It's not about you. The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It's far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by his purpose and for his purpose.

Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.

God's motive for creating you was his love.

The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me.

but it does mean God is able to redeem any and all situations and use them for his own good.

But there is a God who made you for a reason, and your life has profound meaning! We discover that meaning and purpose only when we make God the reference point of our lives.

Without God life makes no sense. Repeating

Hope is as essential to your life as air and water. You need hope to cope.

I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead." 14

There are always two risks: the risk of trying something new, and the risk of not trying. You risk settling and continuing in the same way, wondering about other paths and possibilities, believing that this is as good as it gets while discontent gnaws away at your soul.

You explore the possibilities because you can't steer a parked car.

Your ikigai is a work in progress because you are a work in progress. Knowing your ikigai, then, takes patience and insight, and courage, and honesty.