Why is this important?
I like to think of Life Purpose as one’s mission in coming to this planet. Whether you see your arrival here as a choice or not, I invite you to free up your imagination to play with this idea.
Throughout our lives we’re encouraged to find the “right job” or “career”. We judge ourselves or are judged by others by how well we fit into the jobs available to us. But your Life Purpose may not fit into any of these options.
If you’re life is not in sync with what you’re meant to be doing, this will cause dissatisfaction. You may think you’re doing everything right but your life feels empty or unfulfilling. But you, like many others, may have no idea what your purpose is or you may even wonder if you have one.
So here’s a list of questions that may help you determine if you have a life purpose.
Surveying your life.
-
Does the question, “Why am I here?” keep coming up for you?
-
Does the thought of having a life purpose uplift you?
-
Does the thought of a life purpose make you want to run for the hills or say something sarcastic?
-
Are you drawn to books, films or media stories about people who’ve overcome all odds to create their dreams?
-
Do you have a nagging feeling that you’re meant to be doing something more with your life?
-
Do you have an “is that all there is?” reaction to the usual entertainment, leisure activities or careers that you assumed should make life feel worthwhile?
-
Do you keep stifling aspects of yourself in order to fit in but would love to break free and do what would really make you happy?
-
Do you keep promising yourself that after the kids are grown, after you’ve retired, after all the laundry is done…you’ll finally do something meaningful with your life?
-
Do you keep getting feedback from others or just know that you’re underachieving and hiding your gifts?
-
Do you engage in activities that, even after a hard day at work, fill you with joy and energy?
AND THE SURVEY SAYS…
If you answered “yes” to even one of these questions, especially if the experience is repetitive, congratulations! You have a life purpose.
Even if you answered “yes” to question #3, this often means you’re fearful of the possibility of having a purpose, not that you don’t have one. If it keeps knocking on your door and you keep refusing to answer, you may want to ask yourself what’s the worst thing that would happen if you opened the door a crack and peeked out?
WHAT’S NEXT?
I encourage you to take yourself seriously and delve more deeply into your heart’s desire for the life you are meant to lead. Just taking the first exploratory steps may start you on a journey that is so fulfilling, you may never want to look back.
