Discover Your Purpose

Finding and developing your purpose gives meaning and excitement to life.  You were born with a purpose.  You were meant to live that purpose.

Begin by looking at yourself.  The more you understand who you are, the easier it is to realize your reason for living. Your purpose must make you happy and energized.

“The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled.  For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers.” ― M. Scott Peck

CONSIDER YOUR PERSONALITY.  You are different from others. Your personality decides how you behave and how you see life.  Look carefully at your personality traits.  They will tell you more about your purpose in life than any other clue.

Example: “I am an I – Influential person.  I enjoy excitement, horses, change and people who are energizing.”

CONSIDER YOUR VALUES. A value is your personal philosophy; what you believe in, feel and think about yourself and your life and is rewarding to you.  These may differ from needs. A need is necessary. A value is something you like.

Make a list of the things you value most.  A partial list might include:

Peace of mind Security

Time for fun Nice clothes

Successful business Power

Respect from others Relaxation

Personal possessions – car, house Flexibility

Close relationship with family and friends Travel

Example: I value love, appreciation and attention from others.

Consider your needs. See Live Life as a Banquet, page 74.

Example: “I need horses in my life and I need flexibility.”

CONSIDER YOUR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES. 

Example: “I am good at understanding horses.  I am bad at saying, ‘No’ to people.”

CONSIDER WHETHER YOU ARE EXTERNALLY OR INTERNALLY MOTIVATED.  If you are externally motivated, you expect others to take care of you. You feel you have no control over your life. Things happen because of other people or circumstances.

Example: “I know that life is predetermined and I can’t change it. Besides, if something bad can happen, it will.”

If you are internally motivated you take responsibility for yourself and your actions.  You are not a victim. You don’t wait for things to happen. You make them happen.

Example: “I don’t expect others to take care of me. I take care of others.”

“Every person is the creation of himself, the image of his own thinking and believing.  As individuals think and believe, so they are.”  ― Claude M. Bristol

CONSIDER WHAT COMES NATURALLY TO YOU. 

Think about:

1. Who you are, your abilities, knowledge, insights, and experiences.
2. What you are good at.

Example: “I am good at creating art that shows excitement.”

1. What learned skills you have.

Example: “I majored in art.”

1. How you do things.  Do you analyze, talk, listen, solve problems, care for others, give hugs, etc.?
2. How you like to spend your time.  This further defines who you are.  Do you do things to help other people, write books or improve yourself?

6. What subjects you watch on TV or read about.  What conversations interest you most? What topics get you most excited and passionate?

7. What kind of life you want.  Do you want it to continue the way it has? If not, what changes do you want to make?

8. What kind of person do you want to be?  Do you like yourself as you are now? Are there any improvements you want to make?

1. Where or when you are most insightful.  When are you are most natural?

10. What experiences contribute to your life’s purpose?

Example: “I have had to work hard and make many changes to continue with my art.”

I am ________________, I do this by__________________.

Example: I am an artist, I do this by using my creativity and color skills.

CONSIDER YOUR DREAMS. Start with “I wish I could …” dreams.  Create a list of your dreams assuming you have all the money, time, ability and support from others.  Anything is acceptable.

Look at all the information you have collected about yourself.  What patterns do you see? What areas are most exciting to you?  This is the direction to pursue.

Example: You realize that you enjoy teaching.  This doesn’t mean that you will become a fifth grade teacher. You might teach evening workshops.  You could begin teaching at the office. You might write articles that are instructional.

Think about why you like teaching.  Do you like the interaction with others or seeing someone benefit from your knowledge?  The better you answer “why” to your choice, the more options you have to pursue.

Now take the information and begin to move in that direction.  This is trial and error.  You constantly refine your purpose until it suits you.

Once you have defined it, see yourself doing what you desire. Start collecting pictures of people doing what you want to do, being who you want to be.  You don’t have to spend a lot of time with these pictures, but once you have a visual interpretation of them, it’s easier to recognize your purpose when you see it in real life.  Create a scrapbook of your pictures.

“Many men go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are really after.”  ― Henry David Thoreau

Don’t spend your life just living.  Discover your purpose, your reason for living.  It lies hidden within you. Only you can uncover it.  You will know it when you find it.  You will be incomplete until you do.

The next step is to create and implement goals to help you accomplish your purpose.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

• We all have a purpose.  What’s yours?
• Are you living it now?
• Can you improve on it?
• If you are not living your purpose, why not?
• Are you willing to take the time to consider the above information and begin the change to live a purposeful life?

©B. Eddy

[box type=”bio”] Betty Eddy is a published author and member of the Netiv community. Her work as a life coach has given her unique insight into self help. In her book “Untying the Knots of Life” she deals with concepts which guides the reader though self discovery. [/box]