Do you think the average person (if such a thing exists!) has an over-arching 'goal' for his/her day? Aside from going to the office, stopping at the cleaners and having dinner, is there a broader life-objective?
Is survival - with a sprinkling of pleasure – life's bottom line? Or are we working to achieve something important with our day-to-day lives?
Living life with a purpose is critically important.
Consider the Torah's description of the Jews as they left
One reason is that the entire 'Exodus' episode serves as a model for achieving personal freedom. We each face our own '
How to we achieve this freedom? One element is the legion/soldier idea.
We are all 'soldiers' who - by virtue of being alive – have been thrown into the battle for a 'Purposeful Life'.
A soldier in battle is courageously – and wholly - committed to victory.
A soldier in battle is fully 'alive', antennae sharpened, and poised for necessary action.
A soldier in battle has victory as THE objective; all his moments and moves are devoted to the goal.
A soldier's effectiveness, determination and drive are best served by a broad vision and objective. Imagine that you're a soldier on the battlefield, and your Commanding Officer tells you to secure a specific quadrant, which you faithfully do. Now imagine that you're also given an appreciation of the battle's noble purpose, and an understanding as to where your specific job fits in; in your mind and heart, your task now reflects the significance of the larger goal.
So we're all part of G-d's legion; we're battling with the meaninglessness that perches at life's door, waiting to invade.
Like effective soldiers, we need to have a vision and a battle-plan.
How?
BY taking time in life to define our values, asking ourselves: What do we REALLY stand for?
What are my objectives in life? What deeper values inform that objective? Do I have any firm principles that guide my life?
What's really important to me? Is there anything I'm willing to truly sacrifice for?
It's our battle, surrender is not an option
Understanding that G-d put me on earth with a mission (the Torah is my 'battle-plan'), so that I might refine myself and the world around me, automatically puts my life and its journey in a meaningful context.
And I find peace in my trust that our Commander in Chief is wholly committed to, and fueling, our success.
If we remain committed to the vision and the values, He can be trusted to bring the victory.
XRumerTest wrote...