Sometimes all the talk about the need to have a life purpose can be stressful for some. When having a life purpose does not resonate with someone, I often ask them ” What can you be purposeful about?” , and often when they can answer that with the same clarity of a life purpose statement – they will experience the same amount of personal fulfillment.
After all, what is a life purpose anyway? If not something that has been self-defined in someway. The message for the purpose has come from somewhere. It may appear as coming from within or it may appear as coming from a higher place. It’s different for each person how they arrive at what is meaningful for themselves.
The key in all of it though is that the purposefulness be self-defined. Here are 5 small ways you can begin to define your purpose and act with purposefulness everyday:
1. Identify your natural strengths and talents: When we honour what comes natural to us and acknowledge our strengths it can give us insight as to the easier path to travel. When we do what comes easily – things are just plain easier. Natural talents can also be a clue to things we enjoy just a little bit more than the norm and there for give us insight where we already are enjoying putting our focus.
2. Know what you are passionate about – and include your passions in your day – to – day life: Being crystal clear about your passions in life and having a way of incorporating those passions in to your day to day living is a sure road to personal fulfillment. Doing what you love is energy giving. You know you are engaged in a passion when the times fly buy and it is something you could do for an extended period of time.
3. Understand about Needs: Knowing what your personal needs are and what it takes to get them met is just one component. It’s actually an awareness raising exercise to begin having a conversation with yourself and your immediate relationships about what your needs are – and how to get them met. Bigger than your own needs how ever – is looking at the needs of others, your community and the world at large. Once you understand what the needs are around you – sometimes this can be a calling to be in service of that need.
4. Practicing Courage: It takes Courage to expand past the confines of the expectations of others and beyond our own limiting beliefs to be engaged in a purpose that we alone define. Anytime we practice full self expression and believe we might be criticized for our expression, practicing our purposefulness can feel risky. It takes Courage to see that the resistance we may feel is actually resistance of our own creation.
5. Be moved On an Emotional Level: Purposefulness has an inspiration behind it. The inspiration is like a vibrating energy, you can actually feel it. For some, they feel the pain in the world – and they are called to provide a solution to that pain in the world. For others, they see immense joy – and they wish to further add to the joy. For some, they see what is missing – and they provide the needed component. It again is an emotional thing. Unique to everyone.
