The Purpose of Purpose
Have you ever noticed how focused and driven animals are? From the time they are born, an animal seems to know what to do: forage for food, care of itself and its young, find and maintain a habitat. All of their actions are deliberate, and seem to be driven by a sense of purpose.
But we’re not animals.
For the most part, we’re not born with an innate knowledge of our purpose. We have to search within ourselves and our lives to uncover it.
To really discover and live in our purpose, we have to understand its function in our lives. Here are some of the ways our purpose helps us live our fullest life:
It gives our life more passion and meaning.
It helps us live with intention and make choices with confidence (because we know what we’re meant to do).
It helps us to live life wholeheartedly by learning from challenges, exploring new paths, and allowing ourselves to grow.
Just like you, your purpose is unique. It will evolve and change as you move through life. That’s why finding and fulfilling your purpose can be a lifelong endeavor. The journey to realizing your purpose begins when you ask yourself a simple question: What drives me? Not sure what the answer is?
Try this:
Picture yourself working on projects that don't interest you. You’re doing a job or activity because it’s what you need to do to survive. Think about how that would make you feel. Those activities-- or that job-- aren’t driving you. They aren’t giving you a sense of purpose.
Now imagine yourself devoting your time to projects that spark your imagination, inspire, excite, and satisfy you. What types of things are you doing? Whatever they are, these activities and projects can help you understand what drives you and can lead you closer to discovering your purpose in life, and how to live in step with it.
Our sense of purpose is there to make sure we thrive, not just survive. And truly understanding what makes you glad to be alive is the key to discovering your unique purpose, and how you can live it to the fullest each day.
Make a list of activities that you wish you were involved in, or have loved doing in the past. What does this list tell you about what your purpose might be?
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