is, make the most of it by doing God’s will and serving others. In the process, you will ensure your eternal reward (Colossians 3:23-24) and enjoy the best possible life (Psalms 37, especially verses 4 and 5) in the here and now
That’s all for today!
Let’s help our friends and loved ones, shall we?
If you find the information in this post useful or enjoyable, please forward it to those you care about.
Then, simply say, “Search the internet for Afterburner Success Partners
to learn how to achieve your dreams and live your best life!”
Don’t just live your life to exist…
Afterburner Success Partners
What’s in it for Me
The best thing you can do to live your best life is to be in control of it. That means having a realistic plan and executing it. I hope you have not experienced, and do not experience, any of the conditions I described above. In some cases, it may take professional help, but if you desire to overcome any adverse effects of these issues, you are on the road to bettering yourself.
Call to Action
What do you need to do today?
Recommended Resources
Click the links in the notes below and read them. Buy and read Achieve Your Dreams: A Complete Guide to Live Your Best Life by David Giustozzi (Note 4). Take the course, it’s a very inexpensive investment in yourself.
Up Next
Back to regular posting schedule.
Notes
Please note that as an Amazon Affiliate, I may earn a small commission on the sale of any of these recommended resources.
How Americans View Their Jobs. Pew Research Center: https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2023/03/30/how-americans-view-their-jobs/
Why 85% of people hate their jobs, Staff Squared: https://staffsquared.com/blog/why-85-of-people-hate-their-jobs/
The Two-Parent Privilege by Melissa S. Kearney: https://amzn.to/3YopTh5
Achieve Your Dreams: A Complete Guide to Live Your Best Life by David Giustozzi: https://amzn.to/3IxEFgy
Everyday Cooking for Everyday People Like Us, by David Giustozzi: https://amzn.to/437OhVQ