Life Compass. Dr. Chilungamo Khuwi

expectations. The rest of the things are there for extra value, to beautify or to spice up things one way or another. For example, paint on a car is not mainly applied for the car performance rather the outlook and prevention of rust which adds more beauty, durability of the wood hence value to be sold at a higher price..

      Every primary thing in your life is an essential need because it’s the foundation or forms the skeleton for your life. If primary things are not in place then your success, if you manage to attain it at all, is temporary. Among the secondary things, there are also essential areas that even though they are outside of us, we still need to master them for effective living.

      Primary things are things that you should seek out to work on first and foremost. They have great bearing on your secondary things. It’s easy to attain secondary things when you have primary things figured out but very hard to work on primary things when you have secondary things. Though not impossible, it can be quite the challenge to work on primary areas which have survived years of misinformed ideas when the secondary structures (relationships, money management) have already been erected. Some secondary structures are built from the wrong premise. Though hard, it is not impossible.

      People are busy focusing on secondary things that are not essential such as career, possession of material things, etc, which just add extra value, without first sorting out the essential needs of life. Value is added to something that’s already there. It’s like having a beautiful car hood without an engine and you are busy perfecting it. You can’t drive it no matter how beautiful you make it. You need to have something operational which you should add value to; you need to have the basics of your life going before you think of jumping into certain things in life. Because of such disorder, people end up living chaotic lives and wonder why their lives are all over the place and nothing to show for their efforts over time.

      The same thing goes to organizations and businesses which need basic or essential things in place for them to run effectively and last, the rest are just additional elements. Things like purpose, mission, essential workers or departments, core values and governing principles, funding are essential to the business.

      I believe every individual should be good at these essential areas no matter who they are, what they do or don’t, whether single or married, white or black; these basic areas are cross-cutting. Remember essential doesn’t only mean primary areas but all primary areas are automatically essential. These essential areas in a human life include purpose, vision, mission, identity, character, spirituality, leadership, finance and relationship. We are involved in all these areas one way or another, both at individual and group level.

      Let me order these things according to their importance in the structure: the purpose is the why to your life (or why something exists). Spirituality, Moral Fortitude (good character) and personal leadership are the foundation by which you stand (or fall). Money making and relationship management are but the supporting pillars that ensure sturdiness and form.

      ⸙ EVERYTHING EXISTS WITH AND FOR A PURPOSE

      Chapter Two

      “The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but life without a purpose.” Dr Myles Munroe

      In the “Purpose Driven Life” book by Rick Warren, he posed a question that says, “What on Earth am I here for?” This might sound very basic but really what are you here on earth for? Most of the time, we think we have it all figured out but when we lie back on our beds, close our eyes and search deep within ourselves, we realize that perhaps we have not figured it out yet. But once you truly find your core purpose on this earth then I believe you have taken the first step to your fulfilment and executing your life orderly as one machine to the future with a guarantee of no regrets.

      Even though a car may have different parts, and each one serving its purpose, when you put them and their purposes together you have a much bigger machine – the car. If you look around, you will realize that there is something common about life, from the smallest organism to the biggest of galaxies; everything is interlinked with each one performing a certain purpose (and in the end all serving a greater purpose).

      Look at the world: animals need oxygen and food from plants, and we breathe out carbon dioxide and animal wastes are used by the plants for food. Bees feed on pollen to make honey that humans and other animals feed on, yet they help with pollination of flowers in the process which produces seeds in plants.

      Your body is a system of systems. Each system has its purpose or function which it serves to other systems and self in the body and affects the function of other systems within the same body. Together they form you and all your function and abilities as a human being that affects your surroundings. Take note that these systems, in your body, are also made up of organs that also have their unique purpose or function to their respective systems.

      We have the respiratory system (breathing; oxygen uptake into the body and carbon dioxide release – Nose, trachea (windpipe) and lungs), cardiovascular system (Food, oxygen, immunity supply, chemical waste transportation from to the whole body - heart, blood and blood vessels), Gastrointestinal system (Nutrition - month, oesophagus, stomach and intestines), neurology (Command and action centre; Sensation and reaction - Brain, spinal cord and nerves), Genito-urinary system (Controls water, salts and chemical levels in the body - Kidneys, ureters, bladder, urethra) among others.

      All these depend on each other for function and effectiveness. No system can function long enough without oxygen, food, proper levels of water, salts and chemicals, and without proper control to do so. Though they are unique in their functions, they are affected by the function of the other.

      The heart pumps blood that carries oxygen and food to the bones and muscles and in turn, the muscles and bones support and protect the heart and other delicate organs and carry the whole body to places. The brain tells the body what to do and how to do it and the rest of the body follows the orders. It’s not the brain that executes, all it does is to receive data from the rest of the organs, process it and send back commands for the rest of the systems in the body to act upon.

      Let me take you to another angle, look at organizations, businesses and governments. These are all systems made up of departments or sections and each one serves its purpose and they operate as one machine when their effects are brought together. Usually, you find individuals within departments serving their specific purposes or roles. If one individual is not doing their job right, then the department is usually affected.

      A dysfunctional marketing, production or sales department sinks the whole business machine. Each of those business departments even though performing a different task yet have a greater effect on the overall performance of the other and the whole institution.

      From all these examples, you will realize that at every level there is a system made up of different parts and systems whose purpose or function aids in the function of the other. Together all of them they have even a greater purpose or function. This is how life is or should be at every level including you as an individual or us as a society. Everything that exists has a purpose to meet by design and I believe behind the creation there is an awesome Designer who thought it wise to put interconnected systems that aid each other for sustenance and greater effect upon our societies, nations, continents and whole earth.

      If your life is dysfunctional in some areas, I wouldn’t call that successful life. As much as other people or you may call it as such, but it is a limited or incomplete success because it is in just one or two departments of your life. Such limited success in a few areas of your life limits your overall effect on earth. You can call it a successful job, career, business, marriage or ministry yes but not successful life. There are systems in your organization (life) that are not firing and until you get them fixed, you, as a machine or organization, are dysfunctional. Those systems will either sink you or hold you back from taking off to make a real impact. People will usually judge you by the areas that are not firing.

      From the interconnection and dependency shown above, you should also realize that for a functional world we need not only our unique purpose or function in the society but also support each other. Our functions are not just for us but more so for those around us, for their optimal functioning and maximizing their results.