Often when people think about the word “greatness,” they think about the great things that they can accomplish for themselves, but what if you could tap into something much bigger than yourself? What if you could live your life’s purpose and serve others?
Welcome back to School of Greatness! I’m so excited to bring you this episode because we’re going to talk about living your life mission and helping others in the process.
We all have a purpose in life. Sometimes it’s difficult for people to find and live that purpose because of fear: fear of failure, fear of judgment, and fear of what other people may think. People allow their fears to keep them in mediocrity when they’re capable of doing amazing things.
On today’s episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Michael Beckwith, a New Thought minister who knows all about pursuing purpose and growing in your life’s mission! His advice for overcoming judgment and ego, growing in your purpose, and serving others can help you become a better person and accomplish great things in the process!
Who Is Michael Beckwith?
Michael Beckwith is an acclaimed author, minister, and the founder and spiritual director of the Agape International Spiritual Center. The Agape International Spiritual Center is a transdenominational congregation whose mission is to transform individuals through teaching them prayer, meditation, and showing them the importance of serving others.
Michael has written several notable books to help people find their purpose, including Spiritual Liberation: Fulfilling Your Soul’s Potential, The Answer is You, and Life Visioning: A Transformative Process for Activating Your Unique Gifts and Highest Potential. Life Visioning was even featured on Oprah Winfrey’s list “15 Books to Help Solve 15 Life Problems.”
Michael also facilitated the Synthesis Dialogues with the Dalai Lama and was inducted into the Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Preachers at Morehouse College.
Even though Michael has practically countless spiritual accomplishments, he didn’t always have the spiritual clarity that he has now. He grew up in a Methodist household but left the church when he was a teenager.
“I was pretty much agnostic [and] atheistic, and I remember when I was attending Morehouse college, me and a friend of mine … used to go out and convert Christians to atheism.” – Michael Beckwith
Michael went through a time in which he gave no regard to his spirit, but that all changed when he went through a spiritual awakening:
“A few years later when I was attending USC, [I had] a spiritual awakening in which I could see the presence everywhere in everything. And again, I didn’t relegate it to religiosity … It was about freedom. It’s about spirituality. It’s about awakened consciousness, about the greatness and the beauty and the light that’s within us all.” – Michael Beckwith
Michael then became a spiritual therapist and opened the Agape International Spiritual Center in 1986. His experience with spirituality has made him an expert on advising people on finding and fulfilling their purposes, so let’s dive into it!
How to Not Let Others Tear You Down
Have you ever not done something because you’re afraid of what others might think? Michael stressed the importance of valuing your soul’s purpose over other’s opinions:
“People have a tendency to care more about what other people are thinking about them than what their soul wants. … ‘What’s society going to think of me?’ And inside, everyone has a destiny, [a] bright, beautiful destiny. The soul is calling us to greatness.” – Michael Beckwith
People often let their dreams be torn down by caring too much about others’ perceptions. Maybe you’re a mom and you want to start your own business, but you’re afraid that other people will think you’re not spending enough time with your child. Or maybe, you’ve always wanted to be an artist, but people are constantly telling you that there’s no money in that profession. Michael pointed out how people will always try to tear you down when you follow your dreams regardless of your level of success:
“… mediocrity always attacks excellence. … The moment you start to walk towards your dream, and you start to break habits, [and] you start to change relationships that no longer serve in that dream. You start to be talked about.” – Michael Beckwith
You may be struggling to follow your dreams because you’re afraid of being ridiculed, but whether or not you succeed, there will always be people who will attack you and belittle your accomplishments. Once you accept that you’ll receive negativity when you follow your purpose, you’ll no longer be afraid of receiving criticism. There’s no fear of judgment because you’re going to be criticized regardless if you’re successful or not.
The importance of following your goals isn’t just about success — it’s about the growth that you experience when you choose to follow your dreams:
“At the end of the day, you are different because you went for it. You going for it actually brings out latent powers and gifts and talents within you that can’t bloom unless you go for it. … when you’re going for a goal, it’s not just achieving the goal. It’s actually, who are you becoming on the way to bring that goal into manifestation and then your new becoming.” – Michael Beckwith
Have you ever hesitated to pursue your dreams because you were afraid of failure? Regardless of whether or not you accomplish what you wanted, you will still grow as a person, and that is a huge success in and of itself!
