Living Life Usefully

Ben Franklin once said, “I would rather live usefully then die rich.”

We need to understand that life is a one way street. Not a dress rehearsal. There is no looking back and redoing. There is only, what you are doing now to plan for the future so one day, you can look back and see how God used you to live life usefully.

There are 3 keys to set yourself up to live life usefully.

1. The Relationships that I form.
Relationships help us define two aspects, who we are and who we become. My dad has told me a thousand times over the years, “Show me your friends and I will show you who you will become.” Most people can trace their failures or their success to pivotal relationships.

But how do you know if the relationships that you have are helping or hindering?
Ask yourself, Are these relationships…
a) Addition – are they adding to you
b) Subtraction – are they taking a a little out of you
c) Multiplication – are they increasing your abilities
d) Division – are they taking you away
Most sorrows people experience, form out of wrong relationships but on the flip side some of the greatest experiences you will ever have are formed out of right relationships.

2. The Decisions that I Make.
Understand the following principle: TODAY MATTERS! The first ingredient to success has no value except for adding the second ingredient. What you do today will effect what you do tomorrow. Why wait until tomorrow to do what you can do today? What you can do today, will increase what your tomorrow looks like.

There are decisions that I make every day. It does not matter what the day holds, there are just certain things that I have set-up in my mind that I am going to do. Some things are the list below are done daily and others are done periodically but each one of the items on the list are considered often.

a) Choose to personally grow every day
b) Give and serve on the front end
c) Exhibit a great attitude regardless of the situation
d) Care for my wife and child
e) Gain the respect of others
f) Life life to its fullest
g) Express gratitude through words to my circle of influence and beyond
h) Leave a legacy. My personal legacy is Equipping people to experience God. Did I do something today that is going to help someone have a better chance of experiencing God.

3. The Experiences I Encounter
Life is too short to cry over spilt milk. Get over it. If you are holding on to something in the past, get over it. If you still blame a parent for something that happened to you thirty-years ago – take responsibility of it and get over it. The greatest ability we is my ability. In other words, you have the ability to get over it.

Create experiences in your life that you enjoy. Think about the following aspects…
a) Pursue God with all your heart, soul, and mind.
b) Go on adventures that energize or recharge you.
c) Enjoy the people that God has brought into your life.
d) Make a difference in those lives in your inner circle.
e) Never take for granted the obstacles and triumphs you are going through – they will teach you and prepare you for the next season of your life.

If you are giving, loving, serving, helping, encouraging, and adding value to others – you have a useful life!

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