What if I told you your view of purpose is holding you back? What if I told you that in order to move forward, you have to first let go of that need in the first place?
This week I asked social media what they thought about purpose. Are we born with an innate mission and gift for the world? Or are we born blank, and completely shape our place in the world from scratch?
Based on your answers, it's safe to say most people feel like they're out there grasping at straws.
Do you find yourself agonising over these questions?
How do I know this is the right direction?
How do I know this is the right job?
When will it be my turn for success?
It would be so nice if I was as passionate about my job as X…
As a multifaceted global citizen, a singular purpose, the kind of purpose that looks like a specific job or profession, has often eluded me. Life is so full of possibilities, and I get excited over learning something new almost daily.
In June alone I’ve been tempted to pick up Python, do a certificate in HR skills, get certified to guide people on their Gene Keys Hologenic Profile.
When I was a teenager, I used to pine over all the possibilities I saw for myself. ‘I could DO literally ANYTHING’. The craziest conundrum. Was it a curse to be driven by so much?
Consider this: The question of purpose has existed long before our modern, organised society.
We considered our purpose long before there was a job to be had, long before there was money to be made and long before there was history books to remember us. That means if we are to be made with purpose at all, it will not be about a job or a specific path. It will not be in a specific industry or about specific findings. That part is up to us, that part will unfold with us co-managing fate, with us in the driver's seat.
When we question nature vs nurture, we miss the point of our existence entirely. Nurture is a process, a process natural to nature. Our free-will is embedded into the design too. Things will never be as simple as the big guy in the sky wants us to be a lawyer.
Our experiences and connections to others build our purpose, drive us and shape us.
What does the universe have to do with us, then?
Yet even as we are creating our fate, I do not believe that means we are born blank or are here without purpose. One can see the magic in life, when one realises that what is ordinary is in fact magical. Nature is purposeful, and the will to live manifests itself in amazing ways. All life has a purpose, an expression of soul and a prerogative. Just like every cell in your body has a contribution to the whole, we too have a primal function and an energy unique to us that is vital to the evolution of our species.
Your uniqueness, is your purpose. Your vision is your purpose. Your energy is your purpose-- you are your own purpose.
It seems plain, but it will set you free. It will give you a whole new sense of purpose.
Your purpose isn’t a job or a career path. It’s the most authentic expression of your being. It’s an energy, a personal mission statement etched into your DNA. It’s something that transcends the human squabble… it’s something that contributes to the whole.
A huge part of my coaching practice is shifting people from this singular, limiting goal-mindset into the kind of human that takes every step with purpose and view success as something non-linear and ever unfolding.
When you stop limiting yourself to a label or a glorified box categorisation, and instead look within for your sense of purpose, every step will begin to feel powerful. Every action you take will be a true expression of self, something that the world will not be able to deny. You will be creating a foundation for the continuous expression of your authentic self.
You are walking in purpose when you are your most authentic.
Being your most authentic self is your purpose. As they say, you can't be better at being someone else, but no one can be better at being you, either.
Let's say you are born particularly analytical. That gift can be expressed in many ways. Maybe you use it to improve your communities finance management. Perhaps, you become an academic and review research to educate the masses. Maybe, you help your school raise more funds to improve the learning environment with your ability to point out holes in their fund allocation. Whatever you do, it should be true to your best gifts and how you feel most instrumental to growth and change.
You know you're on the right path when you are never put in a position to betray yourself, and your values.
As long as you do not betray yourself, you are walking in purpose, in whatever room your find yourself in. It can look so different depending on where you go in life, but your core will always be the same, you are your greatest asset. And until you lean into that truth, you will always feel stuck or like you're missing a piece of the picture.
Self-betrayal is the symbol of non-purpose.
I can always tell when someone is a stranger to their purpose. They will feel disconnected to themselves. They will second-guess their every move. They will always trust outside sources more than themselves. They reject change, because it feels safer to try and control the outside world rather than to accept their own responsibility to express their purpose and to commit to radiating authenticity in their ordinary, daily life.
Purpose is not about the big moments and the big-picture scene. It's about a daily expression of who you are and a hunger to be express your authenticity daily in every movement of the body.
When you begin to contemplate your purpose, focus in on the now. Think more about the small strokes of your pen rather than the book you are writing. How would you like to spend you days? What interactions give you the most peace? What interactions give you the most drive?
Whatever that looks like for you, that is your purpose. That's why you're here.
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