One of life’s longest missions can be finding your purpose because it is more of a progressive process than an event.
While some may discover theirs early in life, others spend a lifetime searching. It is sad to admit that most people expire before they can even scratch the surface.
We have all heard the popular phrase ‘everyone is born for a unique purpose’, that our arrival to this planet at our specific time has meaning.
But how do you pursue your life’s purpose when you have bills to pay, a job to maintain that sustains you and your family, or not enough money or time set aside to venture on a new path?
Perhaps you were meant to find purpose within your current pursuits, or include within your life at different available times, something that you feel is important, meaningful and gives you joy.
This could be something as simple as taking up an activity like creating music, painting or writing.
I have spoken to many people who have included such activities within their lives and when asked why, the answer always refers to in most part, giving other people joy from their artistic expression.
Not all purposes need to be grand or perpetual.
For some yes, but for many of us who have important commitments, the interjection of purpose here and there may provide enough comfort and balance to our lives, especially when that purpose serves the greater good.
But not many people will attempt to set out and find theirs. Instead, they stumble upon paths and end up in what appears to be the right direction—only to discover too late that we wasted most of our time.
The majority will rely on trending concepts and perceptions, choosing to follow the opinions and influence of society…and if this makes you happy then I say stick with it, but if like me you have felt lost, unfulfilled and unhappy, then it’s time to consider your own unique path(s) and begin your journey of discovery.
To help you find your purpose in life, here are a couple of tips that have proven critical to those people who did.
Explore Things That You Easily Do And Love Doing
We all have reasons for thriving embedded within us, the duty is upon us to explore and discover it.
Please note that passion and purpose are different, but complimentary.
Your purpose lies behind your passion…it’s your motivation, your ‘why’, whereas passion is your ‘what’. E.g. what do you love doing? Drawing? Music? The why creates and stokes the what!
Note, following your passion occurs because it feels good even if selfish at times, whereby your purpose is oftentimes about serving other people, but not necessarily servitude.
If you are struggling and suffering with the activities you pursue, then it probably means you are not fulfilling your true purpose.
Discovering what you love to do and what seems easy to do, you are poised to finding it.
If you invest in these things, you will not only enjoy every minute but also thrive and excel in them.
Through reverse engineering, you may discover your purpose by asking a simple question like, “why am I passionate about what I do?”
The deeper you journey into answering this question, the more the answer will resonate emotionally with you, uncovering those layers that lead to a tearful realization and recognition of your ‘why’ – your purpose.
Formulate A Life Purpose Statement As A Guide
After exploring what you easily do and love doing, it is time to create a life purpose statement.
Your statement should only be one or two lines that are short and concise. If you find yourself writing more lines, then summarize to the most essential points that resonate with you until only two lines remain.
Your statement should have an action component, e.g. ‘To maximize my potential’ or to ‘Bring joy to those who I meet’…something that you can act upon that describes a continuous journey.
To create a statement, take your time and make a description of what you expect from a world full of your impacting abilities.
Write down what you need to see from the world operating perfectly according to you. This way, you will discover your role and results exempt from your passion.
Encouraging a free and out-of-the-box approach to your thinking is important, as it removes possible limiting beliefs that might be prohibiting your journey of discovery.
Writing your life purpose on paper makes official what you are ready to pursue. You should be clear about what it is, writing in a structured way to make it more effective, which helps avoid confusion and derailment.
However, this does not mean it has to be closed and final. Allow a few adjustments as you discover new things as you progress. Oftentimes, we change our minds about our journey as we discover and learn new things about ourselves.
So, allow some adjustments and keep your ‘why’ in mind to help you re-focus and refresh your energy.
Think Back
Contemplate on the times you have experienced the greatest happiness within your life, be it an occasion, a job, a friendship.
Take detailed analytical notes of those joyful moments and try and find a pattern that links them all.
Once discovered, this pattern may reveal more about your core natural values, providing useful insight into what makes you tick.
Find Your Tribe
Socializing with people who have found their passion and purpose in life, you will soon find yours.
By association, you will begin to subconsciously mimic the behaviors and actions of those you follow.
Passion and purpose are infectious, so your surroundings will begin igniting both in you.
Final Thought
Too often the word coincidence is lazily used when circumstances befall us that we cannot easily explain.
Different paths and opportunities become available that appear like coincidences but are really the result of your actions causing reactions.
So, using your life purpose statement, create small manageable actions to start you on your journey.
As you accomplish those small tasks, you will indeed create the right positive momentum.
However, recognize the forces that may govern the way you currently think and live your life. Negative self-talk, societal expectations, family pressure or trying to fulfill other people’s visions of who you are can hamper your progression.
Instead, find a quiet space and try investigating who you are, using honest introspection.
As you explore, remember that our passion may turn out to be different to what we deeply care about.
But what you deeply care about will sustain you far greater through adversity.
If you can combine both, truly aligned to who you are at your core, you will be unstoppable.
Recent Comments