Fit 4 Purpose: How Improving Your Health & Fitness Will Help You to Define & Refine Your Greater Purpose

By Emmett Ballard

In this book you will explore your GREATER PURPOSE, what it is and how it will function to improve every aspect of your life and the lives of others around you. Do not worry if you have already discovered what your GREATER PURPOSE is in life because I will introduce ways to maximize and even elevate your GREATER PURPOSE. If you are lacking clarity, self-worth, confidence, or even hope, then this book is precisely what you need to help supercharge your life. If you are already fully dialed into your GREATER PURPOSE and you know exactly who you are mentally, physically, and spiritually then this book is also for you. This book will help you step into the next level of your GREATER PURPOSE by maximizing who you are through a continual self-development practice.
Fit 4 Purpose aims to elevate you within your GREATER PURPOSE by aiding in your continual self-development mentally, physically, and spiritually. This book has served as a great hope for me in elevating my GREATER PURPOSE, and I look forward to it doing the same for you.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Oct 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781387045198

Book preview

DEDICATION

I want to dedicate this book to my loving wife, Michelle, for her support, love, encouragement, and belief; and to my entirefamily for believing in me and supporting me through writing this book and in life. I would also like to dedicate this book to my late grandmother/ mother, Emma Ballard, (10/9/1932 – 1/7/2021), whowasandstillisthematriarchofourfamilyasshecontinuesto shine her light from heaven. She and my grandfather, Jimmy Ballard, took me in as their son and provided everything that I wanted and needed in life to flourish. I am forever grateful and blessed.Iamalsoconstantlyremindedthatsheiswithusandwill continuetobewithusuntiloursoulsmeetinheaven.

CONTENTS

Introduction

Section1      4 Pillars ofPurpose

Chapter 1 – Meaning Chapter 2 – Gifts, Talents Chapter 3 – Joy

Chapter4–ServingOthers

Pg13

Pg20

Pg39

Pg49

Pg58

Section2      Health&Fitness      Pg66

Chapter5–PhysicalHealth Chapter 6 – Mental Health Chapter7–SpiritualHealth

Pg69

Pg77

Pg84

Section3      Potential

Chapter8–RealityCheck Chapter 9 – Goals Chapter10–Possibility

Pg 91

Pg101

Pg105

Pg114

Introduction

Whatisyourpurpose?Whyareyouhere?Whoareyou?Wheredo you come from? Why does any of this even matter? These are questions that you will pause to reflect on and seek a greater understanding of at some point in life. Many of us sit andwonder thingslike;istheremoretolifethanwhatIamcurrentlydoing,and if so, what am I meant todo?

I believe wholeheartedly that the answer is YES. You have been called to do more and to be more, and the more you have been called to is wrapped up in your GREATER PURPOSE. Without purpose,youcanfeellost,worthless,hopeless,unfulfilled,bored, dissatisfied,empty,numb,andunabletofindenjoyment.Feelinga lackofpurposecanalsocontributetoobesity,addiction,aggression, depression,andanxiety,leadingmostpeopletoanearlydeath.I'm not referring to the formal death that you may be thinking of but moresoasymbolicdeath,whereyouarealivebutnotliving;itis more of a spiritual, mental, and emotionaldeath.

Also, there is another ugly truth about not having a purpose and feeling worthless: the risk of suicide. Many of the people that commit suicide feel like they have no purpose, worth, or value. Unfortunately,suicideisagrowingproblemamongthoseages15- 24asitisthe2ndleadingcauseofdeathamongthisagegroup.Itis the10thleadingcauseofdeathintheUnitedStates.

It was responsible for more than 47,000 deaths in 2019, which is aboutonedeathevery11minutes.Whenapersonhasnopurpose, hehasnomeaningandmayfeellikehehasnoreasonforbeinghere. If you feel you have a purpose and know why you are alive, you ultimately tend to feel morealive.

Regardingpurpose,Iknowwhatitfeelsliketofeelvoidofpurpose. Iknowwhatitfeelsliketofeelworthless.Iknowwhatitfeelslike nottofeellikeyouhaveanyvalue.ButIamheretotellyouthatyou werespecificallydesignedforsuchatimeasthis.Youwerecreated foraspecialpurpose,aspecificreason,andyouareoneofakind.

For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. – Ephesians 2:10

Everythinghappensforareason.Youarehereforareason,andyou arereadingthisbookforareason.Thatreasonisbecauseyouhave aGREATPURPOSE.Thisgreatpurposeisnotonlysomethingthat willimpactyourlifebutthelivesofothersaroundyou.

