What is my life's purpose? What am I doing here? How do I find my purpose?
A lot of you may have questioned yourselves at times, about your reason
to be here, the same way that I have as well. At times, you may get a clear,
strong answer and at times you don’t know where to begin or how to continue on
this journey called life.
The dictionary meaning of purpose is “the reason for which something is
done or created or for which something exists.”
We all need meaning in our lives to be, to act and live through the many
different experiences during this life.
Around 2 decades ago, armed with a double post-graduation, I was on top
of the world! I had completed my education, found a job and most importantly, I
knew my purpose in life. In my heart and head, it was quite simple - “I wanted
to help!” I wanted to do something for the community and make that my
livelihood and be able to sustain it on a long-term basis”.
That’s where the problem began.
Firstly, my job was in the IT services sector and there wasn’t any scope
in my specific work area to be able to work directly on something that would
help the community, in the way that I had planned. As my corporate career began
to take shape, it slowly moved me away from my dreams. I did try to work with
many non-profit organizations but somehow could not sustain that in a way that
I wanted to – which was to connect with community members at the grassroot
level and help in any way that I could.
I got married, travelled cities and countries, had kids and finally
settled back in India with my family. I left my corporate career and worked
with a non-profit organization as a Mentor to young adults, which certainly helped
me align a little bit closer with my purpose and create a direct connection
with the community. Yet, something felt incomplete – a piece was
missing!
The cliché of “Life just happens” was unfolding for me. Hence, when my second
child was a year old, I decided to act – to try and once again do something to
find that missing piece of the puzzle. I studied Psychology, trained to be a
therapist and switched careers from IT to Mental Health, Wellbeing and
Self-development, 18 years after I earned my first post graduate degree.
Now, you may ask, “What’s the purpose of this story?” It is simply to
give you an insight in understanding, embracing and eventually acting on
your purpose.
Besides, knowing your purpose, it is equally important to find a way to
work towards it, such that you can continue doing it for as long as you want to,
and help fulfil your dreams and passions in life.
I must acknowledge here that I do not regret a single phase of my life.
I understand that every experience that I have gained has only helped me become
the person I am today. These experiences have helped me shape my dreams and
goals. I do wish however, that I had acted on my true purpose earlier on
in life and made a deeper impact.
The reason the aspect of action is important is to avoid the
cliché of “Life passing you by” or “Where did the 20 years go by?” happening to
you. You must be aware of this, otherwise, your true purpose in life will only
be real in words, in your hearts and souls forever!
I’ve listed down 7 simply and practical ways in which you can truly find, embrace and follow your purpose in life:
1. 1. Passion
It is important to know what you want to do in your life. Many of us simply let life happen to us as bystanders. Let’s take a pause, find what you really want to do and make this journey of life the way you want it to. It could be about art, music, sciences, being an astronaut, working with children or simply making the most delicious cupcakes. You need to reflect on what makes your mind and heart work together and make you smile.
2. Understanding
Along with finding your passion or what you want to do in life, you need to understand deeply what it entails. Ask yourself questions like “Do I really want to do this long term?” or “How can I work for this such that I am financially stable as well?” and even “Who can help with work for this and how can I start?”
3. Resolve
The way expectations work around you at times may find you in a dilemma, especially when it comes to financial stability, lack of viable opportunities, etc. Dig deep, make a resolve to plan such that you would be able to sustain your passion in a way that you can make a good successful living out of it in the long run.
4. Persistence
At times, you may or may not be able to work full time towards your dreams due to various reasons. At such times, show grit and be persistent about your long-term passion and find ways to continue working towards it in smaller ways. Keep reminding yourself in thoughts as well as in action that you would be able to one day work solely for your passion, and that day is coming soon.
5. Open-mindedness
Take a pause! Look back on all that you have achieved and look forward to your future goals. Remember to remember your true purpose every now and then. Ask yourself “Are you happy with what you have done so far for it?”. Be open-minded and even critical at times about your successes and failures and realign your next steps towards the path that would take you to fulfilling your purpose. Ask yourself again “Do I want to continue on this journey or find another path?”
Listen to what your heart truly has to say!
6. Satisfaction and Fulfillment
Whatever you choose to do has to be fueled with passion to begin with. But in life, you may have other aspects connected with your life – family, finances, self-aspirations, etc. These may change in priority at different phases in life, but it is imperative that to be truly successful and happy in life, you must have that sense of satisfaction in whatever you do. Without it, it tends to get difficult to continue on a long-term basis.
The concept of Ikigai, combining passion, profession,
vocation and mission works very well in understanding this aspect.
7. Everyone
No matter what you do, you must try and find a way to use our passion and purpose in a way that you can contribute to someone else. The sense of satisfaction that you get when you’re involved in giving back to your community is simply supreme. Along with giving donations to charities and NGO’s, try and give your personal time and effort to working for the community in some way and bask in the complete sense of gratification and fulfillment that you would feel from such life experiences.
It's always about balance. In this case, you must consciously balance between doing something for a living and truly living a life.
In the words of Mark Twain, “The two most important days in life are the
day you are born and the day you find out why.”
I’d like to complement that quote by encouraging you to find that
equally momentous day when you act upon that “why” as well.
Let’s start today – find your purpose, embrace it and work towards
making it happen!
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My Haiku on "Purpose":
Love what you do, and
Give back to others, truly
Mindfully heartfulTM !
#purpose #act
"Mindfullyheartful" is now a registered trademark owned by Minal Kering. Do visit my blog, "Being" at https://mindfullyheartful.blogspot.com/ for my other posts.
