Melvin Miller - You Matter: 7 Practices of Living a Life of Purpose

Copyright 2012 by Melvin Miller

Ebook 2012 by AudioGO. All Rights Reserved.

Chivers North America, Inc., Rhode Island

Trade ISBN 978-1-62064-217-7

Library ISBN 978-0-7927-9133-1

AudioGO and colophon are registered trademarks of Chivers North America, Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Miller, Melvin, 2013

You matter / Melvin miller.

www.audiogo.com

Designed in the United States of America

Jacket Design by Jessie Sayward Bright

First Edition

To God, who thought it not strange to put apiece of God in every being, thus making each of us full expressions of God in the world.

CONTENTS

Who Are You?
The Deeper I Am

Who is the Author of Your Life?
The Power of Choice

What is Your Deepest Prayer?
The Key to Everything

Are You the One?
Hearing the Voice of God

If Not Now, Then When?
Surrendering the Past, Releasing the Future

What is Your Highest Possibility?
The Secret to Greatness

What is Your Legacy?
The Great Amen

PREFACE

The universe is always calling. It begins calling once we arrive on the planet. This is why we refer to our purpose as our calling . It lies deep in our unconscious until we awaken to it, but to awaken is not enough. Once we hear the call we still must choose to answer it.

The calling is always there. This is why you are reading this book. The universe, through this book is calling you. Youve heard it a number of different ways. This is why you are attempting to fully awaken to it and answer it. Your reading this book or listening to its companion audio is your deeper Self awakening to the call; it is your deeper Self attempting to answer the call; attempting to distinguish itself, to distinguish your purpose!

Its like an alarm clock that wakes us up in the morning. Some of us wake up immediately and get out of bed to start our day. But many of us press the snooze button and we go back to sleep. Many of us continue this cycle throughout our lives. Some of us just keep pressing the snooze button, asking for just ten more minutes. However, if we keep pushing our spiritual snooze buttons we can be late for what the universe is calling us to do now.

FOREWORD

I first met Melvin Miller years ago when we were both just starting out in our careers. He was a minister at The Riverside Church in New York City and I was travelling across the country delivering inspirational speeches after Lifetime Television had made a film about my life, Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story . A mutual friend said to both of us you two should know each other. It wasnt long before he scheduled a dinner for all of us and weve been great friends ever since. From our first meetings I could see that Melvin was a dynamic and inspirational man with a deep and abiding faith that grounded him, the rare kind of man that makes it his personal mission to live a life of service to others. Today, hes a pastor, artist, academic, entrepreneur and social justice advocate and in every capacity Melvin is always looking for a way to serve. In this audiobook and ebook Melvin swings open his door of wisdom and pours out his unyielding and inspiring message that every human being matters and what they do with their life matters. Of course, Melvins door has always been open to anyone who came knocking, especially the youth, and I mean this literally. In the middle of Harlem, known for criminal activities, putting his faith into action, Melvin lived in a brownstone with a door that he left unlocked twenty-four hours a day and when friends expressed concern for his safety, he simply replied what if Im not home and a friend or one of the kids needs to get in? Of course the kids Melvin was referring to were the countless young people you could find any day of the week sleeping across Melvins floors, doing their laundry in his home or practicing dance moves that Melvin taught them in his cellar. For many of these young people who had no family to speak of, it was Melvins face they saw at their graduations and recitals, and it was his wise and loving counsel they sought in times of need. This is one of the reasons Ive learned to admire Melvin so much; his heart and home have always been wide open to others from the day I met him. Service is simply Melvins way of life.

Federica Baldan is another dear friend of mine. We met in New York City, years after I met Melvin, while I was participating in workshops designed to uplift people so that they may live to their highest possibility. Over the years I spent participating and volunteering within the workshop setting alongside Federica it quickly became clear to me that she has an intuitive gift to cut right to the heart of any matter, the type of gift that can only come from wisdom.

Throughout dozens of workshops together Ive witnessed participants stand up in large groups and share aloud their life goals while Federica coached them, one by one, giving razor-sharp feedback, challenging people to rise above even their highest expectations of what they thought was possible. I personally believe that Federicas coaching, while deeply insightful, is made all the more effective because it comes from love. For as a coach and leader, Federica possesses that rare combination of qualities that is not only firm but also caring, wise and yet humble. Part coach, part friend, part shaman, part medium, Federica is the wise friend you call on when you are serious about change and when you are ready to hear and work within the truth. Above all, she is the loving presence that guides you from where you are to where you want to be, and I feel blessed to call her my friend.

I am nothing short of thrilled to see this audiobook and ebook come to fruition for it draws together the gifts of two people standing in a life-long commitment to support others in leading lives of excellence.

You Matter: 7 Practices to Living a Life of Purpose i s a book about you, your life and your purpose. It is about your connection to the divine and what that means in the greater picture of humanity.

I know the power that can be manifested in the world when a person understands their purpose and the joy that comes from living a life of purpose. I have dedicated my whole life to traveling the world and inspiring people to live their purpose and pursue their highest possibilities. My own story, which I share in my book Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard , is a testament to my own path to finding my purpose and living a life of contribution.

You Matter is designed to support you in getting clear about why you are here on the planet, and empower you to transform every area of your life. You Matter is a gift to all who receive it. It was a blessing for me to hear the audio and read the companion, and I know it will be a blessing to you.

Liz Murray, Best-selling author, Breaking Night

INTRODUCTION

Ever wonder what your Highest Calling is? Ever ask the question, Who am I? Why am I here? Everyone on the planet has gifts, talents and a purpose. What are yours? What gifts and talents do you possess that can only be expressed and contributed through you? All of us, whether we are aware of it or not, are on a quest to fulfill our destiny. What is the life God and Spirit ordained you to have?

Housed in a set of seven profound questions, You Matter: 7 Practices of Living a Life of Purpose , is designed to connect you to your highest calling while providing a framework that can impact and transform all areas of your life. This book is for anyone looking to expand their effectiveness in life and develop their spiritual maturity to live whole, complete and fulfilled lives. The tools offered are founded upon the use of experiential processes used in workshops throughout the world that are proven effective and create immediate impact and results in ones life.