I always start one of my most powerful seminars, Productive From Dawn, with a deceptively simple question: why do you bother getting out of bed?
It’s an idea I got from Victor Frankl, author of “Man’s Search for Meaning” and founder of logotherapy, who would quite boldly ask suicidal patients: “Why are you still alive? Why haven’t you already killed yourself?”
We all have a reason for living, no matter how depressed we are. And we all have a reason for getting out of bed, no matter how ‘unproductive’ we think we are. Often depressed people are simply those intelligent enough to realize that their reasons for getting out of bed aren’t particularly convincing.
So, why did you get out of bed this morning? Answer honestly, and this might be remarkably beneficial. Here are some typical answers:
- So I don’t get fired!
- Because my parents make me go to school
- Because I had to get the kids ready for school
- Because I got hungry
- Because I needed the toilet
- Because I really wanted to get started on that project
- Because I had to pray Fajr
There are no right or wrong answers here, just an opportunity for us to be honest with ourselves.
I’ve found that generally speaking, the reason you got out of bed, is usually the actual purpose of your life. At least, it was for that day. That doesn’t mean it’s the objective purpose of humanity’s existence. It’s simply the purpose you gave your life on that particular day.
For example, if you only get up so you can get to work, then during work days, the purpose of your life is your job. (Even if you hate your job, it’s still your purpose for being alive that day).
The Actual Purpose of Life
Now I’m going to be quite bold and posit the objective purpose of every human being’s existence, whether they’re aware of it or not, and whether they live up to it, or not.
The purpose of life is to know God.
Atheists, unroll your eyes. I’m not talking about a magical creature. I’m talking about the ultimate source of all creation; the Infinite Intelligence Behind Life; the Ultimate Truth; the One Existence that keeps the fabric of the universe together… you get the point.
Believers, it’s time to up our game. If we already know that the purpose of life is to know God… how come we get out of bed for such mundane reasons as: taking care of our physical needs; working for someone other than Allah; or sending our children through an educational system where they’ll probably learn about everything, except how that knowledge connects to God…?
If the true purpose of life is ma’arifa (knowing Allah), then there are some simple structures we can put in place to re-set our direction towards that ultimate purpose. The first, and perhaps most powerful is to change the actual primary reason for getting out of bed.
I believe this is the ultimate wisdom behind every spiritual tradition, including Islam, having a pre-dawn ritual. It’s to give us a daily criteria that we can easily measure ourselves against: did I get out of bed to worship, serve & come to know Allah… or did I get out of bed for something less noble?
The slave of Allah masters the system.
Even if we do need to get the kids ready for school and get ourselves to work, that doesn’t have to be our purpose. We don’t have to be slaves of an economic & educational system. We can be slaves of Allah, and in turn masters of those systems. How? By waking up a little earlier, for something infinitely greater.
By starting the day with the pre-dawn Fajr prayer (or equivalent in your spiritual tradition), we’re making a radical statement to the world: I’m not buying what you’re selling. I’m not going to be a slave to this job or that school. I’m not going to work, just to earn enough money to buy stuff I don’t need and that can’t make me happy or fulfilled anyway.
I’m going to elevate myself to the highest potential of the human being. I’m going to put my forehead on the floor, so my heart can rise above my head. I’m going to put Allah front & center of my life, on purpose. I’m going to humble myself in front of Allah, knowing that only Allah can elevate me in the eyes of creation.
As a result, after prayer and meditation, I’ll be more present with my kids. I’ll get to work earlier, more focused, and with a carefully selected intention, so that each minute of it counts as worship and has the potential to be uplifting, insightful and even enlightening. I’ll humbly fulfil my duties because Allah commands me to, not because of the paycheck you’re dangling in front of my face. There isn’t even a chance I’ll be dishonest to make more money. And when it comes down to it, don’t be surprised to see me pull my prayer mat out at lunch time, either.
Because even if I’m the best employee you’ve got, and completely indispensable to you, I don’t work for you and never did.
I work for your Boss.
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