On life (146) -”Evaluating Goals” – 28/10/2016

   We already started talking about the concepts of winning and losing which constitute a challenge that faces man during his lifetime. Winning and losing are not bound to material stuff, for, in fact, man’s goals determine the standards of his profits and losses.

   Hence, man has to be aware of his goals, as they determine his behavior, stances and the people he will encounter during his lifetime. According to Brian Tracy, “Your goals show you how to alter your life’s tread… When you give up, they will remind you why you started in the first place.” In fact, your goals help you set your path and means. Should you make a mistake, you will be able to decide how to correct your path, thus, regaining the right track toward your goal. Whenever you are faced with obstacles, your goal strengthens you lest you give up.

   Mays Benjamin, a prominent figure in the US Civil Rights Movement, believes that a man with no goals is the most miserable of all people. He says that what makes you miserable is not having a goal, not (not) achieving it!

   True, if you have no goal, then all paths have the same destination. Whoever has no goal is like a straw in the wind; he is swayed by winds wherever they please! He never senses success which recipe is goals. How can one ever evaluate his profits or losses, having set no goals in the first place? He who has no goals is a loser, even though if he attains what some people call “success”.

   Winning requires trial and evaluation. You never win anything from the first time. You need patience and perseverance. Also, you might encounter losses on your way. Make them, as much as possible, remediable. Know your destination. Do not waste time, for lost time is never found again.

   But, how can one evaluate his profits and losses? You are the only who can answer this question. Nevertheless, there clues to help you find the answer:

   –          No profit can make up for the loss of your soul, as “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”

   –          Never sacrifice your humanity to attain any purpose, for if you do, you will lose your identity and the meaning of your existence. The worst loss is that of your integrity, even if you are still alive.

   –          No giving equals no life. Helping and making others happy, as much as you can, is something you profit by, not the opposite. As you make others happy, you sense true joy and make invaluable profit.

General Bishop

Head of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center