Nina Cox - Mary Kay Cosmetics

Southlake Beauty Consultant Nina Cox is an Independent Mary Kay Beauty Consultant. In this article Nina considers the meaning of life.

My name is Nina Cox and I’m an Independent Sales Director and Beauty Consultant for Mary Kay and this is my show called Beauty Today.  Why am I here?  What is my purpose for this show.. and for my life?  Isn’t that one of the major questions we all ask ourselves?

One of my college professors asked me once: “What do you want people to remember about your life?  Then she asked me to write my obituary.  Now that was a hard assignment, since I was only 19 at the time.  I was away at college, away from all my family and most of my friends and my grandfather had just died.  He was one of my heroes in life, so I pulled out his obituary and started to read.  First I noticed his birth date and then the date of his death.  What was in between – a dash. I started to think about that as his dash between life and death.  He was a husband, a father and a grandfather.  He was a mason, a Methodist, a Christian man.  He left a large family and many friends the day he died.  Most of them remember him as a loving, caring man that was also a good businessman, treating people fairly and providing for his family.  Now, what was my dash going to contain?

Have you ever wondered what life has in store for you? Do you want a job that will fulfill, enliven, and enrich you? Do you sometimes feel dissatisfied, that there must be something “more”? Like most people, I want my life to have purpose, to mean something to someone.  I want to leave a legacy of love and compassion.  Let’s face it, I want my journey through life to make a difference. 

I think each of us is unique, and you have a purpose. Find your life’s purpose and you will lead a life of fulfillment, joy, and success.  Imagine knowing with crystal clarity your true purpose in life. It can be a force that shapes your entire life.  Imagine living a life full of purpose and passion.  Yes, that sounds good, so what is purpose and how do you find it?

Purpose can be defined as the object toward which one strives or for which something exists, like an aim or a goal.  It can be a result or effect that is intended or desired, like an intention.  It can be a determination or a resolution.

You might be surprised to find that your true purpose in life cannot be found from looking inward… Your purpose is of far greater importance than your happiness, your sense of personal fulfillment or even your peace of mind. It is more important than your family, your job, your ambitions, or your wildest dreams. These are just the byproducts of living in your purpose.  That is why it is so important that we find out what our purpose is!

If you want to find out why you are on this earth, you have to start with God. I believe you are here for His purpose, not yours.

The search for purpose has perplexed people from the beginning of time. That is because we are looking in the wrong place- within ourselves. We ask such deep and probing questions as: “What do I want to do with my life?”, “What should my life goals be?”, “How can I best use my gifts and talents?”
But this soul-searching will never lead you to knowing your purpose, because only God knows why He put you here and what He wants you to be and do. The Bible says, “For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.”

Rick Warren is one of my favorite speakers when it comes to finding purpose in your life.  He wrote the book, The Purpose Driven Life.  It is a book on the meaning of life.  The starting place must be with God. What we need is to understand God’s incredible plan for our lives. God wants us to live a lifestyle based on eternal purposes, not cultural values.

Rick Warren put in plain words God’s five purposes for each of us:

1. One: We were planned for God’s pleasure, so your first purpose is to offer real worship. There are many ways to offer worship.  Praying “Thank you’s” is my favorite.  Thank you for my family, thank you for my home, my clothes, my food, my bed and the husband that shares it. Thank you for my children and family, my work.  I love to sing praise as a worship, as well.  Sometimes I listen to Christian radio or just hum or sing old hymns.
2. Two: We were formed for God’s family, so your second purpose is to enjoy real fellowship. Fellowship can be found anywhere and everywhere.  It simply means being in the presence of others that believe as you believe.  I love to sit down at a family meal.  Talking to others that are Christians.  Thanksgiving is a favorite fellowship memory every year.  The church potluck suppers are great, too.  So much of my fellowship occurs around food, or family events.  But it can be found at work, school or other life events, as well.
3. Three: We were created to become like Christ, so your third purpose is to learn real discipleship.  This means learning, study and following.  I learn from Sunday school, Bible Study, my Mama and my husband.  Many times I learn from my children, as we say out of the mouths of babes.  My friends, mentors, books that I read and the list goes on and on. 
4. Four: We were shaped for serving God, so your fourth purpose is to practice real ministry.  This is where your gifts come in.  I used to be a nurse and I thought that was my gift.  But I soon realized that healing was the gift and that nursing was just one way to utilize that gift.  Do you know what your gifts are?  Do you have more than one?  We are God’s hands and feet and mouth.  As we minister to others, God’s love and grace shows through us.  Then it is up to us to find the vehicle in which God intends for us to use our gifts.
5. Five: We were made for a mission, so your fifth purpose is to live out real evangelism. This is where we go forth and tell others of our faith.  Many times we just tell others by word of mouth.  Sometimes it is by our actions that are watched by others. This must be done on-purpose, however. Look for ways to let others know your purpose and passion that is God-chosen and God-driven.

Let’s talk about how you know what God’s purpose is for your life.  I believe that life is like a quilt.  We see it from the underside and many times that looks all jumbled and chaotic.  But God sees the quilt from the top, from Heaven.  He sees the pattern and beauty of the finished product.  We have a great many unknowns in our lives, some we cannot ever understand.  The future can seem scary.  Trust is the factor that helps the most. Trust that God is in His Heaven and He is in control.

Each of us needs to ask, “God, what’s the next step in your purpose for my life?” and eagerly anticipate His answer.  His vision for what’s next in our life is better than any of the visions we have for ourselves.

God may not talk to you directly, but He will communicate His message, you just have to be ready to receive it.  Vision is an awareness of how God wants to use you. It is catching a glimpse of His life plan for you-the type of person he wants you to become and what he wants you to do for him.

Basically we are to love God, love our neighbor, and go and make disciples. But God has individual and specific assignments for each of us.  God’s unique vision for you can be described as a desire that steals your heart-either immediately or eventually-and shouts to you, “This is it.” It is the exclusive, heart-engaging work God prearranged for you before you were born. It is how you and you alone, will minister with excellence in the eyes of the Lord.

Sometimes God will give us sneak previews or a series of impressions, unfolding His plan piece by piece. Other times He’ll interrupt our lives and lay it all before us. 

So how can you prepare yourself in the meantime to listen for God’s thoughts and receive His vision for your life?

Pray.  Ask Others to Pray.  Be Confident. Practice Patience.   Ask God Specifically to Speak to You. Remember, God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called.  Eagerly anticipate the vision that God will reveal to you.

Nina’s Nugget: List out your gifts.  Then be quiet each day for a few minutes and listen to what God has to say about each one.

My name is Nina Cox, a Southlake Beauty Consultant and an Independent Beauty Consultant with Mary Kay. I have been building my Mary Kay business for over 10 years now and have become quite successful, wining many awards.  Please call me at 817-996-6586 or email me at ninacox@marykay.com for questions or assistance.