Before drafting this book, I went through a brief journey of self- discovery. I know that I am created for a purpose, but I started headingtowardsadarkpathbecauseofcomparison,envy,ego,and self-centeredness. Through this brief journey, I felt like God was leadingmetowardsmyGREATERPURPOSEandhelpingmebe moreempathetictothoseonthejourneytodiscovertheirpurpose. What has helped implant my purpose in my heart and refine my purposefurtherismymorningwalkswithGod.Irealizedthatmy lifewassofullofdistractionsthatIneededtotakemorequalitytime in the mornings (distraction-free: no emails, no news, no socialmedia)toexperiencegreaterclarity,focusandconnectionspiritually.My one word for this year has been to abide, and my quiet walks withnotechnology,justGodandnature,havebeenadailynecessity.

Ifyouremaininmeandmywordsremaininyou,askwhateveryou wish, and it will be done foryou.

– John 15:7

BasedontheCenterforDiseaseControlresearch,ONLY21%of adults strongly agree that their life has a clear sense of purpose, whichisadefiniteproblem.Intwootherstudies,90%ofalcoholics and 100% of drug addicts thought their life was meaningless. In several polls over several time periods and countries, whenasked whatwasparticularlyimportant,havingapurposeormeaningin lifewaschosenby80%to90%oftherespondents,whilemoney waschosenbyaround16%.Havingpurposeandmeaninginyour life has been connected to happiness, life satisfaction, physical health,andself-esteem.AccordingtorecentresearchbyFredrickson andCole,havingpurposeandmeaningincreasesourhealthatthe cellular level providing us with a better immune responseprofile.

Having purpose and meaning are essential and better for us mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

So, what is the cure? The great cure-all is in this magic pillcalled PURPOSE.Ithinkforthesakeofthisbook,Iamgoingtocallthis thePURPOSEPILL.Nottobeconfusedwiththepurplepillby Nexium,whichtreatsacidreflux.No,wewanttodelvewaydeeper intoacure-allthatwillessentiallychangetheworld!

Discovering and walking within your purpose is like taking the PURPOSEPILL,whichwillhelpcure:lackofenergy,hopelessness, boredom, worthlessness, unfulfillment, aimlessness & dissatisfaction.Theonlysideeffectsareextremefeelingsoffocus, elevated levels of self-worth, passion, fulfillment, happiness, and confidence.ThePURPOSEPILLrequiresadailydosage,andeach PURPOSE PILL is unique to eachindividual.

My story is crazy but probably not as crazy as yours. The unique thingaboutlifeisthatweallhaveastory,soifIseeyouatanevent, thegym,grocerystore,orwhereverIwouldlovetohearyourunique lifestory.

Mygrandparentsadoptedmeattheageof2,andtheycaredforme astheironeandonlyson.WelivedinasmallruralSouthCarolina towncalledRimini.Theyraisedmeintheirsouthern,conservative, Christianhome.

Havingraisedfourgirls,theywereexcitedabouttheopportunityto raisealittleboyuntilrealitysetinthatlittleboyscanbeahandful. Well, I would like to think of myself as more curious instead of mischievous,meaningIwasagoodkid.Ijustlikedtoexperiment, likewhenIwantedtotestthefireextinguisherinourlaundryroom. I thought it was more of an experiment to see what wouldhappen incasetherewasafire,andIactuallyneededtousethisthing.The only problem with this scenario was that I ended up spraying the stufffromthefireextinguisheralloverourlaundryroomandgetting thisyellowpowderysubstanceeverywhere.WhatIthoughtofasa harmless experiment turned into a hugemess.

The laundry room incident was one of those moments that taught meagoodlesson.Ahardheadmakesasoftbutt,oratleastthatis whatmygrandmotherwouldsayafterIgotawhooping.Yes,forall ofyouthatwerewondering,Igotagoodwhooping,onewhereshe pronouncedeverysyllableofeverywordasshewasspankingme.I

maynothaveknownbeforethatwhooping,butafterward,Iknew nottomesswithfireextinguisherseveragain.AsaMatteroffact,I do not think I went close to one until later inlife.

Thatonestoryisanexcellentexampleofmychildhood.Iwasmore curiousthanmischievous;Iconductedtheseexperimentsandtested the boundaries a bit until I got a butt whooping. I learned my lesson, and it changed myways.

Mygrandparentswerelovingandhardworkingpeoplethatbelieved inworkinghardattheirjobsandthencominghometodowhatever it took to take care of the home. They provided me with all that I neededandmuchofwhatIwantedtohelpmeflourish.Iremember mygrandfatherpickingmeupfrombasketballpractice,deadtired after a long day's work, but he, as well as my grandmother, did whatever it took to see me dowell.

Now you have somewhat of a background of my story and the loving home I was raised in. Most would think that I just grewup thereandremainedthequietandinnocent(yetcurious)littlecountry boythatlikedtofishandridethefour-wheelersthroughtheplowed fields.Well,youguessedwrong!Ataboutage14,Idecidedtomove toColumbia,SC,withmymotherandstepfatherbecausesomething inside compelled me. Do not get me wrong, it was absolutely the most challenging thing to do, but within my quiet time, even as