In Philippians 3, Paul pursues God's best (paraphrasing his words): forgetting what lies behind, pressing on, and reaching forward to what lies ahead. Following this formula is the mark of an extraordinary life. The first indication of this is a willingness for us to "raise the bar" of excellence in our life. Another indication is learning from our setbacks. Living for a higher purpose, namely for Jesus Christ, is another part of the mark of an extraordinary life. In fact, it is essential to live for Christ, because our lives will not be extraordinary if we don't exist for Him.