#life'spurpose

My mouth shall speak of wisdom...

1 Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world:

2 Both low and high, rich and poor, together.

3 My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.

4 I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp.

5 Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?

6 They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;

7 None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:

8 (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)

9 That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption.

10 For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.

11 Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.

12 Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish.

13 This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah.

14 Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.

15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.

16 Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;

17 For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.

18 Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself.

19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.

     The single greatest lesson I have ever learned was dedication. Being dedicated to what I enjoy allows me to excel in whatever I give my best effort. For example, I am ranked 11th in the nation in cycling, and am on track to get into a fantastic college at the same time. Without dedication, none of this would have happened. Odysseus’ journeys certainly have portrayed the greater meaning of life’s purpose, especially in how resilient Odysseus has become, and how dedicated he is to reach home. Thus, Odysseus’ lessons teach that one’s greater purpose can be anything that anyone chooses to do, as one’s greater purpose is to accomplish that. Odysseus’ greater purpose was to return home and save his wife Penelope from the suitors, and he accomplished just that. My parents and family have certainly had an influence on my values of life’s greater purpose, as they instilled in me the morals that I possess today.