Discover your purpose and then be fearless in its pursuit.
—Nancy Salmeron
I have been going back through and reading some of my early blogs from five years ago, and I stumbled upon a short blog in which I wrote about the purpose of that blog. It read like this:
“We were all born with a mission, the mission to be happy and bring love and joy to others. It is our life’s goal to search for our life mission by finding our passion. When we do this, we will find true happiness, because you are living your soul’s purpose. With this blog, I hope to inspire you to keep on searching if you have not found your true north and persevere with your passion if you have! May you find joy in this journey of life!”
Oh, how innocent and green I was! Yet, I am proud of how I have grown and respect very much where I was then. Today I understand that what I called “mission” is the reason for our existence. It is our birthright to question why we exist. It is our moral responsibility to seek what makes us come alive and to create a life that contributes to the betterment of other people. I believe with all my heart that all individuals are truly intended to bring peace, love, and joy to everybody they encounter. What keeps us from doing this are our fearful thoughts, beliefs, and emotions. They take over and we forget who we are. To live a life of joy and to love what you do, you must be the architect of your life. My goal is to remind you of your purpose and fire up your potential. I want to tell you that your dreams are valid and that you should go after them like your life depends on them, because it does! When you Believe. Change. Become., you let go of beliefs that make you feel small or take away your desire to live a purpose-filled life. You change those thoughts and daily routines that keep you from becoming or remembering the essence, the truth of your spirit. I come alive when I can inspire you to look at the beauty who you are. I live my purpose when I can instill the belief in you that you deserve and are destined for beautiful things. So, tell me what you wish to accomplish with your amazing life. Let’s review how you can identify why you exist or your purpose.
What makes you come alive?
The first thing I want you to do is to ask yourself what makes you come alive. What makes you happy? What is something that you love doing that you would do for free? Your purpose is the gift that was given to you to share with the world. Your purpose is something that you enjoy doing and do well. You don’t have to be a pro when you first start doing it, but it should be something that does not feel like work. People who are pursuing their passions and living their purpose, wake up grateful and excited about their work. This does not mean that when you pursue your purpose there is no work involved. Of course, there is work that needs to be done. But the work is more enjoyable.
Make a list of the things that you are passionate about.
If nothing jumps out, make a list. Write down the things that bring you joy when you do them. Ask family and friends when they have seen you the happiest. Do you come alive when you are around children? Maybe your passion would be to be an educator and work with young people. Does time fly when you are with animals? Maybe you would like to be a vet. Do you have a special passion for social justice? Maybe you would like to be a social worker or community organizer. The point of asking ourselves and others about what you enjoy is because we are not always aware of what truly brings us joy.
Ask others what you are good at.
What have others told you that you are good at? Do others seek you out for personal advice? Maybe your gift is counseling or psychology. Your purpose is usually something that others see that you do very well and that you enjoy. We all have something that comes naturally to us that we need to be sharing with the world.
Who inspires you?
Are there people who are doing something that you would love to do? The people who inspire you reflect something that you have. If you have ever admired someone’s work, it could be that what they do is something you should be doing. Is there is a cooking channel that you love to watch? Is there an interior design show you enjoy watching? Are there certain topics that you like to learn more about in books? If you enjoy the study of biology, it could be that you are intended to pursue something that relates to this topic. The people and things that inspire you to reflect who you are.
Identifying your passion and how to follow your purpose may not be obvious. Deciding that your life matters and that you have a reason for your existence goes against the norms of our society. Our educational systems encourage us to find a career that pays the bills but does not necessarily make us come alive. Our society pushes us to be consumers and tells us that we need to find a job that pays a lot of money so we can participate in consumerism. I am not against having material things. I am against settling for a job or career that does not move your soul. My mission is to inspire everyone whom I encounter to believe that they have a gift that must be shared with the planet. I want to remind you that there is something that you do very well and that sets your soul on fire. Discover your purpose and then be fearless in its pursuit. Until next time, Believe. Change. Become.