Discovering life’s purpose is not a new concept. Since the beginning of time man has been searching for the meaning of life. Why am I here? What do I want? Who am I? Where do I want to go and how do I get there? Way down deep in our hearts we all want to find and fulfill our higher purpose.
For so many of us we have put our lives on autopilot. We eat, breathe, shop ’til we drop, work at jobs we hate, watch television, and if you are like the Lake Bum, drink the day away. Not that I don’t drink my fair share, just ask Mooney. It is just that there has to be more to life than finding happiness and joy when the next American Idol airs or when buying the next trendy thing that only ends up in our closet collecting dust in a matter of weeks.
The whole idea of “I will be happy when. . .” is the way many of us live our lives. I will be happy when I make my first million. I will be happy when I own my house on the lake. I will be happy when I get that dream job. The reality is happiness is not something that happens to you. Happiness is inside of you right now. Discovering and living your life’s purpose will support you in living a much more fulfilling and happy life.
So what does it mean to discover life’s purpose? As one of my mentors, Mr. Rogers would say, “You are unique and special. There is no one else like you in the world.” Because of this each of us has a purpose and a reason for living that is uniquely personal. Living a life of purpose reflects who you are deep inside; your beliefs, your values and passion for living. It is all about following your heart and doing what you love to do with passion and purpose.
The Danish thinker Soren Kierkengaard wrote in his journal the following little gem. “The thing is to understand myself, to see what God really wants me to do; the thing is to find a truth which is true for me, to find the idea for which I can live or die.”
Sometimes it takes a life altering experience to jolt us out of our superficial day-to-day lives and search for purpose. September 11, 2001 was just that life-altering day for many people around our great country and the world. Prior to that day many people were satisfied going through life doing the same old thing they had been doing for so many years before. The shock of the events that unfolded on September 11th caused many people to re-evaluate their lives and search for deeper meaning.
I happened to be in Manhattan on September 11th scheduled to facilitate a political town hall meeting at Windows on the World on the 109th floor of the World Trade Center at 8:30 am on September 12th. The town hall did not happen and I could not get back home to Grand Lake fast enough. As timing would have it, Kristen, my wife and I ended up rounding the corner at Kelly’s Corner Store in Zena at the exact same time. As we almost hit the store running to hug each other, we cried and promised each other that from that day forward we would focus our lives on doing activities with meaning and purpose, activities that make a positive difference. We did and are doing just what we promised, but as that date slips into the cobwebs of history I find that I don’t have that same passion in the belly as the first few months following September 11th.
Living a life with purpose takes constant practice, evaluation, and patience.
Living a life with purpose does not mean that you have to be involved in some great discovery or tremendous idea. Instead, it often rises from a commitment to be faithful to even the most undervalued of tasks.
“Leaders of the State of the World Forum determined that the most important jobs in the world are parenting, teaching, and healing,” writes Laurie Beth Jones in The Path. “If you are parenting, teaching, or healing others, consider your mission among the most important in the world.” It is not all about going after the money. Instead, when we are doing work that adds value and improves the quality of life for others, we are doing life’s work. Perhaps this is why people like to help each other. Subconsciously they know that through doing good for others they are coming closer to achieving their life purpose.
So how do I discover my life’s purpose?
Life is about choices: good, bad, happy, purposeful or void. Living a life of purpose is a lifelong journey and there are many components that require considerable processing to live that life. Here are just a few creative exercises that will support you to start along your path to a life of purpose.
Follow Your Passions
Get out a piece of paper and write down those things in your life that get your juices flowing and motivate you into action. Jot down all your passions no matter how out of this world they may seem. Now that you have your list, are you doing any of your passions or are they on the back burner? If you are already following through with some of your passions, how can you do more of what you love? If you aren’t following through with your passion, how can you start changing your life and fulfill your inner most desires? When you follow your passions everything else in life will naturally flow to you and you will be that much closer to living a life of purpose.
Follow Your Intuition
Whatever you call it, a hunch, a gut feeling, or luck, following your intuition will put the power of your subconscious mind and a lifetime of experiences to work for you. Just think of it as having your own personal advisor by your side at all times. And hey, it’s you.
When faced with a tough decision, take all the information you can find, no matter how large or small. Once you have sifted through the information, sit in a quiet relaxing space with this knowledge and see what pops up for you. What does your intuition share with you? What do you sense would be the best direction to go? Do any new and unexpected solutions come up for you? How will you use your intuition?
Remember, your intuition is always working towards your greater success and deepest desires.
Where Do You Want to Go?
Setting a vision for where you envision your life 20, 30, even 40 years from now is important in determining how it will turn out. Remember, every significant change or innovation began with a vision. So what is it that you want to accomplish in your life? Write it down and visualize it. It will give you a clearer picture of where your life is heading.
Focus On The Positive
Keeping a positive attitude and approach to life may be one of the best methods for supporting you to live a life of purpose. Positivity is contagious. People want to be around people with a positive attitude. Positivity is like a magnet and attracts what it is you most desire in life and supports you to create joy in your life. What could be more rewarding?
Let me know what you think.
Until next week, remember the only boxes that exist are the ones you create yourself.
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